Cemetery Genealogy

Every serious genealogist eventually ends up in the cemetery, looking for clues and tombstones of their ancestors. A wealth of information can be found in graveyards. To make your trip to the final resting place of your loved ones a fruitful one, you will need to be properly equipped and prepared.
If you are trying to locate a cemetery, you should contact the local public library, local genealogical society, or the city or county engineer to get a map of the local cemeteries. Funeral directors are also a big help in locating cemeteries.
Once in the cemetery, be respectful of the property. Vandalism and aging have led to many cemeteries being in disrepair. Make sure that you are environmentally responsible while doing your research.
It will save a lot of time and trouble if you take a handheld video camera or a digital 35 mm camera with you. A disposable camera works well, too. Take pictures of individual stones. It's a good idea in a small family cemetery to take pictures of all headstones or at least those close by your known ancestors. As your research progresses, you may find that some or all of those nearby are in your direct or indirect line and find the information very helpful.
A word of caution: . Be sure and back up your photos with notes. Number the pictures on a piece of paper so that you can match up the pictures to the information in case you can't read the headstone in the photograph.
A variety of products and techniques can be used to enhance the legibility of difficult-to-read stones. Be sure and take into account what the stones are made of. Some are made of marble, some native rock, slate, stone slabs, and a variety of other materials. You can use white flour, cornstarch or baby powder. Rub into the stone or paint with a paintbrush. You might prefer blue carpenters chalk or shaving cream. Be sure and bring water to wash the stones afterwards. Clorox in a garden sprayer can be used on old white marble stones to bleach out the dirt; wash and rinse thoroughly after cleaning. Bring a nylon brush or whisk broom for wiping the lettering. You can use a mirror to cast a shadow on a stone in order to read in bright sunlight. Chalk used sideways will not color in the letters and will wash off easily. You can also use thin paper placed on the stone and rubbed with coloured chalk to make a rubbing of the stone. In a pinch, wipe dirt or grass on the stones to see if they are more legible.
Remember to verify the information that you find on the headstones. Just because it's "engraved in stone" doesn't mean that it is accurate or true. Some dates are written wrong and names are misspelled. Some people are even buried in the wrong grave! Verify, verify, verify. Enjoy your time in the cemetery, gather your ancestors information, and be sure and leave the headstones in as good as or better than the condition that you found them.