Preserving History, One Headstone at a Time
Preserving History, One Headstone at a Time
This summer, rising Tallulah Falls School sophomore Dylan Johnson has dedicated his time to preserving history through volunteer work with Find a Grave, an organization that describes itself as "a database for grave registration to document the confirmed final disposition of the deceased."
Dylan Johnson documented graves from the TFS graveyard as part of his summer volunteer work with Find a Grave.
One of Find a Grave's primary missions is to photograph headstones for family members who are unable to visit or have never ha
d the opportunity to see their relatives' final resting places.
Since May, Johnson has traveled across Georgia photographing headstones, from the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the state's northernmost counties to the sandy shores of Tybee Island on the coast. Closer to home, he also documented the three historic headstones located in the Tallulah Falls School Cemetery on the school’s campus.
By the end of the summer, Johnson estimates he will have photographed nearly 1,000 headstones and uploaded them to the Find a Grave database.
His passion for documenting history began with another long-term project: building his family tree. Today, that family tree includes nearly 3,000 individuals and has fueled his interest in genealogy and historical preservation.
Because many of Johnson's ancestors are buried outside the South, he has benefited from the same volunteer network he now serves. Other Find a Grave volunteers have photographed his relatives' headstones and uploaded the images to the database, allowing him to connect with family history from afar.
Now, Johnson is paying that kindness forward. By photographing headstones, mausoleums, and other burial sites, he fulfills photo requests from families who may never have the chance to visit their loved ones' graves in person, giving them a meaningful connection to their family history.
Collectively, Find a Grave volunteers have created more than 265 million memorials, preserving stories and helping families around the world remember those who came before them. Through his volunteer efforts, Johnson is contributing to that mission, one photograph at a time.