Wow – we are thirteen weeks into this year! I am grateful we are coming into springtime here in the Northeast part of the country. And also, my favorite time of year – baseball season!!

This week’s topic is “Light A Candle”.  The practice of lighting a candle is closely associated with remembrance of our loved ones. Frequently, funeral homes will have a “light a candle” section as a memorial for a family’s loved one. I thought of the site Find-A-Grave, which is a frequently used site by genealogy buffs and professionals. The site has been around for almost 30 years. It was created by a man named James Tipton to share his hobby of visiting celebrity gravesites.

The site’s popularity encouraged him to open it up to all, allowing for this information to be easily accessed. Purchased by Ancestry in 2013, it continues to have a community of people adding to it on a daily basis. [1]  I’ve found it to be useful in identifying what a stone looks like, so I know what I’m looking for when I get to a new cemetery.

Many stones become more weathered and challenging to read as the years go by. I also appreciate the people who spend time photographing and uploading these pictures.

While the site doesn’t have a “light the candle section”, you can leave a tribute about them. You are also able to leave a flower for no charge or plant a tree through Legacy for $30. It brings a smile to my face every time I read a tribute on my mother’s site left by one of my dearest high school friends. She never met my mom, but I appreciate how she honors her.

Until next week!

[1] Find-A-Grave, database with images (https://www.findagrave.com/about : accessed 26 March 2023). History and goal of Find-A-Grave.