Note: Some messages have been going directly into the spam folder. I've recovered all that I could, however, I presume some have been deleted, unread. Keep messages brief and easy-to-understand, stating clearly what you want done. I'm discovering a higher-than-normal amount of incorrect information in the edits that I research! Double-check your edits for accuracy with official government documents – not with family heritage search websites. DO NOT edit indisputable correct information from multiple official documents with something absurd that you've found on a free website from a wannabe genealogist. Let's stick to facts. I strive to be accurate with the information on a memorial. Likewise, DO NOT delete correct bio information which I spent time and subscription payments to research merely because you don't like the data in a list format, and/or you don't like having an obit on a memorial. (Newspaper obituaries, death certificates and other scanned documentation are now allowed.) I have neither the time nor interest in writing an original heartfelt biography for 19,000 memorials. Since anybody can now either delete or edit everything in a memorial when auto-accepted, I'm uploading more documentation (including obits) into the photo section where it cannot be deleted or edited.

It's highly likely that I will deny your edit of YOUR preferred memorial bio, formatting and/or page style if it alters MY preferred memorial bio, formatting and/or page style. I intentionally replicated many narrow-column newspaper obits exactly as found in the original source – so don't redraft it; you'll be wasting your time. Refrain from being concerned with insignificant details! Some nitpicking edits that I have received just on plot details: use all capital letters (e.g., "Block" to "BLOCK"); abbreviate words (e.g., "Block" to "Blk"); use a dash instead of a space; don't use punctuation marks. I cannot please everyone. I may add directional information on some of my memorials such as "Northernmost block." Using only "Block 10" is worthless unless you have the correct-version map of the cemetery. To each their own. BUSYBODIES ARE ENCOURGED TO GO AND CRITIQUE THEIR OWN MEMORIALS.

It's Find A Grave – not Find An Obituary.
Contributors are moving their Burial Unknown to the correct cemetery based upon my finding the correct burial location, consequently giving the appearance that I'm creating duplicate memorials. When a person is entering memorials in a specific cemetery they aren't required to search the entire site. For example, there are over 45,000 records if searching for James Smith; and from past experience, memorials (such as Jim Smith) will be missing from the search results. A duplicate memorial with a correct known burial location will always be preferred over an unknown burial location. If a member doesn't update a memorial to the correct burial location within 30 days, then that memorial will be the one deleted, even if it was created first:
• The first memorial in the correct cemetery will be kept.
• A marked cenotaph in a cemetery is kept over alternate dispositions.

A cenotaph is a marker within a cemetery placed in honor of a person whose remains are elsewhere. It is possible for a deceased person to have multiple memorials due to having cenotaphs. Each headstone or marker (in different cemetery locations) should have its own memorial.

Obits, links, and information on many memorials have been submitted by others – accuracy is not guaranteed. If there is an error, it's likely from an edit sent to me to post (or from the default automatically-accepted edit). Allow several weeks for edits to be processed – longer for messages by email – when time permits. I receive a large quantity of messages so it's highly unlikely that I'll reply. Repeated messages for the same edit only adds to my backlog. Note: Even though I added a photo to a memorial, I may not manage that memorial and therefore I cannot edit information on that memorial.

Photos:
Do not copy my photos and use them on other memorials (you are attributing the photos as your own when you use them). Rules: "Contact the contributor directly to request permission to use the photo.... When you have permission to use a photo, we encourage you to add the source of the photo in the caption area so that there is proper credit given and people are aware of where the photo originated." You do NOT have my permission to use my photos on other memorials. The "Memorials with no grave photo" search feature is ineffective when an outdated photo from an older memorial is copied to a new memorial (usually the departed spouse). People prefer a newer photo with the death date inscribed. I do report copied photos and they are removed. One contributor unbelievably fulfilled a photo request with my gravestone photo from the memorial of the spouse that previously died.
With the photo enlargement feature on the memorials, I usually don't take close-up photos of a stone. To enlarge a photograph on a memorial page, click on the photo once to get a slightly larger photo (and to see a possible photo caption). Click on "View original" and this will enlarge it more. Then, clicking on this picture will increase it to full size.
I may add additional grave photos to a memorial for various reasons, including:
• Low quality; Find a Grave photo size at one time was a maximum of 250 KB (¼ MB). Photos actually had to be reduced to that now-small size.
• I've been requested to take newer/fresh/updated photos from both out-of-state and elderly people who can no longer visit the grave.
Currently, only two contributors were insulted (more like livid) that I added newer photos to their memorials.

