Find a Grave is a singularly valuable resource for finding dead people. It began in 1995 as a way to share the locations of the gravesites of famous people, but since 2010 has expanded to include anyone's grave. I've used it to corroborate stories before I post them, and for checking family details, like when an in-law was born or who a cousin is related to. But Find a Grave is not a complete archive of graves- it is being expanded every day, by family and friends of the deceased, and by an army of volunteers who contribute to the site.
These volunteers, called "Gravers," fall into three categories. There are those who try to fulfill requests that certain graves be photographed for the site. This is not an easy job, as few cemeteries keep accurate maps of their plots, or any maps at all. In the second category are those who pick a cemetery, and make it their job to photograph every gravestone and memorial for posterity. The third category contains the archivists, who research the records for each grave and the person buried there. Tony Ho Tran is a Graver in the first category, running down particular graves that have been requested to be photographed. How did he get into the hobby of taking pictures of tombstones? It's a very personal story of how he found the site, and is an illustration of what Find a Grave means for the people who use it. -via Damn Interesting
(Image credit: Tim Evanson)
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