Is anyone else using Find-a-Grave for research?

[CanonRay]

I'm finding it very useful to locate the burial places of deceased relatives. I use it in combination with Ancestry. There are over 70 million burials posted to the Find a Grave website. While not perfect, as some entries have errors, it is a great resource.

[cyberswede]

1. I've used it

Funnily enough, my sisters were physically looking for a specific cemetery while on vacation, so they called me to help them find it via Google. I found the Find-a-Grave site and was able to give them directions to the cemetery - the site also had a photo of the headstone they were looking for. It was kind of weird that I actually "saw" it before they did!

[Little Star]

2. I actually solved one of my long time brick walls..

due to Find-a-Grave. I was able to visit the gravesite while on vacation last year in Georgia. And I was able to get a picture of myself standing next to my ggg-grandmother's grave. That was very exciting!

It's definitely a good resource.

[CanonRay]

3. I've been linking my Find-a-Grave findings on my Ancestry.com tree

listing the memorial # under Burial for the individual.

[The Genealogist]

5. I do that too

Under the description category on the burial form, I put in the cemetery followed by the find-a-grave #.

[DebJ]

15. I got so busy doing this I started using FAG as a short cut

My cousins wanted to know what in the world I meant by that, ha!

[csziggy]

4. Yes, but as often as not I have more information to provide

The first relative I found on there was buried in her daughter's husband's family plot. The person who had put the pictures online did not know how she was related since the surnames were different. To add to the confusion, two of her children that had died young were buried there - apparently, they were exhumed from where ever they had originally been buried and re-buried there.

I sent the sponsor of that grave a family tree so they could post the correct information on the site for the various graves.

[DebJ]

16. You can also ask them if you can take over the memorial.

I did that for a few relatives where I wanted to post a bio and links to other family on find a grave.
First though I thanked them for posting the memorial and especially pictures when they have them!

[csziggy]

18. Eventually I might do that, but not now

Tomorrow morning I see the knee replacement surgeon to find out what my immediate future holds. Until I'm recovered from that, I am making no plans.

[tru]

20. good luck, csziggy n/t

[The Genealogist]

6. I agree

There are some very botched entries. I have found that a nicely worded request to the person who made the entry will generally take care of that, something like "Greetings, thank you for taking time to put this entry in. I noticed a little error...again, I appreciate your taking the time to put the entry in." I have quite a big virtual cemetery on findagrave.com. There are some really nice people that put up burial information, and as anyplace, some real jerks. I have added some entries, based on death certificate data, and personal knowledge. Taking the entries carefully, though, can yield some great genealogical data.

[JackCo]

7. Found pics

I found photos of my gggGrandfather and Grandmother. It was amazing to see their faces and recognize common features in my living relatives. He is one of my brick walls but seeing the face and marker makes it all worth it.

[kdmorris]

8. I am!

Coordinated with a bunch of my cousins, too, in order to get them all related properly to each other.

[Historic NY]

9. As a secondary source......

I use it especially when there is a photo. I've worked with a few people who with their exuberance sometimes don't exactly get the info right. Mostly its people who don't get the exact cemetery name. I do use it to cross check older gravestone transcriptions or to see if a name pops up. Having someone on the local scene that actually knows an area is more helpful. In my line I am astounded how many times I run across different people with the same names and sometimes same birth or death info.... I screwed up a published genealogical work dating back to the 16oo's when I actually had the correct grave, body and story. The family had the name and a grave 300 + miles away. Same name, similar demographics. They never actually knew other had family lore to go on. They came to photo the headstone and they set the record straight.

[shanti]

13. same names...

i've found that to be the case many times. mother told me that when a child died in the family, they would give the new baby the name of the deceased, so it can often be problematic when searching.

[dragonlady]

10. Some kind soul really helped me with one branch

He posted photos and obituaries for my grandmother's many siblings and their descendants who were buried in the area where he grew up. Those obituaries were so valuable!

[flyingfysh]

11. I used it and found the headstone for some of my mom's ancestors

She had an ancestor who died in 1861, but had no idea that he had lived in Iowa. The headstone with his and his wife's name (and not-very-common initials) proved it.

[shanti]

12. yes!

and i've taken over quite a few of my ancestors' graves. some of them DO have errors.

[pipi_k]

14. Yes, and it was a huge thrill

for me to be able to "visit" my grandfather's grave that way. I wasn't in contact with the family when he died, so I didn't get to go to his funeral, and now I'm disabled and can't travel very far.

I found a photo of his stone, put there by one of my uncles.

I've also entered information on my baby daughter and my dad, and was able to post photos on the page someone put up for my brother, who died last year.

[DebJ]

17. I requested a few pictures and actually GOT them from volunteers.

That was so cool and exciting....I'd likely never get to Maine's backwoods to do this myself.

Seeing the actual dates on the headstones has often helped me to sort out one similar
named person from another.

[shanti]

19. yes, i am

but i am almost finished with my two week trial on ancestry.com and i am LOVING it! loving it enough to join up!