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Find a Grave - for those intereseted in geneaology... or...

13 years ago

or just walking around cemeteries. And for history buffs.

Is anyone familiar with the Find a Grave website? I tried to post a link below, but GW didn't like it. Said the format was invalid, so here is the link, you'll have to cut and paste:

http://www.findagrave.com/

This site came up as a topic of conversation on the GW Kitchen Table forum and I think I'm hooked on a new hobby, at least for a while.

You can do all sorts of searching, without having to sign up as a member, but I took the big step and did so. Once you're signed up (unless you change your account settings) you will receive requests for grave photographs for cemetaries near you. Wow, did I open the floodgates! Seems like a lot of people have just been waiting for someone from the Keweenaw peninsula to take pictures for their geneaology projects. I've got somewhere around 15 requests!

I've always liked walking around cemeteries, and looking at the stones. They give me a very peaceful feeling. We'd been visiting some of the very old cemeteries in this area anyway, and taking photographs. This project will give us a reason to do so. And unlike EVERY OTHER HOBBY we enjoy, this one will COST US NO MONEY!

We visited the cemetery at Eagle River, MI yesterday. It has been there since 1843 and is still in use today, so is a very interesting mixture. The number of babies and small children in older cemeteries is always sad. People lost baby after baby back in the early to mid-1800s (and I'm sure before). They didn't have the care and medications that we have today. Think of how heartbreaking that had to be. But, in this area of huge copper mines, back at that time people lost young adult children too. We saw so many gravestones for 18, 19, and20 year old men (and a little older) who had died in mine accidents. Not speculation, it said so right there on the stones. So sad.

This was not an area where many lived to a ripe old age in those days. Most were in their 20s, 30s, a few in their 40s. It was very unusual to find a stone for someone over 50.

You can also submit names, and you have the option of creating a memorial page. I created one for my sister, Phyllis, who passed away last year (about the same time as Papou). I tried to put the link below, but again, it was rejected. You can find Phyllis' memorial at

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Richards&GSfn=phyllis&GSbyrel=in&GSdy=2009&GSdyrel=in&GSst=31&GScnty=1814&GScntry=4&GSob=n&GRid=58673752&df=all&;

or by searching for US, Nebraska, Burt County, Phyllis Richards.

I want to create memorials for my parents too, but will have to wait until I come across the copies of their obituaries.

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Comments (7)

newhostaaddict
13 years ago
hi jel,,,

my husband and I currently clip the lawn at our church cemetery,,,

i have started a project of collecting the obituaries for those that are buried there,,,have almost 500 obituaries and still need to find 170 more,,,

i am going to take pictures of all the gravestones and eventually make a book of them,,,

i have taken some stone pictures already as we are having some cleaned and i wanted some before and after pictures,,,it is amazing what a good cleaning can do,,,brings them right back to new,,,

i will browse this new site and see if it helps me with some older obituaries,,,thanks for the link,,,

jill
jel48
Original Author
13 years ago
Hi Jill,

That sounds like a great project! I'm curious... what they do to clean the stones? I'd love to see a before and after picture or two, if you'd care to post them.

Joyce
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newhostaaddict
13 years ago
hi joyce
depends on what the gravestone is made up of...
some are granite,,,some marble,,,some sandstone,,,

they use an acid wash on some,,,but not all,,,i forget what he said he used on the very old ones...

here are some pics...

jill
jel48
Original Author
13 years ago
Wow, that is just amazing, Jill! I'd never have realized that they would clean up so nicely. Of course, some of the really old ones are so worn that no amount of cleaning will make them readable. I am able to edit some of them in Paintshop Pro so they are a little more readable, by experimenting with contrast, sharpness, etc, but some I'm sure will never be read again.
hostasformez4
13 years ago
Jill,
Could you find out what kind of stuff they used on very old types of gravestones. We have a very privite family cemetary in Southern IL. that I will be visiting soon and I would like to be able to clean up the grave stones.

Connie
bean_counter_z4
13 years ago
I've been into genealogy for years and never heard of this. Thanks for the information. Sounds like an interesting project to start when the weather gets a little better. We have some wonderful old cemeteries in this area.
bkay2000
13 years ago
There's a product called d-2 (it has 2 or 3 other names) that is made by the people who make Simple Green. It is used by the national park service to clean the national cemetery headstones. It's supposed to be safe for most all kinds of stone. It can be used with water or without. I have samples that I have not yet used, so I can't judge it's effectiveness.

It says it removes mold, algae, mildew, lichen and moss. The ones I need to do are in a remote cemetery without water. These are the graves of my gggrandfather and his immediate family. I don't go there often, but now, since you all mentioned it, I will take before and after photos.

bkay

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