GRAVE MAPPERS

Oxford, Alabama - An Indian Mound or a Sam's Club?

2009-07-10T09:56:00.004-06:00

Terry Thornton of Hill Country of Monroe County, Mississippi writes in to tell Grave Mappers of a big problem in Oxford, Alabama. It seems that a 1500-year-old Indian mound is being destroyed so the city can use the dirt as landfill for a Sam's Club.

You can read all about it at Deep Fried Kudzu. Ginger made a trip to the site and was stunned at what she found. The mound has been completely stripped of vegetation - except for a few trees at the top. And you can see the construction crews hard at work demolishing the mound.

Check out her article and the photos she has posted. Hopefully it's not too late to do something about it!

New York Marble Cemetery Open Gate Day

2009-04-14T16:50:00.004-06:00

If you live anywhere near the New York City area - or have relatives buried in the New York Marble Cemetery - you'll be interested in this information from Lydia Potter, a trustee of the Cemetery.

The New York Marble Cemetery, which was founded in 1830, is rarely open for visitors. However, on Saturday, May 2, and Sunday, May 3, the Cemetery will open its gates for four hours each day - what a unique and exciting opportunity!

The Cemetery is located in Manhattan on 2nd Avenue between 2nd and 3rd Streets.

New York Marble Cemetery
Saturday, May 2, and Sunday, May 3
Noon to 4:00 p.m.
2nd Avenue between 2nd and 3rd Streets
Manhattan

For more information, take a look at the New York Marble Cemetery Facebook page, or visit the Cemetery website at www.marblecemetery.org.

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Spotlight: Preserving Ohio Cemeteries, One Headstone at a Time

2009-03-19T13:14:00.009-06:00

Linda Ellis of northeastern Ohio has been making a difference for Ohio cemeteries for over thirteen years.

It all started back in 1995 when Linda became a member of the Ohio Genealogical Society. At the OGS Annual Conference in April of 1996, Linda was inducted as a new member of the First Families of Ohio. This honor came because her great-great-great grandfather, Harmon Limes, Jr., was a resident of Ohio prior to December 31 of 1820 - in fact, he was the first marshal of North Lewisburg, Ohio. At the Conference, Linda - and her ancestor - received the First Families of Ohio Award and Pin, as well as their membership numbers.

After the Conference, Linda stopped at the small Quaker (Friends) Cemetery where her ancestor is buried. This photograph shows Linda "presenting" her newly acquired certificate to the ancestor she shares it with!

By June of 1997, Linda's pride in her ancestor prompted her to make two decisions: buy him a new headstone, and donate the original stone to the Champaign County Historical Society's museum in Urbana, Ohio.

Linda says, "I had to work at a distance by mail and phone to accomplish both. I ordered the stone locally and worked with a caretaker of the one nearby active cemetery. There was no water on-site at the Quaker (Friends) Cemetery, so the caretaker had to haul in water to pour the footer for the stone."

She continues, "The folks at the museum agreed to acquire the original tombstone. I do not have any children, and I didn't want to take the chance that if I kept the original stone that one day it might end up in a way that I would not want for it. Today, the museum has the stone sitting outside of a mock-up jail. The original stone has been on display for over ten years!"

Soon after Linda replaced her ancestor's headstone, the little Church next to the cemetery closed its doors for the last time. Erected in 1879 and the oldest building in town, its congregation had dwindled to just a few members, and its pastor had moved.

What would happen to the church and its cemetery? Their future was questionable. The church's options were to sell it to a developer or another congregation, donate it to a historical society, or donate it to the village of North Lewisburg.

Linda was afraid that if they sold it to a developer, the cemetery would be obscured by a double-wide mobile home, or worse yet, a neighborhood be built on top of it.

But the church decided to donate the church, the surrounding property, and the cemetery to the Village. And the village leaders had become aware of Linda's seriousness to keep the legacy of the Quaker (Friends) Cemetery alive. The cemetery was in very poor condition at the time - and the village administrator hoped that they could clean it up, locate its boundaries, build a fence around it, and eventually erect a monument there.

It took several years, but Linda's hopes for this little Friends Cemetery have finally been accomplished. The Church has now become a branch of the Champaign County Library. And the Village has taken over the care of the Cemetery, mowing it and installing a fence around it.

The most exciting moment for Linda was on July 29, 2006, when a beautiful Ohio historical marker was placed on the site of the Quaker (Friends) Church and Cemetery.

She says, "Almost a decade of time passed before recognition for this cemetery materialized - but when it did, it was in a way I never could have imagined."

"I would have never dreamt something as meaningful as that beautiful marker would happen to a cemetery that was almost lost and forgotten not that many years before," she says. "Many North Lewisburg and Champaign County residents worked tirelessly to make the plaque become a reality. I can never thank them enough; not only on my own behalf, but on the behalf of all those interred at the cemetery who can no longer speak for themselves. I can only hope that some small contributions from my husband and me aided them in their larger efforts."

The historical marker reads:

Side A : "Friends Church"

Among the earliest settlers to Rush Township were members of the Religious Society of Friends or Quakers, who emigrated from the eastern states, mostly Pennsylvania and North Carolina. At first religious services were held in the homes of devout Quakers who in turn built a small-framed meeting house on this site in 1842. The present Friends Church replaced the original structure in the 1870s at a cost of $4,245. Although not a stop on the Underground Railroad, the church supported local ardent Abolitionists who helped runaway slaves reach freedom in Canada. An epidemic during the winter of 1850-1851 reduced the Friends' membership and led to several Quaker families relocating to Iowa. The final religious service was held here on October 26, 1997, after which the church was donated to the village of North Lewisburg.

On the back of the marker are listed the names of prominent citizens of the community who are buried there, including Harmon Limes, Jr., Linda's great-great-great grandfather.

Side B : "Friends Cemetery"

The cemetery of the Quaker Church lies to the west of this building and was used from circa 1846 through circa 1885. It was one of the earliest cemeteries in Champaign County with the first recorded burial being Moses Winder on August 5, 1846, and the last recorded burial on May 18, 1885 of Caroline S. Pim. Among those interred here are Civil War veteran, William W. Fell; the first marshal of Lewisburg, Harmon Limes; and one of the first trustees to serve Lewisburg, Abner Winder Jr. As the church membership dwindled, the upkeep of the cemetery proved difficult and fell into neglect and disrepair. As with the Friends Church, the village of North Lewisburg took over ownership of the cemetery when it was donated in 1997.

Latitude / Longitude
40.13657 ° / -83.33536 ° - Map Marker

Address
141 Winder Street
North Lewisburg, OH 43060
Champaign County

Sponsors
Village of North Lewisburg, Friends of North Lewisburg Branch of Champaign County Library, Champaign County Bicentennial Historical Marker Committee, and The Ohio Historical Society

Linda continues her great work to preserve and protect cemeteries. You can read more about her efforts at her blog, Exploring Almost Forgotten Gravesites in Ohio.

Thanks, Linda, for your hard work for Ohio's cemeteries!

Where Is My Unfinished Cemetery?

2009-03-02T16:19:00.004-07:00

A great question came up today - and the answer will probably help all of the Grave Mappers working on the Test Mapping Project for Names In Stone...

