Key to Finding Pioneer Family
In the heart of the genealogy world, Salt Lake City, Utah, we observe a State Holiday on the 24th of July called “Pioneer Day”. Not only is this an excuse to enjoy a parade, fire up the BBQ, and light off more fireworks; in Utah we celebrate the first settlers reaching the Salt Lake Valley in 1847.
Pioneers – The Genealogists Headache?
Utah’s pioneers are just one out of countless examples of excursions made by millions of people across uncharted lands in the pursuit of life, opportunity, and freedom. History books in every Nation are filled with countless stories of courageous families trenching into the unknown to build a better future.
So what does this have to do with genealogy? Well, EVERYTHING.
Every genealogist, at some point in their research, must come to understanding that people/families may have moved at some point in their life. Advances in technology or resources at any moment in history have had an enormous effect on the movement and expansion of families. This “mobile era” is a source of frustration for MANY genealogists.
The Secret to Finding Your Pioneering Ancestors
BillionGraves’ Global Family feature shows you all the people with the same last name everywhere in the world on one map. “How does this help me?” Well, here’s one example. Are you looking for family in the 19th century that lived in the mid-west? Perhaps they were part of one of many excursions west. Were they a part of the Oregon Trail? The California Gold Rush? Manifest Destiny? BillionGraves’ Global Family feature allows you to look at cemeteries along these routes that contain families to any given last name.
For example, here are all the burials of the “Washington” family throughout the United States. Looking at the dates on the headstones you can see that the Washington Family DID travel west. Homesteading in California, Oregon, Arizona, and even some in Utah.
Global Family Is KEY to finding your Pioneers!
Thanks to BillionGraves’ invaluable GPS data, genealogists are connecting families across time AND geography.
So the next time you suspect a pioneering family, use the Global Family feature on BillionGraves to quickly and easily find those elusive family members! Once you find those family members, don’t forget to read the inscription of those stones for any clues to their relationship or any other family members.
You never know what treasures you will find on headstones. Who knows; you could be one search away from finding those elusive family members or breaking through your genealogy “brick walls”!
Don’t take our word for it. Read what EllenRT, a long time genealogist, and BillionGraves volunteer has to say about BillionGraves…
“Thanks to [Global Family] I found the grave of my GGGrandfather in a cemetery that I would have never searched. I have been looking for his gravesite for more than 30 years!”
BillionGraves’ GPS technology shows you the family members you NEED by looking at who is around the world. Thanks to our better GPS data, you just found more family!
Thousands of genealogists around the world use BillionGraves’ Plus services to use better data to find family for them. Upgrade your account today and use BillionGraves’ POWERFUL tools and BETTER data to add family to your family tree!
Read More
Using GPS to Find More Family
Why is having GPS on every headstone in BillionGraves SO important?! This is another question we get a lot. It’s time to set the record straight and show you the SECRET to finding more family with GPS!
Why GPS Matters.
Every headstone on BillionGraves has the exact GPS location attached. “Why is this important?” you may ask… GPS tagged records are tangible proof thatVALIDATES every record on BillionGraves.
But what does this REALLY mean for you? In light of the 4th 
of July, let’s use one of the Founding Father’s and 3rd President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, as an example.
Thomas Jefferson is buried in a small cemetery in Virginia. Coincidentally passing away on the 4th of July 1826. The very day we celebrate his actions for signing the Declaration of Independence. (View his BG record here)
Let’s use the first search tool used by genealogists on BG to find more family and just do a basic search for other people with the last name “Jefferson” in the same cemetery. This returns 8 results. Not bad for the first search! But… BillionGraves can do SO much better!
BillionGraves Helps you Find MORE!
If we were like any other site, that’s about as far as you could go on a basic search. But BillionGraves is NOT like any other site. We have the GPS location of not just the grave for Thomas, but for the entire cemetery! This means we can look at exactly where Thomas is buried AND look at the graves nearby to find even more information!
