Find a Grave's Virtual Cemeteries - Where People of the Past with something in common can gather together one last time.

Even if you are a long time member of "Find a Grave", it is possible that you may not have taken advantage of its particularly useful tool: the "Virtual Cemetery" that it offers. 

Below is a link to my Find a Grave "Virtual Cemeteries", including my two recent and most extensive, Virtual Cemeteries. Each of them are set to Public View, meaning any member of Find a Grave can view them. 

There are other settings available via the "Edit" button; including adding a Cover Photo and Optional Description to help customize how you wish to present the Virtual Cemetery. They also can be shared to Facebook, etc. which is also a helpful feature!:  

My Find a Grave Virtual Cemeteries Main Page

Remembering Lorain High School Teachers of 1966 Virtual Cemetery 

Thanking fellow 1966 classmate, Adolf Stransky, for his help documenting the teachers we have lost, thus helping me create this Virtual Cemetery!

Lorain High School Class of 1966 Classmates Virtual Cemetery

Find a Grave's "Virtual Cemeteries" is a most useful tool that can be edited, and thus updated, at any time.  

Try creating one and you'll be glad you did!

The Fayette County Genealogical Society is publishing a new book entitled.: "Revolutionary War Veterans Buried in Fayette County"

        ATTENTION: REVOLUTIONARY WAR DESCENDENTS

 Do you have a Revolutionary War Ancestor you would like to honor?  

The Fayette County Genealogical Society is publishing a book.: 

"Revolutionary War Veterans Buried in Fayette County" for America 250 (the semiquincentennial of the Revolutionary War in 2026.  It will contain information about all the veterans buried in the county, their service and their families. We are including a section for our members and the general public to honor their veterans.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sharing from Sue Rodgers Gilmore, the Newsletter Editor of "The Fayette Connection"-  Fayette County, Ohio.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

***The deadline is December 15, 2025!***

********************

"If you are a descendant of one of the 84 Revolutionary War Veterans buried in Fayette County, as listed on page 2 of the Fayette Connection, Fall 2025, Volume 43, Number 3 edition of our Fayette County Newsletter, your name may be listed on that veteran's page free of charge.

     If you wish to honor another veteran who is not buried in Fayette County, you may purchase a dedication to that veteran for $10, listing his name and state where he served.  

For $25, you may add his wife and children's names and a short paragraph about them.  Your name would be included with those listings."

ATTENTION: REVOLUTIONARY WAR DESCENDENTS

Do you have a Revolutionary War Ancestor you would like to honor?  Fayette County Genealogical Society is publishing a book “Revolutionary War Veterans Buried in Fayette for America 250 (the semiquincentennial of the Revolutionary War in 2026.  It will contain information about all the veterans buried in the county, their service and their families..  We are including a section for our members and the general public to honor their veterans.  For $25, you can list your ancestor, service record and state in the book.  For $100, you can also provide their spouse and children and grandchildren, etc. and down to you.  Please fill out the information on the forms below.  

Make check payable to Fayette County Genealogical Society (FCGS) and mail to
 Fayette County Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 342, Washington C.H. OH 43160.

Revolutionary War Patriot  (Fill out for each Patriot)

________________________ (Name), _________________(Service),

_______________________(State)

Submitted by _____________________________________(your name)

_________________________________________________(address)

Total for Names      __________  ($10 per patriot)                 

 Revolutionary War Patriot and Family History

____________________________(Patriot’s Name)

____________________________(Service)

___________________________   (State Served)

Submitted by ____________________________________(your name)

__________________________________________________(address)

Attach a separate page with family history information. Be sure to put your name at top of each additional page.

                      

Total for Stories:      ________  ($20 per patriot)                                                Total for Names:      ________  ($10 per name)  

                             Additional Donation _________                                                                               Total Enclosed  _________

 

Thanking Terry Pluto of the Plain Dealer for asking his readers to share their reasons for visiting grave sites.

Sharing a link to this story published in the Cleveland Plain Dealer by Terry Pluto appearing on October 26, 2025.  It is an extensive follow-up story to the one which initially appeared the week before on October 19, 2025.  These stories also appeared digitally on Cleveland.com.

Terry asked his readers to tell him their reasons for visiting grave sites.  Based on his own comments at the beginning of the second column, published on October 26, 2025, Terry received more responses than what he expected.  For many of us, an extensive response count would not be unexpected. That is because we also visit grave sites, and cemeteries in general, for various reasons at different times throughout the year.  And, when we do visit, our greatest hope is that those grave sites are in good condition - i.e. grass cut around the markers or monuments, no tire marks on flat markers, no over-weed whacking around the markers or monuments. Proper pruning of trees and bushes.  Picking up of trash and debris on the grounds.  

That is just the landscaping side of this issue.  

What about the markers and monuments themselves?  Do they need tending to in some way?  Do they need cleaning, or perhaps even more work done to make things right for them?  Some monuments or markers lean or start to sink. They may need re-leveling.  

To keep visitors safe, proper signage needs to be in place so they know what to expect and what is allowed for decorations. Trash receptacles should be at a cemetery and emptied regularly. 

For some grave markers and monuments that are older and more fragile, we have to understand that perhaps not much can be done to save them except sadly to replace them.  We need to remember to adhere to the "Do No Harm Guidelines" as set forth by the NCPTT of the National Park Service.  We remain committed to leave a gravesite better than what we found it.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Those who are responsible for cemeteries and their care are to be held accountable when one of their cemeteries needs attention.  As visitors, we should not be told by the cemetery owners that "it is up to the family" to take care of whatever it is that is wrong.  It doesn't always work that way.  We have to make them aware of that.  If the cemetery is Active and Registered then we can file a formal complaint to the Ohio Cemetery Dispute Resolution Commission. One day, hopefully, this opportunity will be afforded to ALL cemeteries regardless if they are Active (and Registered) or not. By filing a formal complaint, members of the OCDRC visit the cemetery of concern and contact those responsible about its lack of care to better address the problematic issues affecting it. 

Another issue to keep in mind is that all too often problems stem from local apathy resulting in neglect overtaking a cemetery, and thereby problems more easily multiply.  Nearby communities should understand that their local cemeteries are part of the fabric of their landscape; and early founding pioneers of the area rest in peace in them. 

Thus, awareness and education go hand in hand to best protect a cemetery and preserve its gravesites for our current generation and for those who come after us.  You don't have to know someone buried in a cemetery to care about it. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~