Transfers:
Determine if you really need the memorial transferred to you for management. Only request a transfer if you have extensive changes to make to a memorial. You can add photos and suggest corrections without the need to manage a memorial. Simply having someone in your family tree is not sufficient to request a transfer. With millions of members, there will be many overlapping family trees and it would be impossible for all members to manage their entire tree. I've had distant relatives of the departed compete for the same memorial; I cannot please everyone. Typically, when I do transfer a memorial, either nothing is added to the memorial by the new manager, or correct information is replaced with something absurd because the transferee is not closely related. At an earlier time, when the photo section was just for photos (not obits), one contributor insisted that there was incorrect information on a memorial – and he should know because he's related. After sending a half-dozen documents to him, he admitted that he was wrong.

The 'last name' on the memorial must match the name that is on the headstone (however, the powers that be often flout this guideline/rule). I will include any other married names as part of the biography section.
I generally default to the marker. If not, it increases the chances of a duplicate memorial being created.

I add rank only for armed services personnel that either died in service or retired from a military career. When entering civilian life after a brief time in service, most people do not carry the rank with them. A post from the forum: "The military headstone will say something like 'John Doe PFC US Army' but that does not mean I should enter it as 'PFC John Doe' (who died aged 80)." See the profiles of contributors L Evans (47943698) or '1A.JEGriffith (50037017)* listed below in "Following" for the military rules on rank usages. Click "View All."

The memorial GPS burial coordinates help anyone to visit the grave by walking directly to it; it's not for entering the general coordinates of the cemetery.

Member Search: Click here or click "Find a member" below.

Bios worth reading: L Evans (47943698); ChuckNorris (46884447); Connie (47390019); Liz Olmstead (46772820); Mr. Ed (35186547) in "Following" below. Click "View All."

Cemetery theft video: (copy & paste)
https://www.wkow.com/news/monroe-woman-accused-of-selling-items-stolen-from-local-cemeteries/article_30bd68fc-8c90-11ed-95a1-e371c83a6fd1.html

*Note: The public name for this contributor often changes.

Note: Some messages have been going directly into the spam folder. I've recovered all that I could, however, I presume some have been deleted, unread. Keep messages brief and easy-to-understand, stating clearly what you want done. I'm discovering a higher-than-normal amount of incorrect information in the edits that I research! Double-check your edits for accuracy with official government documents – not with family heritage search websites. DO NOT edit indisputable correct information from multiple official documents with something absurd that you've found on a free website from a wannabe genealogist. Let's stick to facts. I strive to be accurate with the information on a memorial. Likewise, DO NOT delete correct bio information which I spent time and subscription payments to research merely because you don't like the data in a list format, and/or you don't like having an obit on a memorial. (Newspaper obituaries, death certificates and other scanned documentation are now allowed.) I have neither the time nor interest in writing an original heartfelt biography for 19,000 memorials. Since anybody can now either delete or edit everything in a memorial when auto-accepted, I'm uploading more documentation (including obits) into the photo section where it cannot be deleted or edited.

It's highly likely that I will deny your edit of YOUR preferred memorial bio, formatting and/or page style if it alters MY preferred memorial bio, formatting and/or page style. I intentionally replicated many narrow-column newspaper obits exactly as found in the original source – so don't redraft it; you'll be wasting your time. Refrain from being concerned with insignificant details! Some nitpicking edits that I have received just on plot details: use all capital letters (e.g., "Block" to "BLOCK"); abbreviate words (e.g., "Block" to "Blk"); use a dash instead of a space; don't use punctuation marks. I cannot please everyone. I may add directional information on some of my memorials such as "Northernmost block." Using only "Block 10" is worthless unless you have the correct-version map of the cemetery. To each their own. BUSYBODIES ARE ENCOURGED TO GO AND CRITIQUE THEIR OWN MEMORIALS.

It's Find A Grave – not Find An Obituary.
Contributors are moving their Burial Unknown to the correct cemetery based upon my finding the correct burial location, consequently giving the appearance that I'm creating duplicate memorials. When a person is entering memorials in a specific cemetery they aren't required to search the entire site. For example, there are over 45,000 records if searching for James Smith; and from past experience, memorials (such as Jim Smith) will be missing from the search results. A duplicate memorial with a correct known burial location will always be preferred over an unknown burial location. If a member doesn't update a memorial to the correct burial location within 30 days, then that memorial will be the one deleted, even if it was created first:
• The first memorial in the correct cemetery will be kept.
• A marked cenotaph in a cemetery is kept over alternate dispositions.

