Find A Grave Tips

Find A Grave is an incredible resource! Here are some facts you may not know and different ways to use it!

I have been a member of Find A Grave for many years now. Actually around fifteen or so.

It is a very easy genealogy tool to use for finding some of your relatives. you can find birth and death dates. And other relatives that you can visit with about your tree and get helpful information about.

Communication can be done right through Find A Grave messages, so you don’t have to worry about some stranger writing you.

Here are some things you may not know about Find A Grave:

It is Free

It is totally free with the exception of a few ads. The ads are small and do not hinder anything at all. I actually love that they are not just all over the page. And I do not mind them being there at all. Plus that way it helps keep the website free for everyone’s use.

Ancestry.com Takes Over

In 2013 Ancestry took findagrave over so they are now connected. Ancestry will pull up the entries so you can add them right to your tree in Ancestry if that is the place you work or search.

You can also save and share them. Searching in Find A Grave can be done by the cemetery, the city, the county or by state. You can also just use the name but you may get way to many hits to go through.

Changes to FindAGrave.com

Adding siblings has changed and getting used to the new format is definitely different if you have been on it for a while, but if you are new it will not matter.

I find it different and it will take a little getting used to now that it has some changes. It is a very clean page set up and a wonderful tool.

Make an Account

The first thing I would do is make a free account so you can add information, photos, obits or other information that you would want to share with others. It also allows you to help others out by taking photos in your cemetery to add for those that cannot drive to that area for a great number of reason.

The Page Setup is Very Nice

Find A Grave – findagrave.com

 

They can then request photos in your area and Find A Grave will ask if you can or would like to go take the photos for that person. Then you can also request someone to take a photo for someone in your tree if there is not one already out there somewhere.

A Great Place for Photos

As well as adding a few photos to the listing where your relative is you can do many other things. If there is already a listing, you can request that it be transferred over to you so you can add information and maintain it.

You Don’t Need to Make a New Listing

If there is an existing listing that you would like to claim, don’t just make a new one.  Almost every time the other person will be happy to transfer the memorial over to you. Especially if you are a close relative. If not, then maybe that relative is closer to them in the tree line and they wish to maintain it.

It may also take them time to get back to you, the people that volunteer get tons of emails and are also busy people. Just give them a little time and if they do not get back to you please just write them again.

Other family members are also listed on the pages showing connections as far as siblings.

If you become a contributor, list on your page if others can use your photos that you upload of the headstones taken. Also when copying or downloading photos please ask permission before using someone else’s photos.

findagrave.com

It is a public site, more than likely the person / photographer will be happy that you asked ahead of time and definitely will not mind.

If you copy photos that are not yours and use somewhere without asking someone they could mind!

A Wonderful Place to Leave Loving Words and Flowers

The best thing I like is being able to leave flowers, is sharing that you have been there. That the person is not forgotten. It also lets people know who is part of that family. They may want to contact you for information for their tree.

You can also upload a small personal thumb nail photo to use for your flowers left.  That  way you have your very own personal gift.

A personal flower especially for that person. Or a special one that indicates that it is you are the person leaving it there.  It’s easy to do and they have several  to pick from.

I hope this helps a little as you work on your family tree. And remember to leave flowers for all those wonderful people that were here before you.