Graveyard Guru – June 18, 2009

How Do I Survey a Cemetery?
by Stephanie Lincecum

I’ve been asked this question more than once, so I decided to tackle it in this edition of the Graveyard Guru. The expert I turned to when I first starting surveying cemeteries is the same one I look to with such matters to this day, Sharon DeBartolo Carmack (www.sharoncarmack.com).

Sharon Carmack is a Certified Genealogist, the author of sixteen books and hundreds of articles and columns, and a partner in the research firm Warren, Carmack, & Associates. Her book Your Guide to Cemetery Research is a great read for any graveyard rabbit.

Back to surveying a cemetery. To be clear, I am referring to the entire cemetery, not just one tombstone. Some people tend to attack cemetery research from the inside out. They go to a tombstone, jot down the inscription (if it’s easily read), maybe take a photo or two, and be on their way thinking they’ve completed a survey. Meanwhile, much information was missed by not first looking at the cemetery as a whole.

Some items that should be noted when beginning the research of a cemetery might seem obvious, but bear stating nonetheless… What’s the name of the cemetery? Where is the cemetery located (community, town, city, state, GPS coordinates)? If there is a cemetery office, there is likely a street address attached. What is it? What is the sexton or caretaker’s name? When was the cemetery established? Who was the first burial?

What type of cemetery is it? Sharon DeBartolo Carmack lists eight types of cemeteries (nine, counting “pet”): church, family, country, garden, urban, veterans, memorial park, and potter’s field, all of which are described in her book. Are there special sections within the cemetery for certain ethnic groups, fraternal organizations, veterans, religions, etc,…?

Now onto condition. Is the cemetery well maintained? Is it overgrown? Are the graves easily seen/read?

What is the size of the cemetery? Does the cemetery have an enclosure? What type?

What types of markers are found in this cemetery? What are they made of? What is the predominant artwork found?

What do you know about the history of the cemetery?

All these questions should be asked when surveying a cemetery. And take as many photos as you can stand. The answers and photos will help in the research of the individuals memorialized in the cemetery, as well as the research of the community they were once a part of. Documenting this information will serve purpose for the future, too. Your data could one day help someone find the cemetery should it become forgotten, abandoned, overgrown, vandalized, etc,… (unfortunately, those are all possibilities). Your data could also fill a historical gap, unforeseen today.

Remember, gathering information about the cemetery as a whole is just as important to the research of a community or individual as a single tombstone. And next time, we’ll tackle the survey of that single stone.

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Source

Carmack, Sharon DeBartolo. Your Guide to Cemetery Research. Cincinnati, Ohio: Betterway Books, 2002.

Photo

“Rest in Peace,” stock photography purchased by Julie Tarr.