PLANNING A VISIT TO A CEMETERY
by George Morgan

How do you explain it? Some people are terrified of cemeteries. Others are fascinated by them. One of the most popular books and movies in the last year was Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. A prominent locale (and character) in the book is famed Bonaventure Cemetery at Savannah, GA. I was there 19 months ago and it is truly a magnificent place!

I have a friend who plans his family's vacations around stops at cemeteries. He's been known to screech to a halt at the sight of an old cemetery on the side of the road. That's fine if your only purpose is to check out the epitaphs on the tombstones. However, if your purpose is good genealogical research, you need to be prepared. "Along Those Lines ..." this week discusses preparing for a genealogical visit to the cemetery.

Cemeteries contain lots of genealogical information. The tombstones or plaques are memorials to the lives of those who have passed before us. Mankind tries to immortalize itself with such monuments. Sometimes, the inscriptions on tombstones are of a humorous nature, such as the one that said, "I told you I was sick." Most, however, are of a simpler, more somber nature. They contain name, dates, and sometimes even an inscription to impart something of the person's character to successive generations.

The information found on tombstones, monuments, plaques, and in mausoleums should be considered to be secondary records at best. Why? As genealogists, we should place more credence in records created closest to the actual event. A birth date on a tombstone of a ninety-two year-old woman who died in 1966 is certainly not as reliable as the record made by her mother in the family Bible just after she was born in 1873. Such information given in 1966 may have been provided by someone who did not have all the facts. (There have been many instances of bad information on death certificates because the informant wasn't well-informed.)

Even a date of death should be viewed with skepticism. Perhaps the family couldn't afford the tombstone at the time of the person's death. Perhaps it wasn't inscribed and placed until some years later, and perhaps the informant got the information wrong. Or maybe the stonemason made an error, and no one bothered to have it corrected. Not only are date errors made; sometimes the names are incorrect as well.

Cemetery information should be taken as "pointers" to primary records. If a date of death is listed as October 4, 1935, for example, make a beeline to the organization responsible for death certificates. If the date of death is December 15, 1831, head for the county courthouse to look for a probate packet. In short, please use the cemetery monuments as secondary sources that point you to primary records.

Whenever I'm headed to a cemetery, I do some advance preparation. I start it like a camping trip. You have to know where you're going and you have to have the right equipment.

You must have some idea of whose graves you're looking for, or at least the family. Right? GOOD! First of all, make a list of the people whose graves you're looking for, and where you think they're buried. A preliminary trip to the library may help, if someone has indexed the cemeteries in the area you're visiting. If you can't find anything at the library, ask the librarian for a contact at the local genealogical or historical societies. Sometimes they are working on such a project, or know someone who is. They may be able to point you to records in other places too.

If you already know the cemetery (and you're sure!), you may be daunted by the sheer size of the place. One cemetery I visited last summer had well over 30,000 graves. How was I to locate the ones I wanted to see? The answer? Locate the sexton or caretaker.

Sextons are responsible for the maintenance of the cemetery. When someone is to be buried in the cemetery, they contact the sexton to determine the location of the family plot (or purchase one). The sexton has the records or knows where they are. The records will indicate where each plot is, who is buried there, and usually the dates of death and burial. He also has a plot map that he uses to locate every single burial plot. Sometimes the 'sexton' is the local board of health. Other times it may be a clergyman. The officials at the county courthouse or city hall can usually tell you, as can the director of a local funeral home.

In the large cemetery I visited last summer, the local genealogical librarian located the sexton for me. I spoke with him by phone and gave him names and death dates (as I knew them). He looked them up in his index card file -- no computerized database here. He met me at the cemetery with his huge, rolled canvas map, and he walked me quickly to each grave. (Some of the graves I'd already walked past several times!)

You need to take the right tools with you when you go visiting a cemetery. Start with a sensible pair of shoes. Select a comfortable pair of flat shoes. Make sure they can be sacrificed to muddy conditions.

If you're going to be in the country, and depending on the time of year, take insect repellent. Also, take along a sticky-brush to get those burs and so forth off your clothes. Rubber bands for your pants legs and sleeves are a good idea too. Don't forget a couple of old towels! You may also take a small pair of trimmers or scissors to trim grass that may have grown over some stones.

Next, you need some things for recording information. I suggest the following:

1. Camera - Choose a disposable camera with film to handle both sun and shade. Take several of these cameras. Don't forget one with the panoramic range. These are wonderful for catching the whole group of tombstones, and can capture a picture of their setting in the whole scheme of the cemetery.
   
   
2. Tape recorder - Invest in a small, handheld cassette recorder. They're cheap these days. As you take pictures, record comments. Pictures don't always come out clearly. I suggest that you read the names (spell them if necessary), dates, and any inscriptions. You can transcribe these later when you get home. Take extra batteries and cassettes!
   
   
3. Camcorder - A video camera is a wonderful way to record all the information. You can videotape and record your voice at the same time. Make sure it's fully charged and that you have enough tapes.
   
   
4. Spiral notebook and pencils - Take a spiral notebook rather than loose paper. Make notes for each plot. Draw a small diagram and mark the grave positions. Make a note of who is buried where. Make any other notes, including adjacent gravestones.
   
   
5. Art paper and crayons/chalk - If you want to make an image of the tombstone, please use art paper and use crayons or chalk ... on the paper, not on the stone.
   
   
6. 2-liter bottles of pure water and cellulose sponges - These should be the only materials you use to clean a stone for easier reading.

The following items should NOT be taken with you:

1. Shaving cream - Never place anything like shaving cream or other chemical compounds on tombstones. Some stones are very porous, and these chemicals may damage them.
   
   
2. Wire brush - Never use a wire brush to 'clean' a tombstone. You will damage the stone, possibly making it crumble on the spot.
   
   
3. Small children - While a cemetery seems a quiet place, there may be unexpected danger for a small child. Tombstones may tip over unexpectedly, there may be insects and animals around, and poison ivy is not unexpected in some areas.

Get that film developed. Label those pictures with the name, location and date of visit. Organize and transcribe those notes. Enter the information into your database program. File everything in your binders or files.

Now, get ready to prepare to research all that secondary information you found at the cemetery by locating the primary records. You're off to do more research!