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How to Document a Cemetery
You've talked to your local town hall, and you have a cemetery that you are SURE has not been documented yet. Here's how you get started so you create a useful product!
Get Permission First
If this is really a town cemetery, you probably are free to walk onto it. However, many older cemeteries are now on private land. If there's any question, ask the owner of the house nearby to be sure it's OK for you to be tromping around on the land.
Plan for a Long Day
This means you wear comfortable clothing, wear a hat, keep food and water with you. Be sure to be respectful to others who want to use the cemetery for spiritual reasons, though. Don't bring along your boom box to blast out dance tunes.
Make a Map of Each Object
It doesn't have to be precise, but keep track of where the various stones were, if there were other markers nearby, even if there is nothing on them. It can often be important how graves were laid out, since often families and relatives were buried near each other.
Write down exactly what each stone says
It might seem easier to abbreviate, but the full words can make the difference between a father and son, a grandmother and her granddaughter. Try to keep your writing even and neat, so that you don't have any question later on just what you were writing. You might even bring along a portable laptop if that makes it easier on you. Just be careful about typos!
The Dangers of Gravestone Rubbing
Cemetery Genealogy - The Basics
Putting Cemetery Information on the Web
Your Guide to Cemetery Research from Amazon.com
Main Listing Page
All Genealogy Articles
Note - Lisa Shea wrote this content for the genealogy site at BellaOnline.com - you might still find this content there as well. That's fine :) I gave permission!
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