Suzie, I have all the cemeteries in Murray County, OK (38) done that I can find and a half-dozen in surrounding counties done. Mostly now I just explore. I figure that unless the cemetery is in real danger of being lost to the elements the people in their counties can do some of the dirty work. You will run into a lot of people who will email you telling you what a wonderful job you did and then ream your butt over a typo. These people just sit back and like little birds in a nest wait for a worm to drop in their mouth. They have never been in a cemetery in their life except to bury Grandma. You will sweat your rear off in the summer or freeze it off in the winter, have leg aches, back aches, head aches from the bright sun or chills from the cold wind and rain but you will 'always' be the only one out there. Get used to it and the constant kibitzing from those who refuse to move out of their easy chairs. This work is just like church. There are a few who have to do everything and 90% sit back and complain. You will hear them say that they live in another state and "don't get back there much anymore". I guess that stops them from registering a cemetery where they 'do' live? After I answered your email this morning I got an email that ticked me off. I am sure the person meant well but it was the way they said it. They sent 4 names with birth and death dates for me to correct. One of them was as follows: Born 1989 - Died 1910. Now I know they meant 1889 but they blew it with just 4 names. Try 30,000 names and see how easy it is to make a typo under the conditions you have to work recording this stuff in the field. I use a metal detector around old houses and stores that have fallen down but not a cemetery. I personally would not feel right about doing that, but have no problem with anyone else doing it if they choose. Dennis ----- Original Message ----- From: <Jleflore65@aol.com> To: <OK-CEMETERIES-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, August 26, 2002 8:37 AM Subject: Re: [OK-CEM] cleaning tombstones > Dennis, thank you so much for the information on registering old graves. > That was a tremendous help. And your tip about taking the bucket to sit on > is great! These old bones would appreciate that. Do you still go out and > register graves? Have you ever tried metal detecting? > > Thank you again. > Suzie > > > ==== OK-CEMETERIES Mailing List ==== > NOTICE: Posting of virus warnings, test messages, chain letters, political > announcements, current events, items for sale, personal messages, flames, > etc. (in other words - spam) is NOT ALLOWED and will be grounds for removal. > Consideration for exceptions, contact Kathleen Burnett kathleenburnett@earthlink.net > Oklahoma Cemeteries Volunteer Website http://www.rootsweb.com/~okcemete/okcem.htm > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 >

Dennis, how wonderful that you have registered over 30,000 names and 40 cemeteries. Thank you for the information on cleaning off the graves that you're going to photograph. What do you think about using washable chalk on the gravestones in order to photograph them? I am just getting started in finding old graves and photographing them. I am related to Greenwood LeFlore, a Choctaw Indian Chief in Mississippi and the Mannings/Harris families from the Caddo/Boggy Depot area. I went to Greenwood, MS and photographed the grave stones in the cemetery at Malmaison, which was Greenwood LeFlore's mansion, which burned down in 1943. Have you ever come across any of these names? I've also photographed their grave stones in Caddo and Forbis LeFlore's stone in Boggy Depot, but I can't find Forbis LeFlore's wife, Rebecca Fisher. I think she may have died in Buffalo Head, OK, which no longer exists. I found on the USGS site a map showing where it used to be. Have you ever heard of it? I'm sorry to bombard you with questions, but you are the first person I've talked to who does this. Do you know if there are 2 cemeteries at Fort Towson? I went to the Fort (park area) and the man in the visitors center there told me the old cemetery was at the north end of the current cemetery there which was a few miles west and north of the fort. I went there and it does look like the north end of the cemetery is older. However, I read somewhere that there is a row of Confederate soldiers in the old Fort Towson cemetery and I did not find them. I found another map that shows 2 completely different cemeteries at Fort Towson, one of which is labeled "old cemetery" and appears to be almost next to the old fort. Do you know anything about them? One last question and I will stop bothering you. I purchased a GPS handheld unit and am trying to figure out if I can enter coordinates for an old town or cemetery into the thing and then have it show me when I am at that location. Do you use one? Thank you for answering Kay's message and any help you can give me or any suggestions, would really be appreciated. I'm getting hooked on what I call "tombstone hopping and photographing". Suzie Harris

