Houston County Researchers: Autumn is the beginning of the time of the year that awaits many anxious genealogists. By this, I mean that it is starting to cool off, and the leaves are starting to fall, thereby allowing access to some of the overgrown cemeteries that have been abandoned. Over the past decade, I have been involved in a variety of cemetery clean-up projects throughout the Southeast. The following are some suggestions for organizing a project of this type: 1. PARKING: Many times, there is not much room to park vehicles near the cemeteries. This may be because you will be parking on private property, or there isn't much of a shoulder on the road. If parking is at a premium, it is advisable to car-pool to the cemetery if there is a crew performing the clean-up. In most cases, at least one pickup truck will be needed to carry the necessary supplies. 2. AWARENESS: If the cemetery is near someone's house, it is always advisable and proper to *inform* them that there will be a cemetery clean-up being performed, and *when* it will be done. Otherwise, you might wind up answering a few questions from the Sheriff's Department. 3. CLOTHING: If the cemetery is near a woods, or in fact, *looks* like a woods, it is best to wear bright colored clothing. This is just in case a hunter may think that you are a deer or other game. Always have gloves to work with, as well as boots. If you have an old military type jacket or shirt, this can keep your clothes from being torn by briars and other tangles of Mother Nature. I would also advise sunglasses if you don't already wear glasses of some sort. When you are around trees and briars, it is very easy to get poked in the eye. I would also advise wearing a hat of some sort. 4. EQUIPMENT: At least one chain saw will be needed, along with gas, oil and bar oil. Of course, someone who knows how to operate a chainsaw safely is *essential*. A chainsaw is a very dangerous piece of equipment. I can't over emphasize this fact. A brush axe with a long handle will do a lot of clearing away of briars, vines, and other foliage. Clippers, loppers and other cutting utensils can do a lot of work, too. A shovel, bow rake and hoe are good to keep on hand for various work that may need to be performed. 5. STRATEGY: It is not likely that a cemetery can be cleaned up in one day, unless you have *lots* of help; i.e. 5 to 10 people. It is best to cut a diagonal path across the cemetery from one corner to the opposite. Then, do the same on the other side, so that the cemetery has an "X" path cut across it. This will facilitate a bearing point on where you *are* in the cemetery. It would be best if one or more persons work in each of the four quadrants of the cemetery, primarily looking for tombstones and other markers. WATCH OUT! I have fallen into a few graves. Whenever an indention is observed in the ground, it is best not to stand there. 6. CLEARING & PILES: As you clear the foliage, trees, vines, briars, etc., away, you have to put it *somewhere*. You will need to figure out some central location where you can pile the debris. It will be too much of a job to haul it all off. If there is any wood that can be used for firewood, try to cut the logs into 24- inch lengths. I have always burned the piles of debris on the projects that I have organized, but this can be *very dangerous* and entail a lot of liability. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS unless a water hose is nearby. 7. FOOD & WATER: Cemetery clean-up projects take a lot of *energy*. Plan to take a break at least once every hour or two. Always have plenty of cold water on hand in a thermos. Snacks can *re-charge* hungry helpers who have become dirty and tired. It is also a good idea to have some water to clean dirty hands, or some other type of wipes. What goes in, must come out. This means that going to the bathroom is easier for the men. Hopefully, this will be of the liquid nature. I'll leave the details to the imagination. 8. RECORDING: One person needs to be in charge of transcribing *all* info that is found on the tombstones. The main prerequisite is for that person to have neat, legible handwriting. This person also needs to compile a plat of the cemetery. Graph paper works good for this task. Once the boundaries of the cemetery can be ascertained, someone needs to estimate the length and width of the cemetery. Walking this off, will be sufficient. An average person's pace is about 3 feet. It is advisable to assign a number to each grave that is found. This can best be done by driving a wooden stake into the ground next to the grave, and then marking a number on that stake. This number will coincide with a number on the plat of the cemetery. Usually, cemeteries are arranged in rows. Almost always, a body is buried in an East-West direction. The head is at the West side, looking towards the East. This custom has been practiced for hundreds of years. 9. CLEANING MARKERS: Many of the tombstones will have mold and mildew on them, which makes them very *difficult* to read. Usually, a stick found in the woods can scratch some of this off. It would be best to have a thin piece of wood to do this with, like a popsicle stick. I wouldn't advise taking bleach or other cleansers to the cemetery during the first trip. All of this can be done on a later date. There is no doubt that you will find some grave markers that have been broken, and possibly even half-buried in the ground. These markers are sometimes the only *tangible* evidence of when someone was born and died. Do your best to salvage *whatever* you can of these markers. 10. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: Those who perform cemetery clean-up projects, usually do so as a "labor of love". What you are doing, in fact, is *preserving* a part of history. As time goes by, the tombstones will just get more eroded, and less likely to be legible. EVERYONE who helps out with these projects is performing an IMPORTANT part of this preservation. All of you are to be commended for investing your time and energy to perform these vitally important projects! The above are only suggestions as to how to perform a successful cemetery clean-up project. I am sure that there are lots of other ideas as to how this can be done. The most important thing, is to realize that it NEEDS to be done. These projects always work out better if you have a PLAN, and then *stick with it*. It is best to set a DATE for doing the cemetery clean-up, and then seek HELPERS to perform the work. Good Luck with your project! William A. Mills Perry, GA [email protected] ________________________________________________________________ YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET! Juno now offers FREE Internet Access! Try it today - there's no risk! 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