We know that more than 70% of people are buried in family plots. Using the BillionGraves Plus Nearby Graves tool, we can see who is buried nearby Thomas regardless of their last name. Notice how this search shows several people buried within a few feet of Thomas. In total, we actually find a total of 18 people buried within 25 feet with the last names of Randolph, Carr, Eppes and more. A quick look at these headstones shows inscriptions of their relationship to Thomas Jefferson!
Thanks to the GPS coordinates and the Nearby Graves tool on BillionGraves Plus, we were able to find 10 more people that are related to Thomas Jefferson in just a matter of minutes, that we wouldn’t have found otherwise!
Use Nearby Graves in Your Research
What does this mean for you? That’s simple! When you find someone on BillionGraves, don’t just stop there. Look at the headstones surrounding their gravesite using the Nearby Grave tool in BillionGraves Plus. Read the inscription of those stones for any clues to their relationship or any family members. You never know what treasures you will find on headstones. Who knows; you could be one search away from finding those elusive family members or breaking through your genealogy “brick walls”!
Don’t take our word for it. Read what Richard Sayre CG, CGL, FUGA, instructor and professional genealogist has to say about BillionGraves…
“The BG+ tools represent a significant and unique analytical capability for genealogists. With the ability to display family plots and nearby graves, potential relationships are readily identifiable.“
BillionGraves’ GPS technology shows you the family members you NEED by looking at who is buried nearby. Thanks to our better GPS data, you just found more family!
Read MoreMillion More in May Madness 2016
Million More in May Madness 2016
Happy May 1st, BillionGravers!
That’s right. It’s already May and you know what that means! We’ve made it to our most exciting month of the year. It’s warm outside, the trees are green, the flowers have bloomed, and it’s time for our favorite event of the year – The 5th Annual Million More in May Competition! We have an AMAZING prize this year! Keep reading to find out what we are giving away to all BG users who participate!
What is it?
The Million More in May Competition is a friendly event geared towards adding 1 Million (yes, that’s a 1 with six zeros behind it!) unique images, and 1 Million additional records transcribed and added to the BillionGraves database. Last year we got 668,233 photos and 579,793 transcriptions! With all the new users and wonderful weather we could easily reach our 1 million record goal, and make a lot of people, looking for those records, eternally grateful for the hard work.
If you have one, pull out your calculator watches and lets look at how EASY reaching 1 million records really is!
- We have 600,00 BillionGraves Users
- Our goal is to reach 1,000,000 records
If only 1% of our users (6000 users) go out and takes only 167 photos or transcribes 167 records, we will easily hit the 1 million photos and transcriptions mark!
If every one of our 600,000 users go out and takes only 2 images or transcribes 2 records, we will hit the 1 million photos and transcriptions mark!
It is VERY easy to hit our 1 million photo and record goal, but we NEED YOUR HELP TO DO IT!!
Now, for those of you that really want to help and earn something while you are at it, we are stepping it up this month and bringing back a GREAT prize!
(Let’s face it, everyone likes FREE stuff!)
As always, the greatest reward for your efforts comes from knowing that you are preserving invaluable genealogical records as well as making them readily available for family members to locate. It’s not worth getting 1 million records if they aren’t done correctly!!
PLEASE, PRETTY PLEASE follow all the guidelines for taking the “PERFECT” picture! Need a refresher? Read this great article about the 7 ways to become the photographer that every genealogists loves! Remember with our new photo rating system that our transcribers will be making sure that QUALITY photos are the only kind of photos acceptable! Any blurry or poor photos will removed from your total. We love doing competitions like this, but we all need to remember that quality is ALWAYS better than quantity!
