When I receive an "Edit Request" that is changing the year of birth from what the headstone has to what a Death Certificate has, I will go with what is carved on the headstone. The birth date on a Death Certificate is not "Certified", it is merely the informant's memory on that day.

Ever since my first memorial posting, I've had to calculate the DOB from the headstone's age inscription. At some point over the years, I realized that there are two methods for calculating. One, counts the actual days on a calendar and the other assumes all months have 30 days. I've posted over a dozen headstones that include DOB, DOD and age at death, and either a 28 or 31 day month is in the calculation. (That's 2.2 percent of the calculations.) These all used the 30 day per month method. Now, I do, too. (Google this: "Headstone age 8870 calculator" for another explanation.)

One line of my ancestors (CROSE) lived in Tippecanoe Co., Indiana in the 1820s. Some of their cousins lived in the next county to the south, Boone, and some south of that in Hendricks Co. I have taken photos mostly in Boone and Hendricks, including the older, more difficult to read stones. Hopefully, these photographs will be around longer than the headstones. Many are on the verge of not being readable - even with the sun at a good angle and using tricks to bring out the text.

Since I've been doing genealogy research for a number of years, I can see a real benefit in seeing headstones, rather than relying on a transcription. To me, the important thing is to be able to read the inscription (names & dates, child of ...), but not really the verse below it. It's also important to know who is buried next to who. I'll mention that if I notice a connection.

Cemeteries that are completed - meaning that I photographed everything and have posted all that was readable. Other transcriptions may have more names and some are still active.
- Beck (active)
- Bethel (Boone Co.)
- Bethel (52nd St Indy) (active)
- Beth-El Zedeck South
- Beth-El Zedeck North (active)
- Browns Wonder (active)
- Etz Chaim, Kelly Street
- Knesses Israel
- Jones (active)
- Lowry
- Macedonia (active)
- Mintonye (active)
- Mt Union
- Mt. Zion (Jamestown) (active)
- North Branch (active)
- Oak Hill (Sect 1-30, 33, 34N & 34S, A, B & C
(BTW, There is no Sect 33A)) (active)
- Plainview (Colfax) (active)
- Pleasant Hill (Indy) (active)
- Pleasant View (Dover) (active)
- Poplar Grove (active)
- Prebster
- Old Union Church (active)
- Richland (active)
- Robison (active)
- St. Malachy West (active)
- Salem (active)
- Sparks (active)
- Taylor (Boone Co.)
- Trotter (I can only find 33 of the 64 markers)
- United Hebrew Congregation
- Weaver
- Zionsville (active)

I currently use a 10M Canon Powershot camera which will take pictures at 3648 x 2736 pixels. Normally I reset the resolution to 2272 x 1704 and then on the computer, especially with worn headstones, I turn up the contrast 20-30%, and lower the brightness 5-10% and keep the compression at 98 to 99%. When I started posting for Find a Grave, the photo file size limit was 250 KB, then 350, 500, 750, 2000 3000 and now 8000 KB. I use photo editing software that I downloaded for free - it's much better than what Canon or Olympus gives you with their camera. With Photoscape I know the file size before I save the file.

Memorials I have added in the last 7 days
Memorials I have added in the last 30 days

Cemetery Mapper click here.

When I receive an "Edit Request" that is changing the year of birth from what the headstone has to what a Death Certificate has, I will go with what is carved on the headstone. The birth date on a Death Certificate is not "Certified", it is merely the informant's memory on that day.

Ever since my first memorial posting, I've had to calculate the DOB from the headstone's age inscription. At some point over the years, I realized that there are two methods for calculating. One, counts the actual days on a calendar and the other assumes all months have 30 days. I've posted over a dozen headstones that include DOB, DOD and age at death, and either a 28 or 31 day month is in the calculation. (That's 2.2 percent of the calculations.) These all used the 30 day per month method. Now, I do, too. (Google this: "Headstone age 8870 calculator" for another explanation.)

One line of my ancestors (CROSE) lived in Tippecanoe Co., Indiana in the 1820s. Some of their cousins lived in the next county to the south, Boone, and some south of that in Hendricks Co. I have taken photos mostly in Boone and Hendricks, including the older, more difficult to read stones. Hopefully, these photographs will be around longer than the headstones. Many are on the verge of not being readable - even with the sun at a good angle and using tricks to bring out the text.

Since I've been doing genealogy research for a number of years, I can see a real benefit in seeing headstones, rather than relying on a transcription. To me, the important thing is to be able to read the inscription (names & dates, child of ...), but not really the verse below it. It's also important to know who is buried next to who. I'll mention that if I notice a connection.

Cemeteries that are completed - meaning that I photographed everything and have posted all that was readable. Other transcriptions may have more names and some are still active.
- Beck (active)
- Bethel (Boone Co.)
- Bethel (52nd St Indy) (active)
- Beth-El Zedeck South
- Beth-El Zedeck North (active)
- Browns Wonder (active)
- Etz Chaim, Kelly Street
- Knesses Israel
- Jones (active)
- Lowry
- Macedonia (active)
- Mintonye (active)
- Mt Union
- Mt. Zion (Jamestown) (active)
- North Branch (active)
- Oak Hill (Sect 1-30, 33, 34N & 34S, A, B & C
(BTW, There is no Sect 33A)) (active)
- Plainview (Colfax) (active)
- Pleasant Hill (Indy) (active)
- Pleasant View (Dover) (active)
- Poplar Grove (active)
- Prebster
- Old Union Church (active)
- Richland (active)
- Robison (active)
- St. Malachy West (active)
- Salem (active)
- Sparks (active)
- Taylor (Boone Co.)
- Trotter (I can only find 33 of the 64 markers)
- United Hebrew Congregation
- Weaver
- Zionsville (active)

I currently use a 10M Canon Powershot camera which will take pictures at 3648 x 2736 pixels. Normally I reset the resolution to 2272 x 1704 and then on the computer, especially with worn headstones, I turn up the contrast 20-30%, and lower the brightness 5-10% and keep the compression at 98 to 99%. When I started posting for Find a Grave, the photo file size limit was 250 KB, then 350, 500, 750, 2000 3000 and now 8000 KB. I use photo editing software that I downloaded for free - it's much better than what Canon or Olympus gives you with their camera. With Photoscape I know the file size before I save the file.

Memorials I have added in the last 7 days
Memorials I have added in the last 30 days

Cemetery Mapper click here.