I wasn't able to finish mapping my cemetery in one sitting. When I went back to Names in Stone, I couldn't figure out how to get back into it to finish mapping. How do I find my cemetery?

Answer: There are two ways to find your cemetery to continue mapping.

After signing in to Names in Stone, click on the Membership Box and select "My Profile." On your profile page above your personal information are several green tabs. Select "Cemetery Projects." This will give you a list of the cemeteries you are working on. Click "Work on Cemetery" and you'll be ready to begin mapping!
After signing in to Names in Stone, select "Cemetery List." Select the state where your cemetery resides. Find your cemetery and click "More Details." You will again see the button "Work on Cemetery." Click on it and begin mapping!

Hope this helps - if you have any questions while you are doing your mapping project, please let us know. Chances are, other people will have the same questions as you do. We'll help you find the answers and publish them here for everyone.

Vandals Destroy Small Cemetery in Kansas

2009-03-02T11:45:00.005-07:00

There were only about 15 stones in the turn-of-the-century cemetery in Trego County, Kansas. Just a small quiet country cemetery that most of us didn't even know existed. But today this little cemetery is in the news -- because vandals have completely destroyed it.

In The Hays Daily News, Mike Corn reports that sometime Friday or Saturday, vandals went into the cemetery and damaged every headstone. The damage is very extensive - smaller headstones were even used to damage and destroy the larger pieces.

Rich Schneider, Trego County's Sheriff, says, "I can't believe it. I don't know what kind of people do that."

Anyone with any information is encouraged to call the Trego County Sheriff's office - (785) 743-5721. You can read the full article about the vandalized cemetery at The Hays Daily News.

About the Cemetery

A sheriff's deputy contacted the Trego County Historical Society, who said that the cemetery is called the Saline Valley Cemetery.

A little internet searching leads to some interesting information about this cemetery. Gayle M. Garrett, a relation to the Franklin family who are buried there, photographed, transcribed, and shared the information on this cemetery at the KS GenWeb website in November, 2000.

You can view some great (pre-vandalism) photos, headstone transcriptions, and historical information here. Aren't we grateful to Gayle, who took the time to record and preserve this priceless information!

And every cemetery has a story. Buried in this little country cemetery are four children who were killed in a house fire on March 15, 1886. They are Thomas E. Franklin, age 10 years; Ira E. Franklin, age 8 years; Charlie Franklin, age 6 years; Earl Franklin, age 2 years.

Grave Mappers Needs 50 Participants for a Test Cemetery Mapping Project

2009-02-26T14:58:00.007-07:00

At Grave Mappers, we are always looking for ways to help preserve small, obscure cemeteries and their vital records – and we are announcing a great opportunity to do just that!

Grave Mappers is honored to be asked to conduct a Test Mapping Project for Names In Stone, the cemetery maps website. The Names in Stone team is continually working to make its site more user-friendly, especially for people who want to map cemeteries. To further this effort, they are planning a test project, which will allow users to have a mapping experience and then give input into how the website might be improved.

Grave Mappers is seeking 50 people to participate in this Test Mapping Project for Names In Stone. This is an exciting opportunity for you to test the website’s mapping capabilities, and to give feedback on how it worked for you.

If you would like to participate, you will be asked to map a cemetery that contains anywhere from one to 200 graves. The project will include three steps.

1. Collect all data at the cemetery, including photos of each headstone, headstone transcriptions, and a sketch with the location of the graves in relationship to each other. (You must map the entire cemetery, not just a portion of it – so choose a cemetery that fits within the criteria and that you will have time to complete.)

2. Create the cemetery map on the Names In Stone website; then add each individual grave to the map along with the headstone data and photo.

3. Fill out a post-mapping questionnaire that will detail your experience as you mapped your cemetery, giving input into what worked for you, and what improvements you would like to see.

All Test Mapping Projects must be completed by May 1, so that the cemeteries can be up and running on the site before Memorial Day. (If you need more time because of weather or other concerns, please let me know.)

If you are interested in participating, please send an email to gravemappers@gmail.com. Include your name, email address, and the city, state, province, or country where you live. You will be sent a confirmation email giving you specific instructions on conducting your mapping project.

This is a great opportunity to help in the preservation of the records of small cemeteries. We hope you will join us!

All screenshots used by permission from Names In Stone.

Something New At GRAVE MAPPERS

2009-02-20T11:38:00.010-07:00

When the new website, Names in Stone, launched back in December, we at Grave Mappers were thrilled. What a great new way to preserve cemetery records! We liked the idea of doing our part to get the word out and help other cemetery lovers see what an excellent new resource it is.

At the Grave Mappers blog, we have attempted to let people know about Names in Stone and give helpful mapping tips and hints to help other mappers get started creating their own interactive cemetery maps.

Now the team at Names in Stone is starting their own blog!

This new blog will launch on March 15 - and you will be able to access it from the Names in Stone website. They will be giving detailed instructions on how to map cemeteries, spotlighting cemeteries on their website, answering mapping questions, and giving all sorts of helpful tips so you can get the best use out of their site.

At Grave Mappers, the time has come for us to change our focus.

We hope that the Grave Mappers blog will become a central gathering place for people who care about cemeteries and want to help preserve the priceless records found there.

Here's what you'll find at the new Grave Mappers:

We will publish locations of obscure, abandoned, and endangered cemeteries.
We will encourage the preservation of cemeteries and their records through mapping at Names in Stone (we're still big fans!) and other documentation projects, as well as through on-site restoration and clean-up work.
We will spotlight individuals and organizations that are making outstanding cemetery preservation efforts.
We will keep you updated about cemeteries in the news.

Welcome to Grave Mappers! There's something here for everyone who loves cemeteries!

How Do Cemeteries End Up in the Middle of Parking Lots?

2009-02-10T08:28:00.007-07:00

Little family cemeteries are always in danger of the developer's bulldozer. Sometimes, the developers have an appreciation for the past and do what they can to preserve the graves that are in their way.

That's how parking lot cemeteries are created - rather than tearing out the cemetery, the developer will preserve the site, leaving a small cemetery in the middle of a movie theater parking lot, an apartment complex parking lot, a freeway interchange, or even a sports stadium parking lot!

View Larger Map

In an article at washingtonpost.com by Theo Emery - More Family Cemeteries Dying Away in the South - we can learn a little more about how development is affecting these little cemeteries.

Throughout the South, family cemeteries pepper the landscape. But as cities...radiate rapidly outward, the growth is swallowing rural land that swaddles the graves. In Tennessee alone, dozens of long-hidden cemeteries appear each year--sometimes in mid-construction--creating headaches for builders and heartaches for families of the dead. Some cemeteries are moved at landowners' expense. Those that stay sometimes become forlorn islands of green amid parking lots and suburban developments. Others are paved over or bulldozed.

For example, Stephanie at Southern Graves tells Grave Mappers of a small cemetery in Centerville, Houston County, Georgia. It's called the Gunn Family Cemetery, and she has been keeping her eye on it for quite some time now.

The little cemetery was originally in the woods, but with the passage of time and "progress," it is now right next to a strip mall. Stephanie says the stones are in bad shape, and it looks like there are some stones that are now missing. A small fence has been built around the cemetery, with "Keep Out" signs posted.

Stephanie has a video and photos of this little cemetery that you won't want to miss - check it out at Southern Graves.

