“Help us find the ending to every family story.” This is the sentiment behind Find A Grave Community Days, an event in which genealogists and taphophiles everywhere are encouraged to “Help preserve your local cemetery.” I hope you’ll join the cause! It’s an amazing way to pay it forward for any help you’ve received researching…
The 1900 census is one of my favorites because of columns 11 and 12; ‘mother of how many children’ and ‘number of those children living’. The genealogist side of me sees this information as an important piece of the family group puzzle. But as a mother the numbers tug at my heart, especially when there is a face attached to…
In December I posed three questions to Find A Grave contributors whose virtual preservation work I admire: How did you discover Find A Grave? What motivates you to contribute? What is your favorite way to contribute (i.e. photos, vital information, obits etc.)? Answers to those first three questions are posted here. In January I asked three more…
This beautiful hexagon headstone is in Forest Hill Cemetery and Mausoleum in Madison Wisconsin. Six members of the extended Whitaker family are interred here. Mary Whitaker Sandford 1910-1952 Bessie Sayles Whitaker 1880-1951 Henry Charles Whitaker 1874-1930 Robert Charles Ellis Sr. 1895-1981 Dorothy Whitaker Ellis 1907-1957 and Henry Whitaker Ellis 1939-1990. All have been memorialized on Find…
If you’ve followed my blog for any length of time, you may already know I’m a Find A Grave contributor. In fact, last year my love of cemeteries and headstone photography upstaged my family history research! I believe Find A Grave plays an important role in the preservation of history, art and architecture. And the people laid to rest…
Looking back on my genealogy-related accomplishments in 2015, my thoughts go first to the one that brought me the most joy. I visited 24 cemeteries this year. Three visits helped with my family history research. Maybe one of the others will help you with yours. If you haven’t yet made your New Year’s Resolutions, please consider becoming a Find A Grave photo…
Why are these headstones in Mauston Cemetery (Mauston Wisconsin) arranged in a half-circle? What does it mean?
the photograph that remains provides a plethora of genealogical clues
Styled after tree trunks and cut branches, the individual headstones of the Evans’ family are grouped around a large tree marker. The broken branches on the large headstone symbolize a life cut short.
Mother Nature always has the final word. On this particular Sunday, her word was no. No to my plans to photograph Riverside Cemetery in Black River Falls Wisconsin . Unless I wanted to be drenched. Sigh.
where2look4ancestors 