How to Survey and Record a Cemetery: Genealogy Cemetery Records

Cemetery preservation is extremely important to historians and genealogy buffs alike. One part of the preservation is surveying and transcribing or recording the cemetery. Often times a community, local historical society, genealogy society, or even Boy Scouts working on their Eagle project will be in the process of a cemetery survey project. But, what exactly does this mean?

A cemetery survey is compiling a complete description, location, layout and index of a cemetery and all the memorial markers within. It can be a long and arduous task, but very much worth it. You are actively preserving information about those who have come before you - information that may not be available in the future as tombstone markers continue to erode away. You are sharing your information with genealogists, family historians, local researchers, as well as helping family members -- most of whom you will never meet.

Sadly, many older cemeteries fall victim to vandalism, overgrowth, mismanagement, and even abandonment. When a cemetery is surveyed or recorded, all information about that cemetery and it's markers are recorded - details that may disappear over time.

There are a few things that you should consider before beginning a surveying project:

1. Inquire About Current Surveying Projects

First, you may want to contact your local historical or genealogical society to inquire if a survey has been completed for the cemetery you're wanting to survey. You may also inquire if there is a cemetery that they have plans to survey, but have not yet begun, or if there's a current surveying project underway that you may be able to help with.

2. Find a Cemetery to Survey

In suburban areas, most all area cemetery locations will have been recorded. In rural areas, however, there are often times small family cemeteries on private property. Many times, a cemetery name may be recorded somewhere, but a formal cemetery survey has not been completed. To find a cemetery in your area, you can start with searching online. Be sure to search on the word cemetery, too, since this is a common misspelling. You may also try websites such as FindAGrave to see what information may already exist as well as your local library.

3. Get Permission from Property Owner

You may need to get permission from the property owner in order to be on the grounds recording your data. Many cemeteries have public access which normally don't require permission, but some cemeteries are on private property. If the cemetery is abandoned, check with your county property appraiser's office in an attempt to find out who owns the land on which the cemetery sets and then obtain permission from the owner.

4. Identify Any Existing Records

When you contact the owner for permission, inquire if there are any interment records that you can have access to. Churches will often have these. Local genealogical societies or even your local public library may have copies of early surveys that may have not been updated in many, many years. This will greatly help you with the survey, especially if the burials are very early ones and markers are missing or not readable. It is a good tool to bounce your survey against. Be sure to notate on your survey any information that you could not find, but was able to find on the previous survey.

Your Safety

Your safety must be a priority when surveying a cemetery. It is advised to always take a friend with you. While most cemeteries are completely safe, I have personally have been in a few very uneasy situations while in a cemetery with my teenage daughter. Keep your cell phone close and stay in the same proximity as your friend. In fact, having a friend can make things much easier! One can read, while the other records, or cover twice the space by working nearby each other. Or, get a group involved and the work will even go quicker and you are less likely to be bothered by someone who is just looking for trouble.

For the cemeteries that are not well maintained, it is suggested that you do the surveying during the late fall or early spring. The weather will be more pleasant and the snake encounters will be less likely. Be sure to also watch out for poison ivy! In old cemeteries that aren't well maintained, pay attention for any sunken ground areas. If you suspect an area may be sunken, notify the owner immediately and do not risk harm to yourself.

The Safety of the Grave Markers

Be extremely careful when touching a gravestone. Many are unstable or damaged or very frail. Even the slightest touch could cause some to topple over or break. Do not attempt to lift a fallen marker as it could cause injury to you as well as the marker.

Do not use anything other than water, foil, or a mirror in an attempt to read what is inscribed on the stone. NEVER use flour, shaving cream, baby powder, chalk, markers, or do rubbings. All of these can severely damage a headstone.

• Cemetery information survey form (should only need one, but several for backup - see section below for what this should include)
• Individual grave marker survey forms (you will need one for each marker you're indexing - see section below for what this should include)
• Clipboard for securing forms (one that stores paper inside is even better)
• Notepad for any notes you need to write down
• Voice recorder (instead of a notepad)
• Pens and pencils
• Cloth measuring tape (metal ones may cause damage, although some taller markers such as obelisks might require a longer, metal tape measure to determine the height)
• Camera
• Extra batteries and memory cards for camera
• GPS (Handheld for recording individual burial locations)
• Soft brushes (natural bristle brushes, varying sizes)
• Wooden craft sticks (to gently remove loose moss and lichen)
• Tin foil (for difficult to read markers)
• Mirror (12x15" works well and full length works even better to reflect light back on the marker for easier reading)
• Spray bottle / sprayer (never used with any type of chemical or soap)
• Water for the sprayer
• Walking stick (for poking around for flat stones that may have been covered up or for scaring off snakes)
• Grass clippers
• Gardening pad for kneeling
• Insect repellant
• Sunscreen
• Hat or visor
• Fanny pack or backpack for keeping camera, keys, cell phone, batteries, pens/pencils, etc
• Filled Water bottle for you to stay hydrated
• Snack(s)
• Cell phone (for your safety and emergencies)

To begin your cemetery survey, you should first record information about the overall cemetery. While you can certainly use a pad of paper for this and individual marker information, it is much easier to prepare a form with all the information you need to acquire and then fill in the blanks. The form can then be reused for other cemeteries and ensures you don't forget important information.