| Note: All photos and transcriptions will be audited throughout the competition. Any photos that do not adhere to the strict guidelines found in the article HERE will be disqualified from the competition. |
However, we’ve got a little something that might help get you outside and into the cemeteries with your smartphones (Download the iOS App HERE, Download the Android App HERE, Download the Windows App HERE) –
If you upload 50,000 unique images, or transcribe 25,000 records, we will give you a brand new, 16GB (4G-LTE capable) Apple iPad Mini!*
Additionally for any user that uploads 25,000 photos or transcribes 15,000 transcriptions will receive a Fitbit activity tracker!*
Million More in May 2016
That’s right, this isn’t a drawing for one iPad mini! EVERY user that uploads over 50,000 unique photos or transcribes 25,000 records will get their very own iPad mini, straight from Apple and unlocked to be compatible with any cell carrier.* Additionally for EVERY user that uploads 25,000 photos or transcribes 15,000 transcriptions will receive a Fitbit activity tracker! For all users that upload more than 2,500 photos or complete 500 transcriptions they will receive 1 free month credit to the BillionGraves Plus services!
*For users in countries where Apple products are not offered or compatible with carriers you will receive a gift card of equivalent or equal value.* *Limit 1 prize per username. For clarity: If user uploads more than 50,000 photos or 25,000 transcriptions they will only receive the iPad mini and not both prizes.* *All users who earn the 1 free month credit will receive the credit IN ADDITION to their other prizes earned during the competition.*
A SPECIAL NOTE FROM BILLIONGRAVES:
Taking 50,000 photos and transcribing 25,000 records is no small feat! Only a small handful of people have ever achieved it, and they did it for free! This time, we want to show our users, who really go the extra mile, our gratitude! We know not everyone will be able to reach 50,000. It would not be such an accomplishment if it were easy!
We want to give an iPad away to everyone!! Unfortunately, BillionGraves is a FREE site and we want to keep it that way! Remember, our goal is to document the world’s cemeteries and make it available to anyone and everyone for FREE!
We like to spice things up every now and then with prizes and give-aways! So for anyone who wants to step up and be apart of a very small elite group of volunteers, this month’s prize is just for you!
Some Helpful Tips
• Register! It’s 100% free and 100% necessary if you’re going to participate in this competition. Make sure once you register that you verify your email! To claim your prize we will communicate with you through the email you provide and verify.
• Like us on Facebook, Follow us on Twitter and Instagram! It’s simple to do and keeps you constantly up to date will all the new amazing things we are doing at BG!
• Make sure that you have the latest and greatest BillionGraves apps. Check the iTunes App Store, Google Play, or Windows App Store for any updates for your device.
• Make it a habit. Go to the cemetery regularly—incorporate a local cemetery into your daily walk or bike ride, and snap some pictures along the way.
• Follow your progress on our leaderboard! We have fancy graphics that will track your progress every step of the way! The leaderboard is not in real time. Please allow 24 hours for numbers to reflect accurately! Remember that photos that are flagged by transcribers will be removed from your totals, so the totals may vary daily. Don’t forget you can always correct any images that are flagged. Learn more about fixing flagged images here.
• A word of advice: don’t wait for Memorial Day. The decorations at the cemetery for that holiday actually make it MORE difficult to collect images—people have to transcribe the content, and flower arrangements and other decorations can easily obscure that important content.
• Contest begins May 1, 2016 and ends May 31, 2016 @ 12:00 am GMT (That’s 6 pm MST)
| A great way to reach your goal is to grab your friends and head out to the cemetery as a group!
If everyone in the group logs their different devices into one account, your efforts will be combined, making it easier to hit your goal! Once you hit the 50,000 photo goal or 25,000 transcription goal, switch it up and combine efforts under another person in the group and earn multiple devices! So make it a group effort! Get a few friends/family members out at a time, log in to the same account, and take as many pictures as you can in one outing. For example, a husband/wife team could get an iPad Mini together by taking 25,000 images each, which is less than many users do in a month by themselves. Note: Only one prize will be given per username, and will be shipped to the username the efforts are performed under. |
“What?! BillionGraves isn’t really going to give out an iPad… are they?!”