As Grave Mappers, what can we do to help these endangered cemeteries?

Sometimes we are able to get into the cemetery and do clean up, preservation, and restoration work. Another thing we can do is preserve the records of these small cemeteries. There are many ways to do this - taking photos of the headstones and publishing burial listings are helpful.

A great new way to preserve the records is to create an on-line map of the cemeteries at Names in Stone. Creating a map preserves the records in a format that makes it possible for everyone to see the cemetery as it really is - who is buried next to whom. It's like a virtual walk through the cemetery. The records become searchable - so records that were previously unknown are now available for everyone to see and use for research.

Creating an online cemetery map is easy, quick, and permanent. Grave Mappers hopes you will try it - and help us preserve the records of these dying cemeteries.

Mapping Question of the Day

2009-02-03T11:36:00.005-07:00

A Grave Mapper in Illinois had a question about mapping cemeteries on Names in Stone that we all might run into.

Question: How do you map the grave for two people who have a double headstone?

Answer: When you are mapping your cemetery, you want to give every person their own grave, regardless of how many people share the headstone.

For example, if William Thomas and Rebecca Thomas were married and have a double headstone, they still each have their own burial spot under that headstone. So place two graves right next to each other on the map. Then if you attach a headstone photo, you can attach the same photo of the double headstone to each grave.

If any of you have questions as you are mapping cemeteries, don't hesitate to ask. Chances are, there is somebody out there with the same question that you have!

Come Share Your Cemetery Blog - The Grave Mappers Want to Know!

2009-01-28T10:20:00.005-07:00

Come share your cemetery or genealogy related blog with the Grave Mappers. Visit the Grave Mappers Group on Facebook and share a link to your blog. It's a great way to let other cemetery and genealogy enthusiasts know what you are writing.

Who knows, you might link up with someone who has some information you need . . . or you might know something that will help them.

Have You Put Your Cemetery on the Map?

2009-01-28T08:19:00.006-07:00

Thanks to all of you Grave Mappers who have marked your cemetery on our "Cemeteries Around the World" map!

Tami, Diane, Brenda, Niels, Adam, Jen, JD, Mark, Stephanie, Dan, JoLyn, Ann, Debbie, SP, Donna, C. Hopkins, Becky, Gus, Linda, Judith, Stephanie, Bonnie, and some anonymous readers have all added cemeteries. Thanks all!

We have cemeteries in:

Georgia

Virginia

Pennsylvania

Michigan

Colorado

Nebraska

California

Texas

Mississippi

Idaho

Utah

Illinois

Iowa

Wisconsin

Ohio

British Columbia

Denmark

Some interesting cemeteries you'll want to see are:

Monticello, in Virginia, where Thomas Jefferson is buried.

Mount Vernon, George Washington's Tomb

Christ Church Cemetery, Philadelphia, Benjamin Franklin's grave.

Springfield, Illinois, where Abraham Lincoln is buried.

Just click on the pointer and you can see the photo and cemetery information. Be sure to take a look - and add your cemetery to our map!

A Winter Day at the Cemetery

2009-01-22T08:03:00.011-07:00

I recently braved the cold and spent the afternoon at the cemetery. It was a peaceful day - a lot of snow fell early in the morning and then the skies cleared to a beautiful blue. I didn't do any mapping that day . . . just enjoyed the beauty of the place. Hope you enjoy it too!

That's a Strange Place for a Cemetery!

2009-01-21T09:32:00.011-07:00

Bryant Family Cemetery

In Hattiesburg, Mississippi, there's a small cemetery located in the middle of an apartment complex parking lot. It's elevated and fenced - apparently the developer couldn't get permission to move the cemetery when he built the apartments, so they left it in the middle of the complex. Good thing in my opinion!

The cemetery looks like it belonged to the Bryant family and the last known burial was in 1916.

Perkins Family Cemetery

Also in Mississippi is the Perkins Family Cemetery. It's in the woods behind a subdivision in Washington, near Natchez in Adams County. The cemetery has a brick wall around it, but it's by a gully and some of the graves and wall have fallen into the gully.

There are four markers:

M'Cullough, Mary Jane
Perkins, Charles
Perkins, Sarah
Perkins, Joseph Sen'r

There is also a plaque here: In memory of Perkins: 1788-1988, Joseph & Sarah, by his descendants, 9 Apr. 1988.

Do you know of any cemeteries in strange and unusual places? Please leave a comment and tell us about them!

Become a GRAVE MAPPER - Get your official membership badge!

2009-01-19T18:34:00.017-07:00

It's time to get mapping!

Become a member by joining the

GRAVE MAPPERS Group on Facebook

Send an email to:

gravemappers@gmail.com.

In your email, please include your name, email address, and the state, province, or country where you live.

Next, get your official member badge. Just right click on the badge above and copy; then paste it on your blog or home page.

Edward Jackson Cole Family Cemetery

2009-01-16T07:33:00.006-07:00

In his blog, Virginia Family Tree Genealogy, Kevin Lett has a great article about a small family cemetery in Mecklenburg County, Virginia. Buried there are:

Emma Cole Simmons
Thomas H. Cole
Edward J. Cole
Athaliah D. Cole
John H. Cole
William T. Cole

It is also believed that Edward Thomas Cole and Ann Eliza Beal Cole are buried there. Kevin has done some great research on this cemetery and has included wonderful headstone photos. He also has a map of the area from 1864.

Give Virginia Family Tree Genealogy a visit!

What Can I Do at NAMES IN STONE?

2009-01-14T09:27:00.021-07:00

A lot of us are waiting for better weather before we can get out and do some serious cemetery mapping....

Now is a great time to visit and explore the Names in Stone website and find out what it has to offer.

SEARCH THE MULTI-CEMETERY DATABASE:

The best way to search the Names in Stone database is to enter the last name of the deceased person you are searching for. If your results are many, you can refine your search by adding more specific information. You can also select a cemetery to search if you know where that person is buried.

VIEW A CEMETERY LIST:

You can select a state or province and see what cemeteries are already added to the database. You can also view a list of recently added cemeteries.

BUILD YOUR OWN CEMETERY MAP:

With unique on-line mapping tools, anyone can create a cemetery map. The website guides you through the process, which is very easy. Check out their Class B Cemetery Mapping Recommendations and explore the Grave Mappers blog for more mapping tips. It's a great way to preserve cemetery records.

LEARN ABOUT MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS:

There are three levels of membership options -

Free Limited Membership - search for cemetery burials; view and interact on the website; upload images and attachments to burial records; participate in forum-style discussions; print maps and records; and create your own cemetery maps.

$39.99/year Complete Yearly Membership - all of the above plus: save lists of cemeteries and records of interest and important research criteria; receive email updates when records and cemeteries are added pertaining to your list; use the database as a research assistant; receive discounts on grave decor.

$7.95/month Complete Monthly Membership - same as yearly membership for one month at a time.

ADD IMAGES AND ATTACHMENTS TO BURIAL RECORDS:

You can add headstone photos, and other photos and images to a burial record. You can also participate in forum-style discussions about burial records, sharing knowledge and information.

DECORATE A GRAVE:

For $9.95, you can decorate a grave with virtual flowers and other images that last three months. This is a headstone photo on Names in Stone that I decorated myself with virtual flowers. It's fun to find your ancestors' graves, especially those you are unable to visit personally, and decorate them. Complete members get a discount on grave decor.