I have a suggestion - If you take sidewalk chalk and lay it on the flat side of the chalk - wipe it across the info you want and take a really good picture of it. I have done this many time and this does not disturb the stone at all. My picture came out really good. Tanya

Suzie, You asked a lot of questions so this reply will be a long one. I don't own a GPS but wish I did. I think they are great. I've never heard of Buffalo Head but there are a lot of places I have never heard of. I just recently found Toad Suck, C.N., I.T. The Folsoms are a very famous family in the Choctaws so you will run across the name often. I am not familiar with Ft. Towson but I am very familiar with Ft. Washita. I have been there many time and done much research on the post. I have just completed a book on the history of Ft. Arbuckle and there is a central theme on the cemeteries of these old post. In each of them there are 3 burial grounds. Since these post were U.S. garrisons there is a cemetery for Federal troops, one for the civilians and another for the Confederate troops that died during the occupation of 1861 - 1865. The cemetery at Ft. Arbuckle has never been located. The cemetery at Ft. Washita is clearly marked and the confederate cemetery is about a 1/4 mile west of the other burial grounds. This may be the same at Ft. Towson. As I said before, I would never clean a tombstone for any reason except to register or photograph it. I have used chalk on two occasions to photograph a stone. Use only white chalk. The others contain permanent color pigment. But, before you use the chalk, run your finger around the carvings and try to 'read' them with your finger. You will be surprised how many times this works. People were usually buried in family plots. When you find a stone you cannot read, look at the stones on the left and right of the stone. Very often you can get clues to the surname from those stones. Another thing that will help you read the carvings is to go to the old cemeteries in the afternoon. The Christian beliefs of most of the settlers caused them to be buried facing the East. The carvings will be on the West side of the stone. In the afternoon, the Sun will be at your back and the face of the stone will be in full sunlight. But people were buried in every direction way-back-when so this doesn't work everytime. A point of safety is to take a cell phone when you go to an old cemetery. A woman should NEVER go to an out-of-the-way or remote cemetery without a partner. I never took a cell phone with me, I carried a .38 Smith & Wesson. No kidding! I have run into some really weird dudes out in the boonies doing cemeteries. They remind me of the cast from "Deliverance". Go to the cemeteries that are overgrown in the winter time. This part of the country is loaded with rattlesnakes, copperheads, ticks and chiggers. Take some water and a sandwich with you and a good shade hat in the summer. A relatively inexpensive digital camera is a must and be sure to carry an extra memory disk. My camera will take 96 good photos on one disk and I carry two disks. That is more photos than I want to take anyway. When I was registering the cemeteries, I carried a 5-gallon bucket with my "possibles". I carried a small mirror that I could reflect light back across the surface of the stone and read the carvings. This worked quite well. Another reason to carry the bucket is that it gives you a place to sit when your legs get tired. You sure don't want to sit on those old stones. They will topple over and break your leg and then you will be in a fine mess. Talcum powder sprinkled on the carvings works as the powder stays in the carvings. The lichens and moss were removed with a plastic ice scraper when they were very heavy on a stone. I also had a gallon milk jug with water and would just wash the stone with a sponge to remove loose debris. I used the water and a wallpaper brush with short-natural bristles to clean the stone. NEVER use a brush with metal bristles on an old stone. I guarantee you it will destroy the carvings. Wash the chalk with the water. Water wont hurt the stone as it has been rained on a million times already. I also carried 6 large nails and a roll of yellow masons twine so I could lay out a section in the old cemeteries. Push the nails into the ground with about an inch sticking up above the ground, take the twine and string it around the nail heads to make an area where you want to register the graves. This is important in very OLD cemeteries as the people were buried in any direction. There were no neat rows or sections as you see in modern cemeteries. After you record the graves inside the yellow string boundary, move the string and nails to a new section and begin the next section. Until I started doing this I missed a lot of graves or recorded the same grave two or three times. This saved me many return trips to the cemeteries for corrections. I have done cemeteries that consisted of one stone all the way up to 8,000 graves. Also remember that the modern cemeteries have sextons and they will give you a map of the cemetery. You can work these with the map. Remember, never pour ANY liquid on an old tombstone except water. You don't know what is in it. I have taken dozens of photos of old stones for people across the country and have NEVER had to do any more to get a good photo than that described above. I have taken literally thousands of photos of tombstones for different websites and have never had to do more than that listed above. This is what I have learned about reading & registering cemeteries over the years. Hope it will help you. Good Luck, Dennis Host - Murray County, OK http://www.rootsweb.com/~okmurray/ ----- Original Message ----- From: <Jleflore65@aol.com> To: <OK-CEMETERIES-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, August 25, 2002 8:37 PM Subject: Re: [OK-CEM] cleaning tombstones > Dennis, how wonderful that you have registered over 30,000 names and 40 > cemeteries. Thank you for the information on cleaning off the graves that > you're going to photograph. What do you think about using washable chalk on > the gravestones in order to photograph them? I am just getting started in > finding old graves and photographing them. I am related to Greenwood > LeFlore, a Choctaw Indian Chief in Mississippi and the Mannings/Harris > families from the Caddo/Boggy Depot area. I went to Greenwood, MS and > photographed the grave stones in the cemetery at Malmaison, which was > Greenwood LeFlore's mansion, which burned down in 1943. Have you ever come > across any of these names? I've also photographed their grave stones in > Caddo and Forbis LeFlore's stone in Boggy Depot, but I can't find Forbis > LeFlore's wife, Rebecca Fisher. I think she may have died in Buffalo Head, > OK, which no longer exists. I found on the USGS site a map showing where it > used to be. Have you ever heard of it? > > I'm sorry to bombard you with questions, but you are the first person I've > talked to who does this. Do you know if there are 2 cemeteries at Fort > Towson? I went to the Fort (park area) and the man in the visitors center > there told me the old cemetery was at the north end of the current cemetery > there which was a few miles west and north of the fort. I went there and it > does look like the north end of the cemetery is older. However, I read > somewhere that there is a row of Confederate soldiers in the old Fort Towson > cemetery and I did not find them. I found another map that shows 2 > completely different cemeteries at Fort Towson, one of which is labeled "old > cemetery" and appears to be almost next to the old fort. Do you know > anything about them? > > One last question and I will stop bothering you. I purchased a GPS handheld > unit and am trying to figure out if I can enter coordinates for an old town > or cemetery into the thing and then have it show me when I am at that > location. Do you use one? > > Thank you for answering Kay's message and any help you can give me or any > suggestions, would really be appreciated. I'm getting hooked on what I call > "tombstone hopping and photographing". > > Suzie Harris > > > > ==== OK-CEMETERIES Mailing List ==== > NOTICE: Posting of virus warnings, test messages, chain letters, political > announcements, current events, items for sale, personal messages, flames, > etc. (in other words - spam) is NOT ALLOWED and will be grounds for removal. > Consideration for exceptions, contact Kathleen Burnett kathleenburnett@earthlink.net > Oklahoma Cemeteries Volunteer Website http://www.rootsweb.com/~okcemete/okcem.htm > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 >

