Long before the computer my mother wrote letters tracing our families. It's been over 40 years since I started working on our tree/branches. Currently tracing: Blanchard, Lanham, Carson, Carter, Coleman, Ashby, Williams, Taylor, Lindsey, Bough, Allen, Bogusz, Boyd, and Grant. Now that our daughters are married, I help with the Yocom, Batchelor and Wallace trees. I've walked cemeteries in Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky. I'm a member of the Wabash Valley Genealogy Society and the Clay County Genealoigal Society. Two years ago I became a member of the Sons of the American Revolution. As a prior newspaper and a portrait photographer, I enjoy taking photographs of headstones.

When I walk a cemetery, I will photograph every headstone in a particular area. Later when I find a memorial has already been established, I delete my photo preventing any duplication. If no memorial has ever been established, I research the person using census records, Ancestry.com, obituaries, marriage records and cemetery indexes. Usually this confirms what the headstone reflexes, and helps fill in missing information. If a memorial has been established without a photo, I will add my photo thus allowing family living elsewhere to know the condition of the headstone.

I also link family members, which allows locating other relatives easier. Remember, siblings can be linked to parents not the reverse. It's a simple procedure. If I've posted something wrong, please let me know. I'll correct any mistakes in a timely manner. I can't EDIT a memorial I've transferred, and I will transfer memorials that aren't family. Check FAG guidelines.

I realize the census and obituaries are excellent source of information, however, like anything else they contain errors. Whenever human hands are involved, mistakes occur. I've found errors in names, dates of birth/death, and locations. If you want me to add something to a memorial from an obituary, it's MY policy not to add living relatives for privacy reasons. Please respect my preference.

As a retired Air Force Master Sergeant, I will always honor a fellow servicemen.

My daughter, grandson and I took a trip to Ohio County, Kentucky guided by my Find-A-Grave friend, Helen McKeown. Our goal was to find more family connections, and we did. We visited: Milton Taylor Cemetery, Morton Cemetery, Sunnyside Cemetery, West Providence Cemetery, Centertown Cemetery, Waltons Creek Cemetery, Carson Cemetery and Beulah Cemetery. I saw where my father went to school in Centertown, and lived. (Both are now gone). We found several Revolutionary War connections.

NOW THAT ANCESTRY.COM HAS BIRTH & DEATHS CERTIFICATES ALONG WITH MARRIAGE LICENSES, I'M RECEIVING CORRECTIONS TO MY MEMORIALS THAT I DIDN'T HAVE ACCESS TO WHEN THEY WERE INITIALLY ESTABLISHED. I WILL MAKE CORRECTION ACCORDINGLY.

Took another trip to Kentucky, and found more family roots in Hopkins, Muhlenberg, Marshall and Graves counties. Photographed over 1,000 headstones, and will add them to any memorial missing a photo. Became a member of the Hopkins County Genealogical Society.

I made my way up to Equality, Harrisburg and Eldorado, Illinois, so I could update my wife's side of the family.

Long before the computer my mother wrote letters tracing our families. It's been over 40 years since I started working on our tree/branches. Currently tracing: Blanchard, Lanham, Carson, Carter, Coleman, Ashby, Williams, Taylor, Lindsey, Bough, Allen, Bogusz, Boyd, and Grant. Now that our daughters are married, I help with the Yocom, Batchelor and Wallace trees. I've walked cemeteries in Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky. I'm a member of the Wabash Valley Genealogy Society and the Clay County Genealoigal Society. Two years ago I became a member of the Sons of the American Revolution. As a prior newspaper and a portrait photographer, I enjoy taking photographs of headstones.

When I walk a cemetery, I will photograph every headstone in a particular area. Later when I find a memorial has already been established, I delete my photo preventing any duplication. If no memorial has ever been established, I research the person using census records, Ancestry.com, obituaries, marriage records and cemetery indexes. Usually this confirms what the headstone reflexes, and helps fill in missing information. If a memorial has been established without a photo, I will add my photo thus allowing family living elsewhere to know the condition of the headstone.

I also link family members, which allows locating other relatives easier. Remember, siblings can be linked to parents not the reverse. It's a simple procedure. If I've posted something wrong, please let me know. I'll correct any mistakes in a timely manner. I can't EDIT a memorial I've transferred, and I will transfer memorials that aren't family. Check FAG guidelines.

I realize the census and obituaries are excellent source of information, however, like anything else they contain errors. Whenever human hands are involved, mistakes occur. I've found errors in names, dates of birth/death, and locations. If you want me to add something to a memorial from an obituary, it's MY policy not to add living relatives for privacy reasons. Please respect my preference.

As a retired Air Force Master Sergeant, I will always honor a fellow servicemen.

My daughter, grandson and I took a trip to Ohio County, Kentucky guided by my Find-A-Grave friend, Helen McKeown. Our goal was to find more family connections, and we did. We visited: Milton Taylor Cemetery, Morton Cemetery, Sunnyside Cemetery, West Providence Cemetery, Centertown Cemetery, Waltons Creek Cemetery, Carson Cemetery and Beulah Cemetery. I saw where my father went to school in Centertown, and lived. (Both are now gone). We found several Revolutionary War connections.

NOW THAT ANCESTRY.COM HAS BIRTH & DEATHS CERTIFICATES ALONG WITH MARRIAGE LICENSES, I'M RECEIVING CORRECTIONS TO MY MEMORIALS THAT I DIDN'T HAVE ACCESS TO WHEN THEY WERE INITIALLY ESTABLISHED. I WILL MAKE CORRECTION ACCORDINGLY.

Took another trip to Kentucky, and found more family roots in Hopkins, Muhlenberg, Marshall and Graves counties. Photographed over 1,000 headstones, and will add them to any memorial missing a photo. Became a member of the Hopkins County Genealogical Society.

I made my way up to Equality, Harrisburg and Eldorado, Illinois, so I could update my wife's side of the family.