Wonderful! I've been searching for; or waiting for someone, somewhere to mention this site. Now I know, after all this time, why people weren't talking about it... anyway.
I did a Random Act through Ancestry only one time but what a wonderful experience I had doing it and afterwards I felt so Good. I don't want to get too mushy here...
At the time I was living in Santa Maria, CA and someone, back east somewhere I think, 'thought' they had relative(s) in the Santa Barbara Cemetery but didn't have the wherewithall to make the trip. Through Ancestry I heard about 'her' dilemma and thought,
"I only live 75 miles from there! I could do this for her". I drove to Santa Barbara, a trip I very seldom ordinarily took but it was straight up Highway 101 and a beautiful drive.
I went over and told my sister about it and she said, "Yeah, sounds like an excuse to run-away-from-home for a day!" We went together, walked the cemetery and finally found the Mr and Mrs, side by side, up above the ocean - VERY scenic places to be resting!!!!! I took numerous pictures of the grounds, head-stones and the VIEW 'they' had for eternity.
I had gotten 'her' address and mailed her all the pictures. Oh, and while I was taking pictures my sister hunkered down and did a rubbing of both headstones which I also sent 'her'. What a Wonderful Experience - I've never forgotten it and ----fast forward to now, today --- I want to do it again and again, if possible.
I was wondering if, now that its back, there could be placed an "Obvious Place" on our Ancestry Tree or Family Tree Maker Trees (both confusing but I think they are the same website that I don't understand the 2 names...but...) where people could post their wishes and others in that area could respond (Like I did in the above story) ? That would be wonderful for 'us that are too old to travel' or for whatever reason and them that live in the same towns as libraries, churches, archives, state capitols, cemeteries etc. Ancestry search isn't Just about computers, forms and numbers!
So my email address, the state I lived in and all other information that 'was' right when I was attached to the Kindness site before has all changed. I now live in Arizona, the northern part, and again, my sister and I went on a road trip (cause its fun) and for something to do found little, tiny AZ towns, populations like 300 or so - we went to their cemeteries and just looked around at the headstones. Many WWI and WWII soldiers, priests, children, families, ranchers etc. We KNOW these grave markers are LOST to their families - who would have a clue that the stones are still there?? (alot arent of course by time and vandals...but) .
I want to have a place where I can offer again to do these searches, pictures and rubbings for researchers. Of course, record keeping was not a thing that these old mining towns did so there are no church archives to search or old city-hall-basements to find information in. But, what I Can do, I'd Love to Do!
Thanks for listening to this windy letter
Sincerely
Betty K Stimson
928-681-7859