YES we really are giving out an iPad mini! Still don’t believe us? Ask Nancy Alford, Melyssawebb, jodie1, Paulwuzhere, William, FionaNZ or liallee and see if we were kidding? Here is Fiona enjoying the iPad mini she won during a competition!
The Fine Print. (Cause we have to have fine print, right?)
- All photos and transcriptions must be submitted before the closing date of May 31, 2016 @ 12:00 am GMT (That’s 6 pm MST). Any submissions after that point will be excluded from the final results.
- This promotion is intended for photographers and transcribers. Let’s go outside!
- Supporting records will NOT be counted towards the monthly totals. Only images that originate from the genuine BillionGraves apps will be accepted.
- If you or another user marks a headstone picture as “bad” we deduct it from the uploader’s total images.
- For transcribers, we will be looking extra hard at the quality of transcriptions as well. We will erase the record and have it re-transcribed if it’s not done correctly. Any record not transcribed correctly will be deducted from your total.
- In the off chance that we don’t have enough images to transcribe, GO TAKE PICTURES! We will allow both photos taken and transcriptions completed to count ONLY if there are no photos left in the transcription queue.
- Make sure you have permission and are welcome to take pictures in your local cemetery before doing so. Remember, private cemeteries require permission of the owner before taking any pictures. No one likes a trespasser! Not cool!
- This promotion is open to all to participate ages 13 and above for free. Registration is required. (Register HERE. Come on.You know you want to. It’s free!)
- More than one individual may contribute to a single account, however, the limit is one prize redemption per BillionGraves account. The prize will be claimed by only the username the combined work was completed under. BillionGraves will not arbitrate any disputes. ALL RECORDS MUST BE UNDER ONE ACCOUNT. BILLIONGRAVES WILL NOT COMBINE ACCOUNTS UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE.
- Items will ship in 6-8 weeks after contest closes for winners in the U.S. International winners please allow 8-12 weeks for items to be delivered.
- Due to current world-unrest, some areas may increase the amount of time it takes for prizes to be delivered. If for some reason your country isn’t compatible with iPad Mini or FitBit, we will work with you to provide you with a prize that is equal in value.
- Recipients will be required to provide a mailing address for physical items.
- Winner will be required to provide completed tax forms for redemption of the prize
- REQUIRED: ALL PRIZES MUST BE CLAIMED WITH PROPER MAILING/DELIVERY INSTRUCTIONS BY THE 15TH OF JUNE OR YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE THE PRIZE! WE WILL SEND OUT CONFIRMATION EMAILS BY THE 3RD OF JUNE. IF YOU DON’T RECEIVE A CONFIRMATION EMAIL ASKING FOR YOUR ADDRESS, YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR SENDING IT TO US BY THE 15TH AT HTTP://BILLIONGRAVES.COM/SUPPORT.
We’re super excited for this amazing competition! Now, get outside and earn yourself a free iPad Mini! Good luck!
-The BillionGraves Team
Read More2016 March BillionGraves Madness Bracket Winners
A big thank you to all the transcribers and photographers who participated this month in the March BillionGraves Madness Contest!
The warmer weather and beautiful sunshine were a perfect combination to be outside taking photos. This March we are able to collect and preserve 322,154 photos and create 388,771 transcribed records. A HUGE thank you to all of you for making it possible!
Check out the winners of the March BillionGraves Madness Bracket leader board below:
March BillionGraves Madness Winners!
If you didn’t make the Bracket you still might have won 1 free month of BillionGraves Plus. Check for your name below!
