MA History, University of Montana
MA Clinical Mental Health Counseling, University of San Diego

I am an avid family historian for over 30 years and a native Montanan. When I was working on my MA thesis in History ("Myron Brinig's Butte: Jews in the Wide Open Town"), I spent a summer transcribing the information from the graves at the B'Nai Israel cemetery in Butte (my home town).

Family names I am researching include:
Wilson - McWhirter
Chartier/Carter - Neveu
Bertrand - Kuether
Sutherland - Sollars
Brittain - McMinn
Vance - Cole
Douthitt - Moore
Dillworth - Stilwell

Find a Grave is not a scholarly website. I think it has many purposes including providing catharsis and aiding with the grieving process, helping people with their family history, connecting relatives, remembering the dead, finding burial sites, etc. Those who think it is only for locating graves have a narrow imagination.

Sometimes all we know about a family member is what is printed in an old biography or what someone told us. This acts as a foundation for finding, correcting, adding to their history. I believe this should be a friendly collaborative process where we build together a story as we find more information. I will make mistakes. Feel free to let me know and I will correct.

My philosophy on transfers is simple - I believe memorials should be in the hands of relatives, even if not close relatives. I am happy to transfer, in fact I am waiting for the relatives of the B'Nai Israel and St. Patrick's cemetery memorials to contact me to care for their family memorials. I'm happy to transfer to relatives.

MA History, University of Montana
MA Clinical Mental Health Counseling, University of San Diego

I am an avid family historian for over 30 years and a native Montanan. When I was working on my MA thesis in History ("Myron Brinig's Butte: Jews in the Wide Open Town"), I spent a summer transcribing the information from the graves at the B'Nai Israel cemetery in Butte (my home town).

Family names I am researching include:
Wilson - McWhirter
Chartier/Carter - Neveu
Bertrand - Kuether
Sutherland - Sollars
Brittain - McMinn
Vance - Cole
Douthitt - Moore
Dillworth - Stilwell

Find a Grave is not a scholarly website. I think it has many purposes including providing catharsis and aiding with the grieving process, helping people with their family history, connecting relatives, remembering the dead, finding burial sites, etc. Those who think it is only for locating graves have a narrow imagination.

Sometimes all we know about a family member is what is printed in an old biography or what someone told us. This acts as a foundation for finding, correcting, adding to their history. I believe this should be a friendly collaborative process where we build together a story as we find more information. I will make mistakes. Feel free to let me know and I will correct.

My philosophy on transfers is simple - I believe memorials should be in the hands of relatives, even if not close relatives. I am happy to transfer, in fact I am waiting for the relatives of the B'Nai Israel and St. Patrick's cemetery memorials to contact me to care for their family memorials. I'm happy to transfer to relatives.