Kay - I'm glad you asked that question - I too, would like to know if there is a product to clean tombstones. Suzie

I saw a tombstone cleaning product advertised in a small catalog -- don't remember the name of the product. Does anyone know if any advertised products work and if they are safe for the tombstone? Would appreciate feedback --thanks Kay

Kay, It is a good idea not to use any product to clean a tombstone. Unless you want to take a picture there is no reason to clean it. Just about anything you do to it will not be long lasting or be kind to the structure of the stone. In the very old marble stones just about everything will cause damage. The marble is very soft and the granules have been exposed to the weather for so many years that they crumble easily into tiny granules. If you must use something make sure that it is a Neutral pH of 7 and under no circumstances use an acid or caustic liquid on the stone. This will destroy the surface of the stone and erode the carvings. There are radical people who tell you not to even touch a stone. This is like having a rare coin and putting it in the safety deposit box so nobody can enjoy it. I am of the persuasion that the only time you should clean a stone is to photograph or register it. I have registered 40 cemeteries in Oklahoma with over 30,000 names and have had to clean a few just to be able to read them. The only time I clean a stone is when it is covered with lichens and moss. For removal of these I used a plastic ice scraper for a car window. It is so soft it will not harm the stone but it will leave the moss in the carvings. The carvings should not be scraped with a hard object as this WILL break off small bits of the stone to the point where they cannot be read in future times. So, To clean a stone just for the sake of good housekeeping? Forget it. It will do more harm than good and very little good at that. Dennis Host - Murray County, OK ----- Original Message ----- From: <EZEPOL@aol.com> To: <OK-CEMETERIES-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, August 25, 2002 2:42 PM Subject: [OK-CEM] cleaning tombstones > I saw a tombstone cleaning product advertised in a small catalog -- don't > remember the name of the product. Does anyone know if any advertised > products work and if they are safe for the tombstone? > Would appreciate feedback --thanks > Kay > > > ==== OK-CEMETERIES Mailing List ==== > NOTICE: Posting of virus warnings, test messages, chain letters, political > announcements, current events, items for sale, personal messages, flames, > etc. (in other words - spam) is NOT ALLOWED and will be grounds for removal. > Consideration for exceptions, contact Kathleen Burnett kathleenburnett@earthlink.net > Oklahoma Cemeteries Volunteer Website http://www.rootsweb.com/~okcemete/okcem.htm > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 > >