Here are the top Photographers for March 2016:
huskerken, 19535 ($50 Amazon Gift Card)
gal, 18509 (Portable Device Charger)
omriweb, 18422 (Portable Device Charger)
yuval, 12105 (BillionGraves T-Shirt)
daviscrick, 10354 (BillionGraves T-Shirt)
A Honda, 8937 (BillionGraves T-Shirt)
ladynwht, 8035 (BillionGraves T-Shirt)
veachjl, 7118 (BillionGraves Original Collectors Pin)
OurFamilyBefore, 6460 (BillionGraves Original Collectors Pin)
STK, 6337 (BillionGraves Original Collectors Pin)
Jean, 5957 (BillionGraves Original Collectors Pin)
Lindsey2415, 5545 (BillionGraves Original Collectors Pin)
RobH_Abz, 4906 (BillionGraves Original Collectors Pin)
Matiah, 4810 (BillionGraves Original Collectors Pin)
kenpojosh, 4152 (BillionGraves Original Collectors Pin)
JankaBart, 3985 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
lindsay, 3650 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
koand, 2956 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
Basenjigirl, 2776 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
Jim Pack, 2724 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
Tombstoneguy, 2550 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
huntindead, 2529 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
TRock, 2513 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
linda, 2456 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
Frola52, 2414 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
SteveN, 2397 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
Darren Zaugg, 2332 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
Paulwuzhere, 2326 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
ustsen, 2238 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
Marijke Bullians, 2195 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
zach, 2065 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
Anita M Ingalls, 2050 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
Spencer’s Eagle, 2026 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
raytracer, 1856 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
Shuttergoul, 1832 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
lavi, 1787 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
hollandfamily51, 1657 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
Tanner, 1634 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
Roberta Lynas, 1615 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
mp4, 1615 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
ColeEagleProject2016, 1541 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
Rob, 1518 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
JOHN SVADBIK, 1517 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
Craig Proctor, 1515 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
holdiman, 1367 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
lindaleestamps, 1355 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
Johnathan Huff, 1347 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
Mark D Bennett, 1339 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
MSCBrighton, 1319 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
Here are the top Transcribers for March 2016:
ladynwht, 24978 ($50 Amazon Gift Card)
CLY, 20623 (Portable Device Charger)
Anchie, 9318 (Portable Device Charger)
HonestAbe, 9086 (BillionGraves T-Shirt)
Sarah Kienzle, 8933 (BillionGraves T-Shirt)
aviam, 8338 (BillionGraves T-Shirt)
JankaBart, 6363 (BillionGraves T-Shirt)
Shuttergoul, 5645 (BillionGraves Original Collectors Pin)
Lydia Uribe, 5437 (BillionGraves Original Collectors Pin)
Prelleg, 4818 (BillionGraves Original Collectors Pin)
Rob, 4420 (BillionGraves Original Collectors Pin)
k_lassman, 4399 (BillionGraves Original Collectors Pin)
Mamaheenan, 4240 (BillionGraves Original Collectors Pin)
DdraigGoch, 4228 (BillionGraves Original Collectors Pin)
ido navarro, 4151 (BillionGraves Original Collectors Pin)
mira, 4131 (BillionGraves Original Collectors Pin)
logan marx, 3936 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
Pat, 3534 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
wegenerp, 3336 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
A Honda, 3272 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
PatM, 3163 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
Katherine Rosenberger, 3135 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
orlykesh, 3018 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
randy_k15419, 2948 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
hawkeye, 2937 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
Orav, 2900 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
wirthlancaster, 2898 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
Basenjigirl, 2738 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
Shirley, 2632 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
Tom Sberro, 2611 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
amihai101, 2551 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
keren barkai, 2499 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
Rainer, 2446 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
Daria, 2383 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
Gina369, 2352 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
Manuel Martinez Montero, 2332 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
MSCBrighton, 2319 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
Dorellen, 2309 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
Jean, 2258 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
HadasD, 2181 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
mp4, 2114 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
Frostyfan33, 2097 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
shaeryaron, 2087 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
DeeDee, 2078 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
ustsen, 2023 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
highland1dreamer, 1991 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
Vania Juliani, 1972 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
Anita M Ingalls, 1941 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
Detlef Pannhorst, 1926 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
Marijke Bullians, 1915 (1 Month BG+ Credit)
If you are on this list, please make sure your email on your BillionGraves account is your correct current email address. We will be emailing you through the email on your account. You will need to provide us a shipping address where you would like your March prizes sent. So watch your inbox for that this week. Remember all prizes must be redeemed by the 15th of the month! 🙂
Thanks again to all who contributed this month! We sure appreciate all your many contributions! Keep an eye on our blog for more special events coming soon.
