IMPORTANT INFO ON YOUR CEMETERY PROJECT

I receive about 5 cemeteries a week.

If you are just starting your project it would help me if you would input the 
info in the format described below (plus it's usually the easiest method for you 
too).  

If you already have cemetery data input, and don't have the time to redo it, 
please send it and I'll add it to my pile or find a kind volunteer who doesn't 
mind reworking them.  But, PLEASE REGISTER AND SEND THEM.  

I value questions - always - so let me help.  Peg Cronk (pegcr@calweb.com)
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WHAT DATA SHOULD YOU COLLECT?

Each person is considered a record so even if there are several people on a 
headstone, each person must be listed separately - last name, then first name. 
However, you can note the fact that they share a headstone in the 'other 
information' column, or in a separate column if you'd like, but this is not 
necessary.

I recommend you record at least 5 columns of information:

LAST NAME (even if it's a repeat, please always fill in this space)

FIRST NAME

BIRTHDATE (always use the same format.  Preferred would be 2/12/1851)

DEATHDATE (always use the same format.  Preferred would be 3/22/1933)

OTHER INFORMATION (you do NOT have to include this category at all, but it you 
do here are some examples)
1. inscription (unless it's long, then please say 'contact contributor')
2. If a joint headstone who they're buried with.  If same last name then just 
list the first names.  If different last names, include them.  Here's an 
example:  (Mary & Frank Hernandez & Susie Talbot).  Then copy this for each 
person you listed.
3. Military service
4. Service organizations (if you know what the symbol means)

Please ALWAYS INCLUDE Age at Death:   A lot of the old headstones don't list the 
birthdate but list the date of death and AGE AT DEATH.  If there are a lot of 
old stones, just make a separate column for 'Age at Death.'
 
Please list it this way: 3d 4m 7y    (not 3 days, 4 months, 7 years)

You may also want to draw yourself an informal map of the cemetery for future 
reference, although that's an option and not necessary.

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INPUTTING THE INFORMATION INTO THE COMPUTER

The best program to input the info is a SPREADSHEET PROGRAM, like EXCEL, or a 
DATABASE PROGRAM like ACCESS, where you can just tab between columns (leave the 
column empty if you don't have that info).   

If you're going to use a WORD PROCESSING program like WORD, PLEASE LET ME KNOW 
so I can send you information on how to do it.

Ultimately, I will use the information you send and put it in columns in a .txt 
format like the example below:

LAST NAME	FIRST NAME		DOB		DOD		OTHER INFO
McCourt	Thomas		1847		10/8/1922 	veteran WWII
McCourt	Rebecca Ann		1834		9/1/1923
McCourt	Hallam Joseph	11/17/1908	12/13/1918
 (Or look at one of the pages at the website)
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GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT CEMETERIES

I always encourage you to do old abandoned cemeteries first; however, many were 
recorded in the 50's and you may be able to locate the info and then if it's 
copyrighted, ask the author if s/he would be willing to let you transcribe it 
and contribute it to the Tombstone Transcription Project.  

Check out your LDS library or historical society to see if there are lists or 
'books' with the information.  Even if you can't get permission from the author, 
these lists can be invaluable in helping you decipher old tombstones that have 
since been damaged or destroyed.  You should be able to compare against the 
names you find.  So many of the headstones in old cemeteries have been lost or 
destroyed and that's why there's such a need to start with the oldest first.  

They also might be helpful in guiding you and many are now encouraging their 
members to help out and get all the cemeteries in the county recorded.  

Just check out the Tombstone page at: Http://www.usgwtombstones.org/californ.html to be sure they haven't already 
been done.

If you're doing an active cemetery it might be really simple.  Go to the office 
or owner to get permission.  You'd be surprised how many already have the names 
on computer and are willing to share that.  I'd be more than willing to transfer 
the data if you can't.  

Sexton's Records:   Contact the local municipal government to learn the name of 
the contact for a specific cemetery. Sextons or administrative personnel usually 
have files containing names and details about those buried in the cemetery.

There are also good hints on recording the stones at:  http://www.berkshire.net/ags/qrubbing.html  
http://www.angelfire.com/ut/Luthuanian/tips.html on recording the info and 
http://www.daddezio.com/cemetery/articles/cleaning.html and on using the best 
technique to gather the info without damaging them.

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LAST, BUT NOT LEAST:  CEMETERY SAFETY

As much as I love this project, please remember that cemeteries can be dangerous 
places. You may step in a hole and twist an ankle, fall into an open grave, be 
bitten by a snake, spider or scorpion, have a tombstone topple over on you, or 
encounter some unsavory character who might do you harm. It's always wise to 
take someone with you when you go to a cemetery for research purposes. Your 
companion can always help with your research, or in the event of an emergency, 
can provide or summon help. (Ancestry Tip of the Day)  And, always take along a 
stick or a golf club to rattle the grass ahead of you.

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GET OTHERS INVOLVED

For those of you who get really excited after you've done a cemetery or two 
(like I did), here's more ways you can help!  They may know of other old 
cemeteries that need to be recorded.  My genealogy group did all the local 
cemeteries in our area and it was wonderful fun.  

Also, several of the schools have taken on recording and repairing the 
headstones and cleaning them then putting up their own web sites (see what these 
4th graders did at:  http://www.sac-co.k12.ca.us/pleasantgrove/) ; 

And I've had several Eagle Scouts record for projects.  

I love to help, so please let me know if you need other info.  
Good luck, Peg