Some people have asked me about “gravestone photos”. We got a couple emails on that so I thought it would be helpful to write a
little about the role of graveyards in your genealogy research.
They are critical!
Here are a few screen shots from within my own Government-Records.com account. I am a strong supporter of this genealogy search service and provide a more complete review elsewhere on this blog.
For those who are still considering if this is worth the investment (and believe me it is!), here an example of their cemetery search features:
Cemetery Records Search Type 1
(Click to Enlarge)
By clicking on “Cemetery Records Search Type 1″ from within my account I’m able to choose a state and county to search online the cemeteries in that county. You can see here an example of the search results when I select Lamar Cemetery, from Aransas County, Texas; 106 results are returned (click on image to the right to see a larger view).
When I click on the first name on the list, “Delora Jean Alderman” I am brought to the records of that particular grave (see next image below).
As regular readers of this site know I’m a big fan of making sure cemetery research as a method of finding your genealogy trees. Below is an example from Southern Graves (see link below for original post) on how we can find our genealogy trees using this method.
Making family tree is never an easy route. There are a lot of things to figure out. However, regardless of where you are in the process of making family tree you’ll find that knowing a bit about graveyards will make a huge difference. Today, I’d like to reference the works (as I’ve done often before) of Southern Graves (see link at bottom of this post for their blog feed). He provides a great little story about the Graveyard Rabbit that I’m sure you’ll enjoy.
The Historical Marker Database recently uploaded a page for St. Andrew’s Church Cemetery in Darien, McIntosh County, Georgia.
(This posting is from Southern Graves.)
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Where to Next?
Blank Family Tree with Step-by-Step Instructions
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Chicago is not exactly a “southern” city, but I’m sure there are Cubs (you know, the baseball team) fans all over the U.S. I wonder if this could start a trend or fad? Read on for a few articles about the ground-breaking for a Cemetery for fans of the Chicago Cubs.
“At last, a burial option for fans who live and die with the Cubs.
Cubs fans hoping for a World Series title before they die at least can be buried in a place that looks like Wrigley Field when they do.
Ground-breaking for “Beyond the Vines,” an internment area that will be built to look something like the ballpark’s ivy-covered brick center field wall, is scheduled for Friday morning at Bohemian National Cemetery on Chicago’s Northwest Side, said Dennis Mascari, who purchased the plots to carry out the concept.
Mascari said several people already have contacted him about placing their loved ones in urns in what he calls the “eternal skyboxes” that will be available at the Cemetery, 5255 N. Pulaski Rd.
From the Footnote Press Room:
“Footnote.com Takes Social Networking into the Past
10 Sep 2008
Where: Lindon, UT
San Francisco — September 10, 2008 – Losing a loved one can result in a range of emotions, from the grief and sorrow to comfort, which often comes from reminiscing stories and memories with family and friends. The challenge arises when there is no single place where all of these stories can easily come together to be shared, enriched and preserved.
Now at Footnote.com, anyone can find or create Footnote Pages where users connect and share stories, photos, and information about the people important to them.
To kick-off the new Footnote Pages, Footnote.com today released over 80 million of these pages created from data from the Social Security Death Index. Most visitors will find existing pages about several deceased friends and family members already on the site.
Quick genealogy tip for searching cemeteries.
Sometimes the obvious isn’t all that apparent. Remember that in past centuries, almost all people were buried according to ethnic origin or religious affiliation.
So, the tip is don’t waste your time looking in a Presbyterian cemetery for a Catholic ancestor. Sounds obvious now that I’ve said it but it is such an easy (and frustrating) mistake to make.
Take care.
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Where to Next?
Blank Family Tree with Step-by-Step Instructions
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(Click above for introduction.)
Your Guide to Cemetery Research
This book will intrigue anyone involved in serious genealogical research, posing a whole new way to uncover family roots and facts through research into cemeteries and their contents. This book has all kinds of great information from funeral art to conducting cemetery surveys.
I personally found the following review very helpful:
“Carmack, a noted genealogist and an admitted cemetery addict, addresses a specialized area of genealogical research that can yield a wealth of historical and ancestral information. To locate an ancestor’s final resting place, one must be thoroughly familiar with American death records.”
“After explaining how to access and interpret coroner’s records, death certificates, obituaries, wills, prayer and memorial cards, funeral home records, and mortality schedules, the author outlines the often less than straightforward process of locating elusive cemeteries and individual graves. Also included are a discussion of American burial customs and an analysis of cemetery artwork and epitaphs.”
You can read more about this guide on Amazon.com:
Your Guide to Cemetery Research
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Where to Next?
Blank Family Tree with Step-by-Step Instructions
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Genealogy Beginner is a resource for aspiring genealogists who want to create and research a family tree.
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