FindAGrave vs. BillionGraves

I'd bet we all use one of these cemetery-searching websites. Maybe some of us use both. Is one better than the other? What's the difference between the two? Well!

The focus of Findagrave.com is on the individual. Contributors can create a "memorial" (web page) for anyone. There is no requirement for a photograph of a headstone or anything else but a name. BUT a Findagrave memorial can potentially contain much additional information such as biographical information, photos, obituaries and information on other family members.

The focus of Billiongraves.com is photographs of headstones with their geolocation tags. To submit a photo to BillionGraves, one must use their app and a GPS enabled camera or smart phone. Having these GPS coordinates, can save hours of wandering time when visiting a large cemetery. 

Both websites are free to use, so you decide. Just do realize that all of the information on these two websites is secondary, not primary (with the exception of the location of the grave). Despite efforts to ensure accuracy, there is no way on either site to document the primary sources of the information.... with the exception again of folks adding other forms of documentation. Even though a date is "carved in stone" the stone is a secondary source, not a birth or death certificate.

Find-A-Grave Cannot Be Topped

 

Have you spent some time with the fantastic FREE website, www.findagrave.com? Over the recent holidays, I spent some happy time looking up my ancestors to look for photos of their tombstones. Oh, the things I learned......... I knew Grandfather Mel died long before Hope but 28 years she was a widow? That's a long time.

Ron Marvin. EWGS member,  gave a great workshop last November on this website. He offered several excellent tips:

* Understand that the photos have been added to FindAGrave by volunteers who live near that cemetery and have tromped around, photographed and uploaded the images. 

* Confirm that you do have the correct person.

* Review the listed links (if present) to parents, spouses, children and siblings......... often you can reconstruct an entire family here!

* Check to see who added flowers....... an unknown cousin? Consider adding flowers yourself so that cousin can contact you. 

* Once confirmed, you can snip-and-save the image to your computer clipboard and then upload it to Ancestry or FamilySearch. 

* If you wish to upload additional information for this ancestor, or suggest corrected information, click on Suggested Edits. 

* If the FindAGrave entry for your ancestor does not have a biography page, do consider compiling and uploading one. Ditto for an obituary or a photograph. 

Go spent some happy time with your ancestors and FindAGrave. You'll enjoy it, I guarantee.