From late 2004 through 2016, I undertook a comprehensive family history project that traced 13 lines of my family from each person's arrival in the US (1864 - 1884). As part of that effort, I connected with over 1,000 relatives from around the globe and gathered nearly 7,000 photographs and document images. The 13 family albums I created clocked in at more than 3,500 pages! In addition to putting this information on file with state and local historical associations, I sent out 160 flash drives to family members with all the information relevant to them. (Yes, people with an obsessive attention to detail should NOT start projects like this!)

Because the success of that effort depended on the hard work done by many others, I'm paying it forward here on Find-a-Grave. In particular, I'm working on developing a comprehensive, current inventory for the San Marcos (Texas) City Cemetery (8,250+ graves as of this count). I've also been laser focused on identifying all of the veterans buried in the cemetery (945+ identified who served in the Spanish-American War forward) to support the Wreaths Across America program.

I'm motivated to do this work because volunteers have done the same thing for the Nebraska cemetery where the overwhelmingly majority of my family members are buried. After I saw the product of that effort, I truly appreciated the value of developing a comprehensive inventory and putting it at everyone's fingertips.

As I gather information, I'm posting it here on FG plus sharing with the cemetery caretaker/database manager. I'm using the existing cemetery database, plot maps, obituaries, Cemetery Association records (1888 - 1900), the 1990 Hays County Historical Society's cemetery directory, records from the Rogers/Pennington funeral home (1900 - 1944), and exhaustive onsite work to not only get all the graves information gathered, but also to add plot locations to all the FG memorials.

Once we get what we think is a current, correct inventory, the next step will be to get GIS locations for all the graves (using the FG ap). To make that process easy, I'm using a standardized naming convention for plot locations, so the plots sort by section in perfect numerical order. That also will make flag distribution on Memorial Day and wreath placement for Wreaths Across America infinitely easier. So that's why I'm being so particular about plot location edits.

Once I finish here, I plan to plunge into work on the San Marcos Blanco Cemetery (where the overwhelming majority, if not all, African-American residents of San Marcos, are buried). As I go through the old funeral home records, I'm adding lots of names to that Cemetery's FG presence - will need to do more digging for details plus get all the headstone photographs done. Feel free to jump in on that project if you have time!!!

Thanks to all the Memorial managers who are supplying additional information now. All this work wouldn't be possible without your support. (July 2024)

From late 2004 through 2016, I undertook a comprehensive family history project that traced 13 lines of my family from each person's arrival in the US (1864 - 1884). As part of that effort, I connected with over 1,000 relatives from around the globe and gathered nearly 7,000 photographs and document images. The 13 family albums I created clocked in at more than 3,500 pages! In addition to putting this information on file with state and local historical associations, I sent out 160 flash drives to family members with all the information relevant to them. (Yes, people with an obsessive attention to detail should NOT start projects like this!)

Because the success of that effort depended on the hard work done by many others, I'm paying it forward here on Find-a-Grave. In particular, I'm working on developing a comprehensive, current inventory for the San Marcos (Texas) City Cemetery (8,250+ graves as of this count). I've also been laser focused on identifying all of the veterans buried in the cemetery (945+ identified who served in the Spanish-American War forward) to support the Wreaths Across America program.

I'm motivated to do this work because volunteers have done the same thing for the Nebraska cemetery where the overwhelmingly majority of my family members are buried. After I saw the product of that effort, I truly appreciated the value of developing a comprehensive inventory and putting it at everyone's fingertips.

As I gather information, I'm posting it here on FG plus sharing with the cemetery caretaker/database manager. I'm using the existing cemetery database, plot maps, obituaries, Cemetery Association records (1888 - 1900), the 1990 Hays County Historical Society's cemetery directory, records from the Rogers/Pennington funeral home (1900 - 1944), and exhaustive onsite work to not only get all the graves information gathered, but also to add plot locations to all the FG memorials.

Once we get what we think is a current, correct inventory, the next step will be to get GIS locations for all the graves (using the FG ap). To make that process easy, I'm using a standardized naming convention for plot locations, so the plots sort by section in perfect numerical order. That also will make flag distribution on Memorial Day and wreath placement for Wreaths Across America infinitely easier. So that's why I'm being so particular about plot location edits.

Once I finish here, I plan to plunge into work on the San Marcos Blanco Cemetery (where the overwhelming majority, if not all, African-American residents of San Marcos, are buried). As I go through the old funeral home records, I'm adding lots of names to that Cemetery's FG presence - will need to do more digging for details plus get all the headstone photographs done. Feel free to jump in on that project if you have time!!!

Thanks to all the Memorial managers who are supplying additional information now. All this work wouldn't be possible without your support. (July 2024)