With more than 35 million records on hand, Find A Grave is not only a BIG genealogical database, , it's also a pretty interesting one. Users can (and do) submit their own records to the data set. Some submit individual gravesites of one or two family members, while others consolidate masses of information from old graveyards and cemeteries, and create a database where none would otherwise exist.
It's a wonderful tool, and should be a frequent stopping point for family history research in the US.
Searching is easy, and results will quickly give you the deceased's full name, dates of birth and death, and the cemetery name and location. There may also be a photograph of the grave or the cemetery (or of the person themselves!). Importantly, you'll also learn the name of the person who contributed the listing to the database, as they can often be a very informative source of additional information.
Everything a Find a Grave is free. Register to get full access to all the site has to offer. And if you've finished searching for your own acquaintances, you may want to give their Famous Graves search a try for to find out about your favorite no-longer-with-us celebrities!
Information from graves can be easily lost
Don't forget to also check for your family history at Ancestry.com and NewspaperArchive.com. These are subscription databases, but they are among the most powerful research tools available for looking into family roots.
6 comments:
Hi,
Can you tell me the location of the picture in this post? It looks familiar.
Thanks
The photo is a cemetery in Romney, WV. Here's a link to the original:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/2179171826/
Let us know if it is what you thought it was.
David
No, sorry. I thought it was Lehighton, PA. The setting for the churchyard it pretty much the same, though. At least, the last time I was there-early 70's.
Excellent advice regarding Find A Grave. As I develop my Family Tree I create memorial pages for each deceased ancestor. It's a great way to supplement the big picture of your ancestors and instantly share your discoveries with family.
I'm looking for my uncle whom was in WW2. All I have is his name and where he was from when he enlisted. My Father would never tell us anything about him so I have no idea where to start..can you help me find him?
contact the military service he was in, they will have all the information you need
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