A cenotaph is a marker within a cemetery placed in honor of a person whose remains are elsewhere. It is possible for a deceased person to have multiple memorials due to having cenotaphs. Each headstone or marker (in different cemetery locations) should have its own memorial.

Obits, links, and information on many memorials have been submitted by others – accuracy is not guaranteed. If there is an error, it's likely from an edit sent to me to post (or from the default automatically-accepted edit). Allow several weeks for edits to be processed – longer for messages by email – when time permits. I receive a large quantity of messages so it's highly unlikely that I'll reply. Repeated messages for the same edit only adds to my backlog. Note: Even though I added a photo to a memorial, I may not manage that memorial and therefore I cannot edit information on that memorial.

Photos:
Do not copy my photos and use them on other memorials (you are attributing the photos as your own when you use them). Rules: "Contact the contributor directly to request permission to use the photo.... When you have permission to use a photo, we encourage you to add the source of the photo in the caption area so that there is proper credit given and people are aware of where the photo originated." You do NOT have my permission to use my photos on other memorials. The "Memorials with no grave photo" search feature is ineffective when an outdated photo from an older memorial is copied to a new memorial (usually the departed spouse). People prefer a newer photo with the death date inscribed. I do report copied photos and they are removed. One contributor unbelievably fulfilled a photo request with my gravestone photo from the memorial of the spouse that previously died.
With the photo enlargement feature on the memorials, I usually don't take close-up photos of a stone. To enlarge a photograph on a memorial page, click on the photo once to get a slightly larger photo (and to see a possible photo caption). Click on "View original" and this will enlarge it more. Then, clicking on this picture will increase it to full size.
I may add additional grave photos to a memorial for various reasons, including:
• Low quality; Find a Grave photo size at one time was a maximum of 250 KB (¼ MB). Photos actually had to be reduced to that now-small size.
• I've been requested to take newer/fresh/updated photos from both out-of-state and elderly people who can no longer visit the grave.
Currently, only two contributors were insulted (more like livid) that I added newer photos to their memorials.

Transfers:
Determine if you really need the memorial transferred to you for management. Only request a transfer if you have extensive changes to make to a memorial. You can add photos and suggest corrections without the need to manage a memorial. Simply having someone in your family tree is not sufficient to request a transfer. With millions of members, there will be many overlapping family trees and it would be impossible for all members to manage their entire tree. I've had distant relatives of the departed compete for the same memorial; I cannot please everyone. Typically, when I do transfer a memorial, either nothing is added to the memorial by the new manager, or correct information is replaced with something absurd because the transferee is not closely related. At an earlier time, when the photo section was just for photos (not obits), one contributor insisted that there was incorrect information on a memorial – and he should know because he's related. After sending a half-dozen documents to him, he admitted that he was wrong.

The 'last name' on the memorial must match the name that is on the headstone (however, the powers that be often flout this guideline/rule). I will include any other married names as part of the biography section.
I generally default to the marker. If not, it increases the chances of a duplicate memorial being created.

I add rank only for armed services personnel that either died in service or retired from a military career. When entering civilian life after a brief time in service, most people do not carry the rank with them. A post from the forum: "The military headstone will say something like 'John Doe PFC US Army' but that does not mean I should enter it as 'PFC John Doe' (who died aged 80)." See the profiles of contributors L Evans (47943698) or '1A.JEGriffith (50037017)* listed below in "Following" for the military rules on rank usages. Click "View All."

The memorial GPS burial coordinates help anyone to visit the grave by walking directly to it; it's not for entering the general coordinates of the cemetery.

Member Search: Click here or click "Find a member" below.

Bios worth reading: L Evans (47943698); ChuckNorris (46884447); Connie (47390019); Liz Olmstead (46772820); Mr. Ed (35186547) in "Following" below. Click "View All."

Cemetery theft video: (copy & paste)
https://www.wkow.com/news/monroe-woman-accused-of-selling-items-stolen-from-local-cemeteries/article_30bd68fc-8c90-11ed-95a1-e371c83a6fd1.html

*Note: The public name for this contributor often changes.