When you visit a cemetery, if you're fortunate enough to have a map of how the lots are laid out, remember that the orientation of the map and the orientation of the cemetery can be two different things. I had a map that was clearly labeled "north" at the top of the map, but when I arrived at the cemetery, it took quite some time before I realized that the cemetery was laid out facing east, not north. Also, if you can, get the names of the folks buried in the lots around the spot you're looking for. Those names can help you locate graves, especially if they are not marked and your map is turned around!

Elizabeth Corethers
Medford, Oregon

When visiting the cemetery office to find the location of your graves, ask for a copy of the lot card. You may find that the names on the card do not match those carved on the headstone, or that there are burials in the plot that were not put on the headstone. The card should also give the owner of the plot, who may be someone who is not buried there. Dates are not always carved in the headstones, but the date of death and age should be on the lot card.

Susan Wojtowicz

Whenever possible, let technology work for you. It's very good to write down directions and have maps showing locations of cemeteries. But what if you find a cemetery during your search and then years later it is overgrown and difficult to find, perhaps even unrecognizable, by your ancestors?

If you have access to borrow or even purchase a small GPS receiver (Global Positioning System), you can go to the cemetery and record the coordinates so that anyone in the future will be able to find the cemetery, no matter how overgrown it may be or even if landmarks have been removed from or added to the area. GPS receivers are not common items yet, but they are getting more and more affordable. The GPS coordinates for an area never change, so this is good documentation. Who knows? By the time your descendants are looking for that same obscure cemetery you found, GPS receivers may be as common and as affordable as wristwatches!

Stan Nichols
Memphis, TN

Editor's Note: For more on GPS, see Liz Kerstens' article "Lost? Get a GPS."

The MyFamily.com store currently has the Garmin EMAP GPS Handheld/Portable System on sale for only $199.96.

Reading today's cemetery tips reminded me of one of the great hazards of visiting cemeteries: gnats by the thousands. The cure is simple: start taking vitamin B1 about a week before going. It acts in the body to create a natural insect repellant.

James G.

My cemetery kit includes a hand spade; clippers; a stiff brush and cotton gloves to tidy up if necessary before photographing; a small pad to kneel on; tracing materials; camera and lots of film; chalk and a flashlight (to highlight worn lettering, rub chalk into it or shine light at a side angle); a clipboard with writing materials; a magnifying glass; wipes; and a cooler with snacks, but more important, lots of drinking water that I also use to wet down and highlight difficult-to-read lettering.

And here are some more handy hints for a successful trip:

1. For better service and more cooperation on the part of office personnel, call or write well in advance to request copies of burial information on each individual you expect to find and/or anyone with the same surname. Allow them plenty of time to fill your request.

2. If you have this information mailed to you in advance, try to make your trip at a day/time when the office is open so someone will be available to answer questions. Don't expect an employee to be your personal guide.

3. Usually maps of the cemetery are available. Ask them to mark the location of each plot.

4. Ask for an explanation of how the plots are designated, usually by some combination of lawn, block, plot, and space letter/number. This helps if you get lost in a larger cemetery.

5. Write the headstone inscription on the sheet of burial information for each individual, in case the photo doesn't clearly show it.

6. If you use chalk to highlight, wash it off.

7. Take a photo of the entrance to the cemetery, which shows its name.

8. Wear very comfortable clothing and walking shoes.

9. Allow yourself lots of daylight time. Nothing is more frustrating than locating unexpected family members in a cemetery and not having time to locate and photograph all the headstones, especially if you've traveled a long distance.

Sandra Strong Skelton
Sula, Montana

Editor's Note: For those with ancestors in New York City Cemeteries, today's product special may be of interest. The Graveyard Shift: A Family Historian's Guide to New York City Cemeteries, by Carolee Inskeep is on sale for only $19.95 in the Ancestry.com E-Store. See the Product of the Day for details.

If you have a cemetery tip that you would like to share with other researchers, you can send it to: editor@ancestry-inc.com.