At Names in Stone, there's something for everyone who is interested in cemeteries and genealogy. Grave Mappers invites you to take a look!

Names in Stone screenshots used by permission.

Creedmoor Community Cemetery, Creedmoor, Texas

2009-01-08T19:36:00.032-07:00

Grave Mapper Nancy Hickman of Austin, Texas, recently mapped the Creedmoor Community Cemetery in Creedmoor, Texas. She is so gracious to share her mapping experience with us at Grave Mappers and to give us a history of this small southern town and its cemetery.

"It was fun trying out (the Names in Stone) format. I am new at genealogy research and the cemetery that I added to the site was my first...

"Before learning about Grave Mappers, I had thought that it was nice to have the list of inscriptions from cemeteries in the order of placement and having them in alphabetical order made it even easier to find a name, except when it came to figuring out which inscription belonged with what family. I realized that was not the case for anyone researching a family and not having that family history.

"The website is definitely a solution to the problem. It allows you to record exactly where a headstone is located, with additional information. It gives anyone searching an opportunity to see if any other headstones in the vicinity belongs to that family.

"I did this little cemetery as a contribution to the Texas Tombstone Transcription Project since it was one that I was going to in search of my GG Grandfather, Edmond Green Horne, who lived in the Creedmoor, Texas area.

"Here is the link to the information provided for the Texas Tombstone Project, the second picture shown of the lone headstone does not belong:

http://www.austintxgensoc.org/cemeteries/creedmoor.html

"The comparison of what can be done on Names in Stone and what was done for the Texas Tombstone Project tells it all."

"There are 41 Headstones and the earliest date of burial is for William Hardin Aiton, Feb 25, 1896 (age 23 yrs 10 mos & 22 days) - more than likely the grandson of Thomas Aiton M.D. b. Sep 12, 1858 d. Feb 14, 1902. The name caught my attention; the following is all I could find on him:

Newspaper Date:

April 8 1880 - Newspaper Article:"__Dr. Thomas Aiton has removed to Creedmoor, Travis County, Texas where he requests his correspondents to address him hereafter. Alluding to the season down there in his letter he says: `Most too much rain for planting. Farmers very busy planting cotton. Corn looks well, wheat and oats fine, grass excellent. Herds of horses, mules and cattle moving north.'"

Pike County Democrat, April 8, 1880, Pike County Illinois

CREEDMOOR, TEXAS.

Creedmoor is at the intersection of Farm roads 1327 and 1625, fifteen miles southeast of Austin in southern Travis County. Though in the 1850's the site had general stores, a grocery, a meat market, a drugstore, a barbershop, a blacksmith shop, and an ice cream parlor, the name Creedmoor did not appear until the establishment of the community's post office in 1880.

Some sources say the town was originally called Willow Springs; others say it was first called Creekmoor, but was renamed Creedmoor by settlers who wanted the name to express their faith. Dr. Jacob T. Wilhite, once the country's foremost authority on rabies and the founder and director of the Pasteur Institute at the Austin State Hospital, was born in Creedmoor. The town's population grew from twenty in 1896 to 150 by 1915.

In 1921, a cyclone destroyed its four-room school and one of the local gins. The town suffered a drought in 1925. A 1946 map showed Creedmoor with a school, two churches, seven businesses, and more than thirty dwellings.

In the 1950's, it had two gins, and cotton was still a major local industry. Under threat of annexation by Austin in 1982, Creedmoor became the ninth community in Travis County to incorporate. In 1990, Creedmoor reported a population of 194, a store, a post office, and the San Francisco Catholic Church. The population in 2000 was 211, with three businesses.

Thanks, Nancy, for your great work! At Grave Mappers, we are sure your contributions to Names in Stone will help future researchers find the records they seek! Click here to see Nancy's map of the Creedmoor Community Cemetery at Names in Stone.

WHY MAP CEMETERIES?

2009-01-02T17:04:00.029-07:00

In the 'About This Site' section of Names in Stone, there is a great story about a man and his search for his ancestors - and the role cemeteries can play in that search.

"A dear friend of ours tells the story of how a single visit to a small cemetery led to the discovery of many ancestors he had long been looking for.

"His research took him across the country to rural Alabama. His destination was the Bethel Cemetery located in the northeast corner of Butler County.

"After loading his research materials in the rental car, he began the hour drive from Montgomery to the Bethel Cemetery, wondering if his trip would be successful. Evening was closing in and he hoped that he would be able to locate the cemetery and glean the information needed.

"A few miles before his destination, he noticed the small Sandy Ridge Cemetery off the side of the road. He knew this wasn’t the Bethel Cemetery, but for some reason he felt he needed to pull over and explore.

"Much to his surprise, he found the headstones of a husband and wife whose names he recognized from prior research, but had never known where they were buried. What happened next made the entire trip worth it. There, nestled in the grass next to the couple, was the small headstone of a child—their child, who had died in his infancy. He was elated to find this information on the little boy, and to fill in missing pieces to the family puzzle.

"He continued on to the Bethel Cemetery and there, with the help of local historians, was able to find the headstones of many other family members—answering many more questions."

This is such a great story - it's the kind of experience we all hope for. Unfortunately, we don't get as many opportunities as we'd like to travel around the country - or the world - to visit cemeteries. And if you are like me, it really would be around the world. I would have to travel to cemeteries in Utah, Virginia, Delaware, Vermont, Illinois, Idaho, England, Wales, Denmark, Germany, Poland, and more to trace my roots. I would absolutely love it!

But it's not going to happen anytime soon. And that's where Names in Stone comes in. Although nothing beats a real cemetery visit, Names in Stone gives us the opportunity to virtually visit cemeteries - and it really is almost like being there. That's because it isn't only an alphabetical listing of burials. And it isn't just cemetery maps. It is a growing collection of interactive cemetery maps - which means that the record for every grave is attached right to the map. You can access that record just by clicking on the grave.

How is this like visiting the cemetery? Because now you can virtually walk up and down the rows of a cemetery and actually see who is buried next to whom. Just like the man in the story - if you can see the placement of burials, you can often establish family relationships and solve family mysteries in the process.

The best way to visit Names in Stone is to search for the name of a deceased person. You don't have to wander through the cemetery to find who you're looking for. Just enter the name in the search field. When you find the correct person, click to view the cemetery map. This will take you to that person's record - and to their grave on the map! Next you can click on the grave and find out information about that person - and click on the surrounding graves and learn even more.

There are many great cemetery websites out there, but I think Names in Stone is the next generation of cemetery websites. And it will become a more and more useful research tool as cemeteries are added to the site.

That's where GRAVE MAPPERS comes in. We need your help to populate the Names in Stone database. There are many small family cemeteries, abandoned cemeteries, and cemeteries in obscure places that only a few people remember anymore. If these cemeteries are mapped at Names in Stone, the records are preserved and become available for everyone to research.

Take a look at one of the newest cemeteries available at Names in Stone - Creedmoor Community Cemetery in Texas. Thanks to a Texas Grave Mapper for your hard work!