Hello, all. The Oklahoma Cemeteries Mailing List Homepage has been updated. http://www.rootsweb.com/~okcemete/okcem.htm **For those researching in Canadian County: With thanks to Diane Delbridge - I have added a tombstone photo to the Buena Vista Cemetery. **For those researching in Garfield County: With thanks to Angela Claunch - I have added more tombstone photos to the North I O O F Cemetery. Douglas Union Cemetery has been updated. **For those researching in Grady County: With thanks to Sandi Carter - I have added the Rosehill E, F & G Surnames. **For those researching in LeFlore County: With thanks to Sue Hearon - I have added another obit for the Fairview Cemetery. With thanks to Sue Hearon - I have added another obit for the Green Hill Cemetery. With thanks to Sue Hearon - I have added another obit for the Milton Cemetery. With thanks to Sue Hearon - I have added more obits for the New Hope Cemetery. With thanks to Sue Hearon - I have added more obits to the Oakland Cemetery With thanks to Sue Hearon - I have added another obit for the Royal Oak Cemetery. With thanks to Sue Hearon - I have added more obits to the Shady Point Cemetery. Sue's Obits have been updated. **For those researching in Lincoln County: With thanks to John Lehr - I have added a locator map for the Forest Cemetery. With thanks to John Lehr - I have added more tombstone photos to the New Zion Cemetery With thanks to John Lehr and the Indian Springs DAR - I have added more names to the Stroud Cemetery Survey. New Zion Cemetery has been updated. **For those researching in Logan County: Oakland aka Knowles Cemetery has been updated. **For those researching in Oklahoma County: With thanks to Jim Woodruff - I have added more tombstone photos to Sunny Lane Sec 3. **For those researching in Pawnee County: With thanks to Mahlon Erickson - I have added the Pawnee County Cemeteries D & E Surnames. I have more to add as time permits. Enjoy! Tammie and Bob Chada and Kathleen Burnett -- Oklahoma USGenWeb Archives http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/ok/okfiles.htm Oklahoma Tombstone Project http://www.rootsweb.com/~cemetery/oklahoma.html Oklahoma Obits http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/obits/obitsok.htm National Archives Obit Project http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/obits/ Logan County http://www.rootsweb.com/~oklogan/oklogan.htm Oklahoma Cemeteries Mailing List Homepage http://www.rootsweb.com/~okcemete/okcem.htm Oklahoma Family Group Sheets http://www.rootsweb.com/~okfamgrp/fgs.htm Oklahoma Veterans Memorial http://www.rootsweb.com/~okvets/okvets.htm Oklahoma's Lawmen and Outlaws http://www.rootsweb.com/~oklawmen/lawmen.htm

Thank for the list. I have subscribed. We can keep this topic going there. Join everyone. Sorry we went of topic. Leona

