I had to smile at this. Earlier this year I had one flower left and decided to put it on my great aunt's grave. I noticed in walking to the area a gravestone with the exact first name, Celesta, of one in the family plot. About 3 months later that stone was connected to a great grandparent. I made a comment on Ancestry that it was not the correct husband but have not taken the time to post the correct one. I think there was about three months difference between the two birthdates. If you are going to do this please make certain you have the correct person.

If you are going to do this please make certain you have the correct person.

Maifleur, I assume you're addressing FindAGrave volunteers in general, and not me personally. Yes, errors are not uncommon on FindAGrave and other genealogy sites as well. Lindsey has probably seen a lot of this. I'm not a genealogist, but I can read dates and spot other obvious errors, so I submit edits to memorial managers rather often.

I was not addressing anyone in particular other than anyone that would do as you suggested and send grave stones to FindAGrave. If you do not know do not send a story with the picture.

I do need to look at the grave/headstone to see who the other woman married and perhaps I can trace who she really was. Since it was some type of family member that posted it if it was a grand perhaps I could help them correct their records. Of course she could have been my great-great grandfathers mistress.

I used to volunteer to do this until one woman told me she was just curious about the grave I had taken a picture of. What? Not related, you just randomly picked someone's name and made a request? I found it weird and was a little annoyed. I started to volunteer because someone had found my dad's uncle's grave for us. I placed a headstone on it, long distance (there was just a round metal marker there) and they went back after it was done and took a picture and sent it to me. I then sent it to my brother, who showed my dad.

So, out of curiosity, after reading the article you posted, Alisande, I went to Find a Grave and found someone had put both my parent's in there. I can't message the person because I'm not at home to see if they knew them or not. I don't know how I feel about this. Someone left a flower for my mom....don't recognize that person either.

Kath depending on the area there are people who routinely put flowers on graves. They simply like the idea that everyone should have a flower. Some simply place the flower others will give a prayer.

Anyone can put a picture on Find a Grave. Most have no connection to the person in the grave. Part of the thing with find a grave is that it provides a memory and a method for people doing research. Edited to add that I just looked at my father's and the person who did the photo had taken over 26,000 photos so while there is a possibility that the person is a family member it is unlikely. I did notice however that his obituary has his middle name spelled incorrectly.

As far as someone leaving a flower....my DH had lots of friends and on the

Anniversary of his death there are flowers left for him. I love it....

...to me it means someone remembers. Some of these people don't live

close enough to the actual grave site and Find A Grave is a way they can

show they cared about him. They have to register to do this, and it makes

me feel good that they go to the trouble of doing it to leave a flower.

Is Find A Grave global? I have a photo of a grave in Denmark, my Dad couldn't tell me who it was, so now I'm curious!

Yes, FindAGrave is global. Can you read the name on the gravestone? If so, you could do a search on the name. I guess you could just put Denmark as the location.

https://www.findagrave.com/

I have had both good & bad experiences with F.A.G.

I made requests for photos of DH's grandparents & a great Aunt, and people very graciously have helped out. I've filled a few local requests for photos. I don't have time to do many, but if they're close by, I do what I can.

When my FIL passed, 3 days after the funeral, I went to the website to make his memorial, only to discover a "volunteer" of no relation had already put it up. She put it up the day the obituary ran in the local paper. He wasn't even in the ground yet! I requested that she transfer it to me, she refused. According to her, I had no right or business maintaining the memorial just because I was a relative.

In her "bio" on Find a grave, she states, "unless you are a contributor (to F.A.G.) I will turn you down flat." THAT is totally against F.A.G's rules. She has 30K plus memorials she's added. She's one of those people who gives the contributors a bad name. Sadly, there are many contributors that get a thrill of having big numbers behind their names. Some kind of power trip, I guess.

In cases such as this, you just contact F. A. G. and explain your relationship to the deceased and they'll transfer it. I did. I received a nasty note from her, so I just removed the site she'd made and built a brand new one. LOL

Alisande, thank you for your contributions. It's a lot of work!