Home Oak Cemetery and Lakes Community High School

2008-12-30T15:10:00.009-07:00

Here's a bird's eye view of Home Oaks Cemetery and Lakes Community High School. I wonder if some students from Lakes would like to do a community service project and map their cemetery online? This would be a great service and they could help solve some family mysteries right in their own backyard!

View Larger Map

A Cemetery at a High School?

2008-12-29T08:32:00.022-07:00

Grave Mappers continues to receive information about cemeteries in interesting locations - backyards, highway interchanges, parking lots, and even at a high school!

Lakes Community High School is located in Lake Villa, Illinois. When students look out the windows here, they don't just see a football field. Home Oak Cemetery shares the same corner of the intersection with the high school, and students walk through it everyday to get to school! View a photo and read more about it at Lakes' student newspaper website. Also, in 2005, for his Eagle Scout Service Project, Boy Scout Cameron Bay photographed all of the headstones in this cemetery. You can view his photos here. Another great Eagle Scout Project would be to build on what Cameron has done and create a map of this cemetery on Names in Stone.

We've also found two more cemeteries in parking lots to add to our list:

Louisville, Kentucky - near a McDonald's and a Hobby Lobby.

Oviedo, Spain - in the parking lot of the Parque Principado Mall.

Anyone interested in creating online maps for these cemeteries?

Ver mapa más grande

This brings up a good question...

What if you want to map a cemetery on Names in Stone that is in a country other than the United States or Canada?

I contacted a Names in Stone representative and got some interesting information.

When you map a cemetery on the website, you create it on Google Maps. First, you register the name and address of the cemetery and then you are taken to the Google Map to pinpoint the location of the cemetery. As you know, these maps can take you anywhere in the world, and it's no different at Names in Stone. The website will allow you to map a cemetery at any location in the world.

Currently, the Cemetery List on the website only shows cemeteries in the United States and Canada. However, when cemeteries are added at other locations throughout the world, the website will be updated and will show the other countries as well. You can also contact Names in Stone at map@NamesInStone.com to let them know you are creating a map in another country.

Merry Christmas from Grave Mappers!

2008-12-18T06:36:00.002-07:00

One Good Reason to Map Cemeteries

2008-12-17T09:49:00.004-07:00

Here's a video that speaks for itself - another great reason to get our cemeteries mapped on Names in Stone!

Ike Scatters Caskets - Watch it on YouTube

Abandoned Cemeteries in Hanceville, Alabama

2008-12-16T23:29:00.008-07:00

An anonymous reader sent Grave Mappers the coordinates and locations for three abandoned cemeteries in Hanceville, Alabama and another cemetery in Cullman County:

In someone's yard, next to their house - 34o 03'55.58" N 86o 45'30.65" W elev 541 ft.
A small patch of trees contains a graveyard between Interstate 65 and Highway 31 in Alabama: 34o 18'49.39" N 86o 54'06.05" W elev 630 ft.
Another adjacent to an apartment complex in Hanceville Alabama: 34o 04' 08.89" N 86o 46' 18.42" W elev. 555 ft.
The Boyd Cemetery in Cullman County hidden by a path of trees: 34o 04'27.65" N 860 46' 28.31" W elev 608 ft.

Would this reader or another Alabama Grave Mapper be able to go to these locations and collect gravestone locations and information? It would be great to get these cemeteries mapped and on the Names in Stone website so everyone could access their information!

Check Out These Cemeteries in Strange Places!

2008-12-16T22:26:00.013-07:00

Here is a list of even more cemeteries in parking lots and other strange places from readers of Wesley Treat's Roadside Resort:

Monroe, Michigan - behind a strip mall, between S. Monroe St. to the East and Harrison to the West, and Merkle to the South and W. 8th St. to the North.
Summerville, South Carolina - on US-17, in between lanes entering a Walmart Plaza, next to Hardees.
Fairfax/Vienna, Virginia - at the corner of Lee Hwy. and Nutley St. near a Safeway and a Starbucks.
Memphis, Tennessee - next to the Piggly Wiggly.
Austin, Texas - in the middle of a highway exchange.

More information about the Melvin-Lewis Cemetery in the parking lot of the Pioneer Hills Shopping Center in Aurora, Colorado - Along with the graves of pioneer families by the names of Melvin and Lewis, there are the cremated remains (cremains) of over 1600 people who donated their bodies to medical research during the years 1888-1910. The locations of many of these burials are unrecorded. Read more about it at the Cherry Creek Valley Historical Society and at Yourhub.com. There's also an article about a church group that did a major clean-up at the cemetery this past summer.

I found more information about the cemetery at Starbucks in Virginia from Interment.net: It's the Thompson Family Cemetery, Lee Hwy (Rte 29) east of Nutley Rd in Fairfax, Virginia at the entrance to the Pan Am Shopping Center. There are two visible headstones, but this site includes a list of additional burials.

To get these cemeteries mapped at Names in Stone, all we need is a descriptive location of the cemetery, headstone locations in relationship to other headstones, and the headstone information. At NIS, you find the cemetery on a Google Map - if you already have the coordinates or location, it's especially easy - you just enter the location and you're on your way!

Recently Added to Names in Stone: Huntington Rural Cemetery, Huntington, New York

2008-12-16T11:15:00.014-07:00

The Huntington Rural Cemetery in Huntington, New York was recently added to the Names in Stone website. It is located at 555 New York Avenue between New York Avenue and Oakwood Roads.

This cemetery has an interesting history. In the early 1800's, cemeteries in cities were running out of space. It was not uncommon to have bodies removed so that others could be buried! Thus began the rural cemetery movement. Early in the movement, cemeteries weren't just burial spots - they were used as parks as well! Huntington Rural was established in 1851, and apparently it was greatly needed....

From the Huntington Rural Cemetery website:

"In an editorial dated February 28, 1851, The Long-Islander urged the establishment of a new cemetery lamenting "We have almost fancied whilst passing the present burial place (the Old Burying Ground), and seen the bones of those who have been deposited there, sacrilegiously thrown out and exposed to make room for others, that we could hear a low murmur of reproach against those who 'permit such things' and witness an involuntary compression of those lying near, that they might escape the ruthless spade. Surely there should be peace in the possession of 'God's Acre.'"

From its beginning, the cemetery has admitted burials of all persons regardless of race, nationality, creed, or economic status, even before this was a common practice. Notable people buried at Huntington Rural:

Harry Chapin, popular singer and songwriter, who was killed in 1981 on the Long Island Expressway
176 Civil War veterans
Abner Crossman, (memorial stone) soldier of the American Revolution
The Browns of Brown Brothers Pottery fame
Dr. Walter Lindsay, noted Civil War doctor
Samuel Ballton, African-American Civil War veteran and former slave, who died in 1917 - he was known as the "Pickle King" for his skill in growing cucumbers for the pickle industry.

Check out Huntington Rural Cemetery on Names in Stone. You might want to add a grave decoration on Harry Chapin's grave!

Click here to see a photo of his headstone - his epitaph is a quotation from his song, "I Wonder What Would Happen to this World" - 'Oh if a man tried to take his time on earth, and prove before he died, what one man's life could be worth, I wonder what would happen to this world.'

Here's Harry Chapin's grave on the map at Names in Stone.

Names in Stone Features - Search for a Grave

2008-12-15T07:13:00.015-07:00

One of the great features of Names in Stone is being able to search for specific people in the multi-cemetery database.

