I know Cyndi knows the answer here but since she is usually running ragged between Mark, the baby and speaking engagements I will go to the list with it and pray! Dr. Bill Hi Dr. Fox Well I have a question that was given to me, and it seems to me I read something on NEWGEN a couple of years ago regarding this issue, so I have come to Dr. Fox my hero. How do you remove moss etc. from old gravestones without harming the stones? Do you remember a posting about this subject matter? Do you have the answer? I would sure appreciate any help you can give me, this is for my mother-in-law, who is planning a trip next spring back to Nebraska and wants to visit cemeteries and do some clean-up for some of her ancestors. Thanks from the get go. Susan Crom [email protected] [email protected]

Go to these sites for information on cleaning or not cleaning gravestones. At least it will give you a start. http://www.gravestonestudies.org/preservation.htm http://nysparks.state.ny.us/field/fsb/graveyard.htm Joan in NH

The most important thing to remember when cleaning a tombstone is to be GENTLE. The first priority should be to make sure that nothing you do to a stone will cause harm. 1) Be sure that the tombstone is sturdy and stable, and not wobbly, flaking, chipping, or crumbling. 2) Clean the tombstone with plain water and a soft bristle (natural or nylon) brush. 3) Scrub the stone from the bottom up to avoid streaking and staining. Flush well with water as you go. 4) If lichen is stubborn then soak it well with water and gently scrape with a wooden craft stick/tongue depressor or a plastic putty scraper. 5) Stay away from chemicals and bleach on older stones. While these may provide immediate results, the chemicals may cause deterioration of the stone over time. 6) Don't aim for perfection! There are a lot of great tips for cleaning gravestones safely on the Net. You can find a list of some of the better ones here: http://genealogy.about.com/cs/cemeterytips/ Hope this helps, Kimberly Powell -----Original Message----- From: Dr.Bill [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, November 15, 2002 7:20 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [NEWGEN] Please, hit us with the answers! I know Cyndi knows the answer here but since she is usually running ragged between Mark, the baby and speaking engagements I will go to the list with it and pray! Dr. Bill Hi Dr. Fox Well I have a question that was given to me, and it seems to me I read something on NEWGEN a couple of years ago regarding this issue, so I have come to Dr. Fox my hero. How do you remove moss etc. from old gravestones without harming the stones? Do you remember a posting about this subject matter? Do you have the answer? I would sure appreciate any help you can give me, this is for my mother-in-law, who is planning a trip next spring back to Nebraska and wants to visit cemeteries and do some clean-up for some of her ancestors. Thanks from the get go. Susan Crom [email protected] [email protected] ==== NEWGEN Mailing List ==== NO BIT OF INFORMATION OR TIP IS MINOR AS IT CAN LEAD TO A MAJOR FIND.

At 06:20 PM 11/15/2002 -0600, Dr.Bill wrote: >I know Cyndi knows the answer here but since she is usually running ragged >between Mark, the baby and speaking engagements I will go to the list with >it and pray! > >Dr. Bill > >Hi Dr. Fox >Well I have a question that was given to me, and it seems to me I read >something on NEWGEN a couple of years ago regarding this issue, so I have >come to Dr. Fox my hero. How do you remove moss etc. from old gravestones >without harming the stones? Do you remember a posting about this subject >matter? Do you have the answer? I would sure appreciate any help you can >give me, this is for my mother-in-law, who is planning a trip next spring >back to Nebraska and wants to visit cemeteries and do some clean-up for >some of her ancestors. >Thanks from the get go. >Susan Crom >[email protected] > >[email protected] Hi there - Evan will correct you and say that he isn't a baby, he is a big boy now! ;-) A 5 year-old in kindergarten who now knows much more than his poor old mother. On my page for Cemeteries: http://www.cyndislist.com/cemetery.htm under "Monuments, Memorials & Tombstones" there are several links to articles on this topic. Connecticut Gravestone Network - Conservation Issues http://www.ctgravestones.com/conserve.htm Planning & Architectural Services - Cemetery Protection http://www.preserveala.org/cemetery.html There are several other articles there about tombstone rubbings, etc. Be sure to check them all out. Cyndi