Man Turns To Flag To Find Long-Lost Relatives

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – A local man who lost contact with his extended family when his immediate family members died hopes to find them through a note at his family's final resting place.

Randy Edwards placed a note on a flag overlooking the tombstones of his dad, John William Edwards, Jr.; his grandfather, John William Edwards, Sr.; and his uncle Robert at the East Lawn Memorial Cemetery, asking for anyone who knew them to contact him.

"I have nothing from this side of my family, not a picture," Randy said. "My dad was Navy, my grandpa was army."

Randy said he tracked down birth and death certificates and traced his family's genealogy online, but despite years of searching, he turned to the low-tech method on Memorial Day in hopes of meeting people who still visit his family's graves.

Randy said he hopes to find photos of his father, who died as a Navy engineer at the young age of 23, and pictures of his grandfather, who served in World War II.

Randy moved from South Sacramento to Elk Grove when he was about 10 years old, and he said he lost touch with his past since then. He believes he has at least seven cousins still alive, but with the common last name of Edwards, he simply can't track them down.

Randy can be reached at randyedwards@frontiernet.net.