I did a search this morning for my grandparents who are buried in the Logan, Utah cemetery. I just entered their last name - Gunnell - and selected the cemetery they were buried in. I could also have entered more specific information about them and refined my search, but I found the information I wanted on my first try.

These are my search results.

Next, I clicked the map button next to Hazel. This took me to the map page, where I can see both Hazel and Joshua buried next to each other. I can also see what information the cemetery has on both Hazel and Joshua.

After viewing the cemetery record, I clicked on Source: Community. This is a page where anyone can add additional information about the deceased person. For instance, on Hazel's page, someone has entered her spouse's name because it wasn't part of the original cemetery record. They have also added a photo of Hazel and her daughters taken in 1945.

I have a great photo of Hazel and her husband taken in 1920. I decided to add that photo to Hazel's grave record. I first clicked "Edit Info." Then I clicked on "Upload Image." That took me to this window - I can browse my computer and find the photo I want to use; give it a title; select what kind of image it is (my choices are headstone, photo, obituary, history, or other); and finally, upload the image.

This is Hazel's community window now that I have added my photo! You can also click on the photo and see a large version on your screen with the title below it.

All Names in Stone screenshots used by permission. Click on a screenshot for a closer view.

Nashville Family Cemeteries

2008-12-11T08:33:00.012-07:00

Small family cemeteries are particularly abundant in the southern part of the United States. And the Nashville area is no exception!

In 2006, Theo Emery wrote an article for WashingtonPost.com called "More Family Cemeteries Dying Away in the South."

He says: "In Tennessee, as in other Southern states, farm families in centuries past tended to bury their dead on their own land, allowing for quick interment and easy oversight of graves. In the Northeast, by contrast, families were more likely to use public burial grounds and church cemeteries.

"The Southern pattern was that every farm or plantation would have their family cemetery," said Charles Reagan Wilson, director of the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi.

"State archaeologist Nick Fielder estimates that there are 20,000 family cemeteries in Tennessee, but there's no way to know for sure. There's no central inventory, and most documentation is done by historians and volunteers who scour records and trudge through meadows in search of graves."

Just a few of the Nashville area family cemeteries were referred to in the article:

Mount Juliet - A tiny family cemetery is in the middle of the Nashville Auto Auction parking lot.
Nashville, Tennessee - At the Nashville Zoo at Grassmere, there is a historic plantation house and a cemetery with graves dating back to the 1700's.
North of Nashville - A cemetery is tucked in a highway cloverleaf.
South of Nashville - A family cemetery is on the grounds of a hotel, next to a parking lot.

And here's some others in Tennessee:

Nashville - The Hardgrave Family Cemetery is located on a hill overlooking the Harpeth River. It is just south of Percy Warner Park across the county line into Williamson County in the Horseshoe Bend subdivision.
Near Athens - Cate Family Cemetery, near a residence on Road #262 in McMinn County.
Nolensville - Hailey Family Cemetery, Williamson County, intersection of Kidd Road and Baronswood Drive.
Lascossas - Mount Family Cemetery, 25 graves located in Wilson County on Spain Road.

Grave Mappers thinks that Names in Stone could become a great central inventory for all these small endangered family cemeteries. If you live in the Nashville area, we hope you'll help us get these cemeteries on the map!

Question of the Day: What about large cemeteries?

2008-12-10T07:14:00.014-07:00

Question: My city cemetery is not on Names in Stone, but it is too large for me to map myself. How do we get large cemeteries into the database?

Answer: At Names in Stone, there are two classifications of cemeteries - Class A and Class B.

Class A - Cemeteries that are managed by a public agency such as a city, county, cemetery district, or a private entity such as a funeral home or church. They are usually well over 200 graves and are mapped by the managing organization.

If you know of a Class A cemetery you would like added to Names in Stone, contact the management of the cemetery and inform them of the website. You can encourage them to complete a Cemetery Questionnaire, and then they can fax it to Names in Stone. A NAMES IN STONE representative will contact them with pricing and funding suggestions for having their cemetery digitally mapped. (The Questionnaire and Fax # are available in the 'Map a Cemetery' section of the website.) Cemetery membership in Names in Stone is free.

Class B - Small cemeteries, usually less than 200 graves, that are often cared for by families or volunteers. These are the cemeteries that we as Grave Mappers can add to the database. These include abandoned cemeteries, family cemeteries, small town cemeteries, and any small cemeteries that are not mapped by a managing organization.

More Parking Lot Cemeteries

2008-12-09T07:30:00.018-07:00

Thanks to the Grave Mappers who are busy mapping Parking Lot Cemeteries!

Here are a few more...

Do we have any Grave Mappers in Ohio, Alabama, or North Carolina?

Cemetery (4 graves or so) in the parking lot of the Regal Cinemas – Middleburg Heights, Ohio
Cemetery in front of a Burlington Coat Factory store and the shopping center entrance off of University and Rideout Drive – Huntsville, Alabama
Two cemeteries at Carter-Finley Stadium, North Carolina State University – Raleigh, North Carolina. Cemetery #1: In a grove of trees in the center of the parking lot behind Parking Space #93034B. Cemetery #2: Towards the stadium and slightly to the right in a wooded area, four headstones are visible in front of Parking Space #00589.

I wonder if you Wolfpack fans knew you were parking your cars right next to two cemeteries!

View Larger Map

Location, Location, Location...

2008-12-08T19:16:00.012-07:00

Here's another cemetery in a strange location:

View Larger Map

It's located at the north-western edge of Toronto, Ontario, Canada - at the junction of Highway 427 and Highway 401, one of the busiest highways in North America.

Call-out to Toronto Grave Mappers --- Is there someone who could get to this cemetery to map it? We'd love to get these records into the Names in Stone database!

Does anyone have any information about this freeway cemetery and its occupants? Email us at gravemappers@gmail.com and we'll share the story!

Parking Lot Cemeteries

2008-12-08T08:35:00.019-07:00

Remember Mary Ellis' grave that's located in a movie theater parking lot? (see blog entry - November 26) Well, she's not the only one! Come to find out, there are cemeteries located in parking lots all over the country!

View Larger Map

I found a list of some of them at Wesley Treat's Roadside Resort. Visit the website for cemetery photos and read some great stories and legends, too.

Tullahassee Creek Indian Cemetery – Sand Springs, Oklahoma
Burr Cemetery – Commack, New York
Bettis Family Cemetery – Memphis, Tennessee
Mystery Cemetery – Warner Robins, Georgia
Crowley Mausoleum – Decatur, Georgia
Family cemetery at Yorktown Mall – Lombard, Illinois
Ayres Cemetery, motel parking lot, 2500 Block of Scott Street – Fort Worth, Texas
Cemetery in front of liquor store and Giant grocery store – Gainesville, Virginia
Cemetery at the Carolina Mall – Concord, North Carolina
Cemetery in front of the Cinemark – Mansfield, Texas
Cemetery at the Palisades Mall – West Nyack, New York
Gash Cemetery at Metro North Mall – Kansas City, Missouri
Cemetery on the edge of a strip mall center along Route 157 – Edwardsville, Illinois
Henderson Family Cemetery – Lilburn, Georgia
Melvin-Lewis Cemetery off Parker Road and Orchard Road – Aurora, Colorado

Many times, these small cemeteries do not have official records or caretakers. The only records they have are their headstones. Wouldn't it be great if we could help preserve these cemeteries and make their records available for research?

