Thanks Sheila :) ---------- Original Message ---------------------------------- From: Evertons Family History <[email protected]> Reply-To: Evertons Family History <[email protected]> Date: Mon, 3 May 2004 15:15:04 -0600 All About U.S. Cemetery Records By Kristin Brandt Visiting cemeteries is one of my favorite things to do. Some people might think I�m obsessed with the dead, but as a genealogist it�s thrilling to walk through rows of gravestones. Even if I don�t recognize the names, I wonder about the people. Cemetery records can be useful for research, even if a death certificate is available. Occasionally, cemetery records provide different or additional information. There are two basic types of cemetery records. One is the gravestone or recorded monumental inscription and the other is a sexton�s records. Many early gravestones were worn away by normal weathering before they could be recorded and not all cemeteries have surviving records, but checking into both types is important. Some organizations such as the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) and the Daughters of Utah Pioneers (DUP) have done cemetery transcription projects. It helps to physically visit the cemetery, if possible, for several reasons. If headstone inscriptions have been recorded, there could be errors. Also, a printed list doesn�t give you an idea of the proximity of graves. An entire cemetery of people might be related. When you visit the site, you might notice that there are more cemeteries in the area than you originally thought. In some instances, it�s very difficult to find the cemetery where an ancestor was buried. They may have been buried in a churchyard, a government-owned cemetery, or a family or private cemetery. Your ancestors may have been buried out in a field by themselves. Obituaries and death certificates may help identify the cemetery if the research is focused on the 20th century or possibly the late-19th century. Cemetery records vary in the amount of detail. Some stones might give only a name and date of death. Others might give birth information, spouse�s and children�s names, military service information, etc. You never know what kind of information will be on the stones until you research it. Sexton records sometimes include relationships and birth information. Again, the records vary from cemetery to cemetery. You just never know what you might find. When you visit a cemetery, don�t wear your nicest clothes. Some don�t receive the best upkeep and you might be walking through grass that is three feet tall. Also, you might have to clean the stones off a bit in order to read them. Some experts recommend carrying a �cemetery kit� used for cleaning stones without hurting them. A cemetery kit might include such items as a nylon scrub brush, a spray bottle with vinegar, and some drawing paper and pencil to rub over the stone. It�s a good idea to have such a kit if you�re going to do a lot of cemetery research. If you can get the stone looking good enough for a photograph, then you should take a shot. For information on taking photographs in the cemetery (including any preparations to the stone) see Dean and Jeannette Lindsay�s article, �Tombstone Photography� in September 1975 edition of the Genealogical Journal. Cemetery records are a valuable genealogical source and should be consulted early on in your research. You never know what kind of detail you might find about the lives of your ancestors. Make sure you check all available cemeteries in the area. There are probably more than you think. Then, take photographs to preserve the information for your family. Kristin has a B.A. in Family History from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. She specializes in British, Utah, and LDS research as well as paleography. Kristin also provides research services and can be contacted by email at [email protected] She has been married five years to Jeff Brandt and has one son. Genealogy News & Events Come see us at the National Genealogical Society Conference May 19-22 in Booth #443! Military Records Lecture Thursday in Ocean Springs, MS Mary Ann Foster of Gautier, will present a program to the Ocean Springs Genealogical Society on Thursday, May 6, detailing Military and Veterans Benefit Records. Anyone interested in family history is invited to attend the 7 p.m. meeting at Ocean Springs Public Library. She will outline various wars in which the American colonies and the United States have participated since the 1600s. She will talk about the records that are available for research and how to obtain copies of these records. Genealogy Scammer Given Three Years Probation Elias Abodeely of Cedar Rapids, IA has been given three years probation for scamming genealogists out of thousands of dollars. Visitors to his genealogy web sites signed up for what they thought was a five-day trial period. They then found out they couldn't cancel their memberships and they were charged. Every time one of his websites is shut down, he just opens another one. He�s getting a mere slap on the wrist for what he has done, so be cautious of any suspicious genealogical websites. Genealogical Institute of Mid-America in Springfield, IL The Illinois State Genealogical Society is presenting the 10th Genealogical Institute of Mid-America to be held July 11 - 15, 2004 at the University of Illinois at Springfield. The Institute provides four days of intensive educational experience in a relaxed atmosphere. Courses are in session five hours daily and there is an array of additional optional sessions. The campus is readily accessible via interstate, rail, and air. Campus housing is available. The following courses will be taught at the Institute: Lloyd deWitt Bockstruck, M.A., M.S., F.N.G.S. Development of the United States Beyond the Colonial Period 1783-1870 Sandra Hargreaves Luebking, B.S., F.U.G.A. Family History Research Principles, Standards and Sources, Part II Paul Milner, MDiv., M.S. Finding Your Ancestors in England and Wales Michael John Neill, M.S. Family History Research Principles, Standards and Sources, Part I Friday, July 16, 2004 Beverly Levine Smallwood Taking Advantage of 21st Century Genealogical Tools (This course requires separate registration) For more information, leave a request for a brochure and your name and full mailing address on the recorder at (217) 789-1968 or visit the ISGS website. ---------------------------------------------------------- If you have any comments, questions, suggestions, or concerns, or if you have an upcoming event or news item you�d like us to post, please send it to [email protected] __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Win a $20,000 Career Makeover at Yahoo! HotJobs http://hotjobs.sweepstakes.yahoo.com/careermakeover