Finding the Correct Cemetery

Have patrons ask their relatives the name of, and the location of any cemeteries where deceased family members may be buried. This information is sometimes available on obituaries and death certificates. Sometimes even old "holy cards", commonly passed out at Catholic funerals, and later used as bookmarks in Bibles and prayerbooks, will give this information. Holy Cards have a religious picture on one side and information about the deceased, usually accompanied by a prayer on the back. These cards may be found in any old Bibles or prayerbooks owned or inherited by any family member.

Warning: Safety Is Very Important When Visiting Cemeteries!

It is not the dead you have to watch out for, but the living. Cemeteries in remote places, or even in the city can be hideouts for criminals, vandals and other mischief makers. Never go to a cemetery alone! Try to get the caretaker to visit the gravesites with you. Check with the local police to find out if the cemetery is in a safe part of town. And carry a walking stick so you don't stumble on uneven ground, or trip over low tombstones.

Locating the Gravesites

Patrons need to check with the owner of the cemetery when they arrive. Modern cemeteries are owned by cemetery companies or funeral homes. They usually keep good records of who is buried where. Older cemeteries may be on the hill on part of an old farm, and one may have to talk to the farmer to gain access. He may or may not be a relative, and he may or may not have any records of who is buried on his property. If he is related, he may have an attic full of relics of the past, so he should not be overlooked.

Photographing Headstones

Patrons will need to bring a camera to photograph any headstones, monuments, or markers erected at the gravesite. In order to assure a clear readable picture, they may want to bring along chalk or charcoal to highlight any of the lettering. They may also want to bring a crayon and a large sheet of blank paper to do a rubbing of any interesting stones.

Because many of our ancestors died one hundred or more years ago, when one finds the older graves, the headstones may not be in the best condition. Time, weather, vandals, tree roots, and ice may have all taken their toll on the very stones that once contained the information being searched for.

Not all cemeteries are maintained through perpetual care. Garden tools may be needed to clear the gravesite. Searchers need to watch out for snakes and bugs in the tall grass. In very old cemeteries, the stones may be broken, or even removed or relocated.

Posting Headstones Online

If the artwork of some of the old stones interests the patron as well, she might enjoy looking at sites which feature these old headstones found on gravesites.

Posting of your favorite headstones online is a good way to share genealogical information as well as the artwork of the stones. I have posted a virtual cemetery of my ancestors online so I can see them all on one page.

Patrons who are interested in preserving the records and archives of an entire cemetery can record every gravestone, carefully noting the spelling, dates and location of each burial stone or burial site. These records can be donated to your library, or to a local historical or genealogical society or museum. They can also be shared online with genealogists all over the world who may be interested in your locality.

For more information, see the

• USGenWeb Tombstone Project
• How to Do Gravestone Rubbings

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Return to: Visiting Localities
Cemeteries| Churches| Courthouses| Old Homesteads | Family Reunions| Migration Trails of Family|
or go back to:

Start With Yourself! Interviewing Family Members   Collecting Documents   Visiting Localities   Researching Localities  

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Return to:

• Table of Contents
  
  • Visiting Localities
  • Cemeteries
  • Churches
  • Courthouses
  • Old Homesteads
  • Family Reunions
  • Migration Trails of Family

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This website written and designed by:
Sharon Marie Centanne,
Genealogy Research Instructor and Internet Trainer
Please direct any questions to:
Sharon.

This page updated May 3, 2008

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