Does anyone live near these Parking Lot Cemeteries? Grave Mappers is asking for your help! Let's get these cemeteries mapped on Names in Stone!

If you have access to the cemeteries, but are unable to do the mapping, let us know. We'll be glad to help! Also, if you know about other parking lot cemeteries, we'll add them to our list. Just contact us at gravemappers@gmail.com.

Eagle Scout Project - Leader Message

2008-12-07T07:00:00.020-07:00

Grave Mappers received this message from one of the leaders who accompanied the Boy Scouts as they mapped the Fairfield, Utah Cemetery.

"I was impressed with this group of scouts as they mapped the Fairfield, Utah Cemetery. They worked very hard for several hours mapping, photographing, and transcribing information from headstones.

"It was intriguing to watch them. They came to support their friend, but most of them had no previous experience with cemeteries. As they worked, they became curious and then interested in the cemetery and its occupants. I saw some of them bent over, reading monuments and headstones. They wondered about headstones that had many small items around them left by family and friends. They were touched by three headstones right in a row that said, "Killed by Indians." Sometimes they tried to piece together family relationships by seeing the burials that were next to each other. I've included a few photos of things that peaked their interest.

"I believe that mapping a cemetery was a great way to get these young men interested in family history and genealogy. I hope more Boy Scouts will take the opportunity to do this kind of project."

Eagle Scout Service Project: Map a Cemetery

2008-12-03T08:03:00.045-07:00

As many of you know, to earn the rank of Eagle Scout, a Boy Scout has to do a service/leadership project that totals 80 to 150 hours.

Adam D. of American Fork, Utah decided that for his service project, he would map the Fairfield, Utah cemetery. Adam's plan was to lead a group of Scouts in transcribing headstone information, mapping the nearly 300-grave cemetery, photographing each headstone, and then creating an online map of the cemetery at Names in Stone.

Early in November, Adam recruited 6 other scouts and two leaders who made the trip to Fairfield, located west of Utah Lake in Utah County. Adam split the group into three teams and held a brief training exercise to make sure the Scouts knew their goals and responsibilities. Each team had a photographer, a mapper, and a recorder. They divided the cemetery into three sections and the teams went to work.

Adam's scout committee wholeheartedly approved his project and are excited about his choice to map a cemetery. They are encouraging other scouts to consider mapping a cemetery for their Eagle Projects.

Adam says that the first phase of the project at the cemetery was a great success and he is currently creating the cemetery map on the NAMES IN STONE website. Adam has some great ideas for other Boy Scouts who might be interested in mapping a cemetery for their Eagle Scout Service Projects.

Cemetery tips:

Use graph paper to draw the cemetery map. With several scouts drawing maps, it can be hard to keep things consistent. Graphing paper helps the mappers keep things lined up and in order. It also helps the person creating the map on the website be more accurate in placing graves.
Make sure that the mapper, photographer, and recorder stay together and map one grave at a time. If someone goes ahead things get confusing and people make mistakes.
Use string, or some other kind of marker, to make a dividing line in the cemetery so the teams don't overlap.
Periodically check quality and accuracy of each team's work - make sure everyone is using the same system and that there are no misunderstandings or mistakes.

Mapping tips:

Divide the hand-drawn map into several sections. Place graves for a whole section at a time and then go back and enter the data for each grave.
Upload each headstone photo at the same time you enter the record.
Use two person teams to enter the records. One person can enter the data and the other person can check for accuracy of the written record compared to the headstone and make sure the computer entry is correct.

Adam and his friends really enjoyed mapping this cemetery. Adam says, "I had the feeling that we were helping the descendants of the people who are buried here find their ancestors. I know that what we're doing will help keep their memory alive."

One Grave Cemeteries

2008-11-26T08:45:00.017-07:00

There are two unique cemeteries new to the Names in Stone database. What's so different about them? Each of them only has one grave!

The Mary Ellis Grave is located in a movie theater parking lot in New Brunswick, NJ! You can be sure that when Mary Ellis came to live in this beautiful setting by the Raritan River that there was no parking lot around! Legend has it that she came in the 1790's to stay with her younger sister Margaret. She fell in love with a sea captain, who promised that when he returned they would be married. She waited, and waited......Read all of her tragic story -- and find out why her grave is located in a parking lot -- at Weird N.J.'s travel guide.

The Lone Grave Cemetery is located in Dewhurst, Wisconsin. This is the burial site of Blanche Grimes, a 16 month old baby. She was the daughter of Frank and Emma Grimes, born April 1, 1894 and died August 5, 1895. In the 1890's, a little town called Columbia sprang up here, with at least twenty stores, a schoolhouse, and a depot. But by 1910, most of the settlers had gone. One of these families was Frank and Emma Grimes, who had to leave behind the grave of their baby daughter. Now all that's left is a log cabin and a grave. It is actually believed that there are 27 graves in this little cemetery, but only one grave marker. Go to the Clark County, Wisconsin Internet Library ALHN & AHGP website to see photos and learn more about the history of Lone Grave Cemetery.

Does anyone know of other cemeteries with only one grave? Contact us at Grave Mappers and we'll share their stories.

Do you live near any of these small cemeteries? We need your help mapping! Let's get these One Grave Cemeteries on Names in Stone so we can preserve their records!

Mapping Hint - Explorer or Firefox?

2008-11-24T18:04:00.003-07:00

I have mapped cemeteries on Names in Stone in both Internet Explorer and Firefox and here's what I've found.

I like mapping cemeteries on Firefox much better than Explorer. The graves are uniformly shaped and sized and you can zoom in extremely close up to get a very good placement of the graves. One thing to note however: You need to use the updated version of Firefox - version 3.0.4. Just make sure you get your free Firefox upgrade!

When you use Explorer the map looks a bit odd. The graves are different sizes and shapes, and you can't zoom in as closely as you would like. (I talked with the website developer and they said it is a browser problem that they are working on.)

Decorate a Grave

2008-11-23T17:46:00.017-07:00

Have you seen the Decorate a Grave feature on Names in Stone?

What a wonderful way to honor those who have passed on! You can upload a photo of a headstone and then decorate it with creative flower arrangements, holiday decorations, and other images.

I decorated a family member's grave and it was very enjoyable -- and it looks lovely! You can view your decorations when you select the grave, and the decor stays on the grave for three months.

Here's some hints about decorating a grave:

If you have a headstone photo, first upload it on the Community Page. Then click on "Decorate." Your headstone photo can be found under Community Images on the right side of your screen. Just drag it across to the left side of your screen on top of the headstone example.
Don't have a headstone photo? Select one from the headstone section on the right of your screen. Drag it across, then add the name and dates in whatever text and color you like!
Now drag flowers or other images across to decorate the grave. You can resize these images by clicking on one of the colored squares around the selected image and then dragging it to change the size. You can also change the direction the image is facing by dragging these squares.

Decorated headstone photo used by permission from Names in Stone.

Where is my Unfinished Cemetery?

2008-11-20T07:00:00.008-07:00

Question of the Day:

I wasn't able to finish mapping my cemetery in one sitting. When I went back to Names in Stone, I couldn't figure out how to get back into it to finish mapping. How do I find my cemetery?