I have a scanner. I paid about $100.00 for it a few years ago, but they are available for less than $75.00 now and the scanner pays for itself the first few weeks you use it. Evelynne ----- Original Message ----- From: "Debra Garner" <dougg@hsnp.com> To: <OK-CEMETERIES-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, August 16, 2002 1:32 PM Subject: [OK-CEM] Photos > Folks, > If you copy photos to a floppy, Walmart can make you a > hard copy of the photos from it. Cost depends on the size > you want made. > > Debra Garner > dougg@hsnp.com > > > ==== OK-CEMETERIES Mailing List ==== > If you wish to subscribe to or unsubscribe from the Oklahoma Cemetery list, use > OK-CEMETERIES-l-request@rootsweb.com or OK-CEMETERIES-d-request@rootsweb.com if > you are on the Digest list. > If your Ancestors migrated to or through Oklahoma - register them on the Oklahoma > Migration Page http://oklahomamigration.homestead.com/OMIndex.html > Oklahoma Cemeteries Volunteer Website http://www.rootsweb.com/~okcemete/okcem.htm > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 >

I would only charge posatge, IF anything at all and only if the photo were rare and an original. Then it would be insured and sent with a traceable receipt which costs less than 50cents. Evelynne ----- Original Message ----- From: "Leona Headley" <lheadley@cottagesoft.com> To: <OK-CEMETERIES-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, August 16, 2002 12:44 PM Subject: Re: [OK-CEM] Old Photos > > > > Looks like you must pay for the photos on that site- > > Not a good thing, except for them. > > Sorry I didn't see that part. But you would have to least expect to pay > something when having someone send you a photo. Can't expect the money to > come out of there pocket. > > Leona > > > > > ==== OK-CEMETERIES Mailing List ==== > If you wish to subscribe to or unsubscribe from the Oklahoma Cemetery list, use > OK-CEMETERIES-l-request@rootsweb.com or OK-CEMETERIES-d-request@rootsweb.com if > you are on the Digest list. > If your Ancestors migrated to or through Oklahoma - register them on the Oklahoma > Migration Page http://oklahomamigration.homestead.com/OMIndex.html > Oklahoma Cemeteries Volunteer Website http://www.rootsweb.com/~okcemete/okcem.htm > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 >

A personal website for these photoes would be great, as long as you could keep genealogy free! Maybe the website could be put on mailing lists to attract people, or maybe you could narrow it down to a certain section of Oklahoma. Just ideas!

Dear List Members, There is an Ok-VintagePhotos Mailing list in which this conversation would be great on. To join it you only need to send the word SUBSCRIBE to OK-VINTAGEPHOTOS-L-REQUEST@ROOTSWEB.COM It is one of my lists also. Kathleen Burnett List Mom Evelynne Ritter wrote: > I have a scanner. I paid about $100.00 for it a few years ago, but they are > available for less than $75.00 now and the scanner pays for itself the first > few weeks you use it. > > Evelynne >

In a message dated 8/16/02 3:33:08 PM Eastern Daylight Time, greyoaks@brightok.net writes: > Never a reason to charge for a lost photo in my opinion except for postage- > - > Linda- > I recently spent $15.00 for a photo at an antique shop for one of my own ancestors. I agree with you. However, if I paid $15.00 for someone else's to put it on a site for someone to claim, I would think it reasonable for them to offer to reimburse me the $15.00 and the postage to send it to them. I could then use the $15.00 to go find other pictures for someone to claim, do you not agree? Now, I promise to hush, because we are really kind of way off the subject of Oklahoma Cemeteries. Except one thing and that is to thank all the volunteers on this site for taking all the wonder pictures of the graves, which they gladly share for free with families of which I am a beneficiary and therefore started doing the same in the state which I now reside, so thank you all and I know the ones I send here thank you because they tell me thanks. Becky

Debra, I definitely agree with you and when I volunteer to do Cemetery pictures, or documents, I always put on the site that I will be glad to email copies free but if they want a copy sent by mail depending on how much it is I usually ask for expenses which is only fair. I sent out 10 the other day at a cost to me of $15.00 and not many people could afford to volunteer for long at that rate. If the people just want email copies after a certain amount of time instead of keeping them, you could do double the service by donating them to a local museum or historical society if not family member claimed them and get a charitible deduction.