-All images uploaded from midnight (GMT) March 1st to midnight (GMT) March 31st 2016 are counted toward the March Madness Competition.
-Make sure you have permission and are welcome to take pictures in your local cemetery before doing so. Remember, private cemeteries require permission of the owner before taking any pictures.
-If you or another user marks a headstone picture as “bad” we deduct it from the uploader’s total images.
-Winners will be announced at the end of the month on the BillionGraves blog. Prizes must be claimed by the 15th of the following month via email to qualify for shipment of prizes.
-Promotion is open to all to participate for free. Registration is required.
-More than one individual may contribute to a single account, however, the limit is one prize redemption per BillionGraves account. [UPDATE: If user places in the bracket they will receive the prize pertaining to their standing and not the sum of all prizes. However; all 50 top transcribers and photographers will receive 1 credit for 1 free month of BillionGraves Plus.]
-Items will ship in 6-8 weeks after contest closes for winners in the U.S. International users(Outside of the US) will not receive a physical prize. They will receive a gift-card of equal value of the prize they have won sent to their BG email.
-Recipients will be required to provide a mailing address for physical items.
-All images must be uploaded/transcribed no later than midnight (GMT) on the last day of the month.
BillionGraves 2016 March Madness
It’s March again–and basketball fury’s in the air. The NCAA’s March Madness tournament is just around the corner! U.S. College basketball might not be for you, so we are bringing back our own BillionGraves bracket competition! It’s the annual “March 2016 BillionGraves Madness”!
PRIZES:
| Top Prize: | $50 Amazon Gift Card |
| Top Two: | Portable Device Charger (a $25 value)* |
| Top Four: | BillionGraves T-Shirt* |
| Top Eight: | BillionGraves Original Collectors Pin |
| Top 100: | BillionGraves 1 Month BG+ Subscription |
*For international winners, due to shipping restraints by shipping providers, a gift card worth the same USD monetary value to the prize you have won will be sent to your BillionGraves registered email within 4-6 weeks of the close the competition.
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It can’t be any better than doing your favorite thing- taking pictures of headstones and transcribing them, AND winning prizes!
So take advantage of the rising temperatures to capture some headstone images at your local cemetery or get your transcribing game on. The more you do, the higher up on the bracket you’ll be! You won’t want to miss out on these awesome prizes!
Do a weekly check of the BillionGraves blog or March BillionGraves Madness page to make sure at the end of the month you walk away with one of our awesome prizes!
Good luck!
-All images uploaded from midnight (GMT) March 1st to midnight (GMT) March 31st 2016 are counted toward the March Madness Competition.
-Make sure you have permission and are welcome to take pictures in your local cemetery before doing so. Remember, private cemeteries require permission of the owner before taking any pictures.
-If you or another user marks a headstone picture as “bad” we deduct it from the uploader’s total images.
-Winners will be announced at the end of the month on the BillionGraves blog. Prizes must be claimed by the 15th of the following month via email to qualify for shipment of prizes.
-Promotion is open to all to participate for free. Registration is required.
-More than one individual may contribute to a single account, however, the limit is one prize redemption per BillionGraves account. [UPDATE: If user places in the bracket they will receive the prize pertaining to their standing and not the sum of all prizes. However; all 50 top transcribers and photographers will receive the March Pin]
-Items will ship in 6-8 weeks after contest closes for winners in the U.S. Please allow 8-12 for winners outside the U.S.
-Recipients will be required to provide a mailing address for physical items.
-All images must be uploaded/transcribed no later than midnight (GMT) on the last day of the month.