Answer: There are two ways to find your cemetery to continue mapping.

After signing in to Names in Stone, click on the Membership Box and select "My Profile." On your profile page above your personal information are several green tabs. Select "Cemetery Projects." This will give you a list of the cemeteries you are working on. Click "Work on Cemetery" and you'll be ready to begin mapping!
After signing in to Names in Stone, select "Cemetery List." Select the state where your cemetery resides. Find your cemetery and click "More Details." You will again see the button "Work on Cemetery." Click on it and begin mapping!

Adding Photos

2008-11-18T21:42:00.013-07:00

A great feature that I like about Names in Stone is the Community Forum.

Here you can add your own information to a grave record. For instance, if you have additional dates or places that aren't on the cemetery record, you can add them here. You can add photos or other digital images - like headstone photos or family photos.

You can also participate in discussions or ask for research help on the Discussion page. This would be a great place to link up with other people who are researching the same records you are!

This is a great addition - I particularly like adding headstone photos to the graves. I like being able to access the headstone when I'm looking at the grave record. What a great research tool!

You can add headstone photos to graves in cemeteries that are already in the database or add them to your own maps. You can also find your relatives in any cemetery and add their family photos to their records.

You reach this page on the website in a couple of different ways:

Search for a deceased person - Smith, Mary. On the home page enter the name on the right under "Searching Maps." This will take you to the results of your search. Find "Smith, Mary" in your results list. Under her record you will find some options: Map, Community, Add to List, Decorate. Click on "Community." This will show you other information that visitors other than the cemetery itself have contributed to Mary Smith's record.

Search for a cemetery. On the home pagean the cemetery have contributed about this person., select "Cemetery List." Click on the state where your cemetery resides and then select your cemetery from that list. Now select a grave within the cemetery. On the right you will find three tabs - Source: Cemetery, Source: Community, Discussion. Click on "Source: Community." This will show you other information that visitors other th

To add your own photos or other digital images to a record, click "Edit Info." Now click "Upload Image." This will open a small window. Click "Browse" to access your files, then choose which file you want to contribute. Give it a title and choose which image type it is. When you are finished, click "Upload." Your image is now a part of that person's record!

Mapping the Mendenhall Family Cemetery - part 2

2008-11-16T19:18:00.024-07:00

Mapping this cemetery was so easy!

Here's some things I learned that might help you as you map your cemeteries.

You first draw the outer boundaries for the cemetery. Select "Draw Cemetery Border." Click to place each corner and then double click when the border is complete. I had to try a few times to get it just right (only because I'm very picky!) I just clicked "Draw" again and it erased the old border, so I could start again.
Use "Place Graves" to add each grave. Just select "Place" and then click on the map where you want to put each grave. A square that represents a 4'x4' grave appears on the map. After you place a grave, enter the grave's record information in the data fields to the right. If you have family information like parents, click on the drop-down menu arrow beside "Spouse". Here you select from spouse, father, mother, and other. Enter the name and then click "Add Relation." You can add as many relations as you want - just click "Add Relation" after each one.
Make sure you select "Save Deceased" after every grave.
If you don't like where you placed a grave, click on "Move Graves." Then you can click on the grave and put it anywhere you like.
If you need to delete a grave, just select "Delete Graves" and click on the grave you want to erase.
You can still redraw your border even after you place the graves. I found that my border was way too big once my graves were all placed. Just click on "Draw Cemetery Border." It will erase the previous border without erasing your graves and data, and you can draw a new border around your graves.
Navigating around the cemetery can be a little tricky until you get used to it. Don't use the scroll wheel on your mouse while your cursor is over the map - unless you want to zoom in or out! You can navigate with your mouse or with the map tools in the upper left corner of the map.

An important point that was stressed on the website: Exact geographic coordinates are not important. What is important is where each grave sits in relation to the other graves around it. Seeing who is buried next to whom is what's vital in establishing family relationships and solving family research puzzles.

Note: Names in Stone mapping screenshot used by permission.

Mapping the Mendenhall Family Cemetery

2008-11-15T21:24:00.033-07:00

I recently mapped a small family cemetery on Names in Stone. The Mendenhall Family Cemetery is near Dayton, Idaho. It is a family tradition to visit this cemetery and hear the stories of Grandpa George Mendenhall, Grandma Celestia Mendenhall, and all the children they lost in the diptheria epidemic. George and Celestia Mendenhall are buried in this cemetery, along with George's father Thomas, several of their children, and an unnamed wagon train child.

I am excited to have the cemetery on this website because I love the whole concept of being able to access the records just by clicking on a grave, and I like the idea of making the records available for others to search as well. I created my map from a drawing my dad made when he visited the cemetery last summer.

First, I registered for a free (free is nice!) membership at Names in Stone. Then I clicked on "Learn More" under "Map a Cemetery." This took me to a description of Class A and Class B Cemeteries. Class A cemeteries are large cemeteries that are usually maintained by a public or private agency. Class B cemeteries are smaller cemeteries that are cared for by families or volunteers. My cemetery only has about 15 graves, so I clicked on Class B - "Add a Cemetery."

The next step is to fill out the "Cemetery Project Application." I didn't have an exact address, so I just gave a good description of the location in the address field. At the bottom of the application is a Google Map. On the map, I found the approximate area in Idaho. I pressed the Shift key and with my mouse drew a square around that area. I was worried about being able to find it on the map, but it zoomed right in to that area and worked really well. I compared my dad's drawing to the Google Map and using roads and a canal, I was able to pinpoint exactly where the cemetery is.

At Names in Stone they say that if your cemetery is in an inhabited area, you'll be able zoom in close enough to see the cemetery and maybe even the headstones. My cemetery is in a rural area and I couldn't zoom in that closely, but they say that the goal is not exact measurements - what's important is showing the graves in relation to each other.

Mapping the Mendenhall Family Cemetery....to be continued tomorrow

Welcome to GRAVE MAPPERS!

2008-11-12T09:45:00.034-07:00

Everyone who visits cemeteries knows that the priceless information on headstones is not permanent. These headstones are very vulnerable to the effects of weather, time, and even vandalism. For many small cemeteries, headstones are their only records. That's why genealogists, historians, and hobbyists have spent countless hours transcribing information from headstones and monuments throughout the world. They know how critical it is to save that information in a safe, permanent place.

At Grave Mappers, we are committed to this effort. And we are excited about the launch of a new website called NAMES IN STONE.

NAMES IN STONE is a different kind of online cemetery repository. Not only is it a growing collection of cemetery maps, but it's a place where anyone and everyone can create a cemetery map—a map that has the records of each grave attached right to it! To access grave records on these interactive maps, you just click on the grave and the information pops up on your screen. You can link headstone photos and other digital images to the graves. And on the community forum, you and others can add information about the cemetery and the people who are buried there.

We invite you to join Grave Mappers and help us in this exciting new project: creating online interactive cemetery maps! Together we can document these aging cemeteries and headstones, preserve their records permanently, and share them with the world!

Grave Mappers wants to hear your experiences as you map cemeteries at NAMES IN STONE. Please share your stories and photos with us and we'll include them in our blog so you can inspire others in their mapping quest. Contact us at:

gravemappers@gmail.com