I agree with you, Becky- - Linda- -----------------

Dear Group, I have gone in to a place that sells vintage things to decorate "Shabby Chic". They use old photo that they have found in Antique stores for price tags. They punch a hole in the corner and tie a ribbon through it and put the price of the item on the back. It really makes you sick to see these photos being used that way. They are someone's family. Most of them appear to be in the 30's and 40's, late enough that someone might recognize them. I think a site of photos would be wonderful. I think that if people also had their own photos that they have in their possession (but don't know who they are ) could put on the internet for others can view would be wonderful also. This is my 2 cents!! Maxine ----- Original Message ----- From: "Barbara Mason" <begem2@wf.net> To: <OK-CEMETERIES-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, August 16, 2002 1:39 AM Subject: Re: [OK-CEM] Old Photos > Evelynne > I think that would be a wonderful idea.Because my Mom's trunks was stole by > her sister-in-law after my Mom's death and sure would love to find the stuff > she had in those trunks.Now sister-in -law is dead and of course rest of the > family had ni idea she had done that>right give me a break.If only people > could just tell the truth no matter what.I think more of people who tell me > the truth no matter how much it hurts as though who stand and look you in > the face and lie.My 2 cents worth. > > Barbara M. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Evelynne Ritter" <e.m.ritter@worldnet.att.net> > To: <OK-CEMETERIES-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Friday, August 16, 2002 4:18 AM > Subject: [OK-CEM] Old Photos > > > > Here is an idea that a member of another group has passed on to me > after > > I uncovered some old photos in an antique shop. How amny of us going into > a > > thrift store, antique shop, flea market, etc find old photos in albumns or > > loose? > > > > OK so they're not of Aunt Alice, or Grandpa, or whomever you may be > related > > to, but they were or are someones family members. I am working on putting > > together a website with the other groups member which will have nothing > but > > "orphan" photos. We will put what ever details we have where we found it, > > when, the subject matter and any other details we can provide. > > > > Ok gang this is where everyone else will become involved. Once the site > is > > up and running, hopefully by mid-September or earlier, I will be asking > > everyone to keep an eye out for any and all "orphan" photos you can find > and > > send them to the site. Eventually we will make the site an attachment to > > other sites such as FAG and Ancestry so that ore people will be able to > > become involved. > > > > What do you think? Good idea or no. > > > > Evelynne > > > > > > ==== OK-CEMETERIES Mailing List ==== > > If you wish to subscribe to or unsubscribe from the Oklahoma Cemetery > list, use > > OK-CEMETERIES-l-request@rootsweb.com or > OK-CEMETERIES-d-request@rootsweb.com if > > you are on the Digest list. > > If your Ancestors migrated to or through Oklahoma - register them on the > Oklahoma > > Migration Page http://oklahomamigration.homestead.com/OMIndex.html > > Oklahoma Cemeteries Volunteer Website > http://www.rootsweb.com/~okcemete/okcem.htm > > > > ============================== > > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, > go to: > > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 > > > > > > > ==== OK-CEMETERIES Mailing List ==== > If you wish to subscribe to or unsubscribe from the Oklahoma Cemetery list, use > OK-CEMETERIES-l-request@rootsweb.com or OK-CEMETERIES-d-request@rootsweb.com if > you are on the Digest list. > If your Ancestors migrated to or through Oklahoma - register them on the Oklahoma > Migration Page http://oklahomamigration.homestead.com/OMIndex.html > Oklahoma Cemeteries Volunteer Website http://www.rootsweb.com/~okcemete/okcem.htm > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 >

Linda, If the sight your refering to is a commerical site, then yep they will charge, that because they are operating as a business. If it is personal site and they are offer to send copies to folks, then I guess they pay for the copies they make or ask for to be reinbursed for their expense. If I were requesting someone to snail me a copy of photo, then I would want to pay for their expense PLUS postage. If it's sent by email, then of course it would not be an expense to anyone and should definately be free. I do look ups in several counties in AR and do this because it takes nothing but my time which I ask nothing. But if I am to copy photos, marriage license, etc, then I would want to them to cover the expense. I work for a living and there is no way that I could pay for all the expense myself. I guess it all depends on the need of the photo. Debra Garner dougg@hsnp.com

Never a reason to charge for a lost photo in my opinion except for postage- - Linda- -----------------

I don't know if they do it know but they used to put old bibles, photos etc on line at RAOGK for the owners to claim. However, I would not mind paying the person who found a photo of my family for what they paid for the photo plus the cost of sending it to me. Ofcourse, I would bless them if they just gave it to me.