The information you will want to record about the overall cemetery includes:

• Cemetery name
• Address of cemetery
• GPS coordinates at each corner of the cemetery to record the borders of the cemetery - also use the tracker mode while you're walking to record the perimeter.
• GPS coordinates of each entrance, structure (ground keeper's buildings, etc)
• Directions from a main road to the cemetery
• Brief description of the cemetery
• Cemetery condition
• Any known history about the cemetery
• Your name
• Date of the survey
• A sketch of the layout of the cemetery, if possible, with indications where individual transcription rows began
• Owner's contact information, if available
• Overall pictures of the cemetery, including entrances. Record the frame numbers on this form.

Once the general cemetery information is recorded, it's time to begin the surveying and transcribing of individual markers. You will be recording very specific details about each and every marker including the names, dates, inscription, orientation, location, special insignia, etc. Each of these can tell us very specific things about the person and the time period of when the lived.

You will need to determine how you want to survey, such as rows, sections, alphabetically, etc. Rows tend to keep family members together within a survey, sections can also be done in rows. If you choose to do a section alphabetically, you'll need to record additional information such as who is buried next to and near each grave, so that family relationships can be better determined. When I survey or transcribe a cemetery, I approach it in sections, and tackle each section in rows.

As you begin each section, sketch out the layout and number the graves as you progress along the row - the numbers will coincide with the number on the individual survey form. If you have a cemetery plot map (shown to the right), this will greatly help as many of the maps include grave numbers which you can then use for your numbering system. Knowing where each grave is is important to the survey.

Be aware that not all rows are going to be straight. It is possible to miss markers if you accidentally drift from your row into another row.

Be certain to include everything written on the stone exactly as it was written. Do not abbreviate or expand abbreviations!

I like to assemble the information I need to collect into a form that I can reproduce and fill in, otherwise, I'm sure to forget something. The following provides the details that you may want to record for each marker to create the most thorough survey possible. You can use these suggestions to create a form of your own.

This information should be at the top or bottom of each individual page. If the page should ever become separated from the rest, you can more easily determine which cemetery it belonged to and where in the order of graves it should be.

• Cemetery Name and Location
• Plot/Section
• Grave Number (or number in sequence of survey)
• Name of Person Recording Data
• Date Recorded

Did you know that you can tell a lot about someone just by what is written or carved on their headstone? You will want to record the following for each marker:

• Name(s) on headstone
  
• Date of Birth
• Date of Death
• Age at Death
• Husband/Wife Of
• Son/Daughter Of
• Location Where Born
• Other Facts Listed
• Inscription and/or Epitaph Exactly as on Headstone

The below details will guide you through a complete description of the headstone. You may, however, want to include an area that allows for additional notes or thoughts.

• Headstone Direction Facing (or direction inscription is facing): N S E W
• Dimensions of Marker: Above Ground Height, Width, Thickness
• Type of Marker(s): Headstone, Foot stone, Tomb, Table, Vault, Obelisk, Family Monument, Unmarked depression, Un-carved field stone, Other (provide description)
• Does the Headstone have Base Stone?
• Is the Headstone on a Cement Pad?
• Material of Marker: Marble, Limestone, Sandstone, Granite, Wood, Concrete, Metal, Unknown
• Is a Photo of Individual Affixed to Headstone?
• Surface carvings? Front, back, top, side(s)
• Condition of Marker Inscriptions and Carvings: Mint, Clear but slightly worn, Difficult to read, Unable to read, Worn Smooth
• Is Marker Fallen or Broken?
• Overall Condition of Marker: Excellent, Good, Fair, Poor
• Gravestone Damage Type: Vandalism, Weathering, Cracked or Broken, Unknown, Guess
• Symbols or Carvings: Skull/Faces/Bones, Vegetation (Ivy, Palms, Willow Tree), Floral (Roses, Lilies), Hands (Pointing, Shaking, Reaching), Religious (Bible, Cross, Angels, Rosary, Star of David), Animal (Dove, Lamb), Urn, Wreath, Gates or Pillars, Masonic Symbol, Military Symbol, Geometric Symbol, Other (provide description)
• Language of Inscription (most will be English, but if you're in a cemetery in which many from a different nationality are buried in, you will more than likely see stones written in their native language)

Recording specific location information about the grave will identify the exact location as well as reference points for finding the grave again - either by yourself or someone who will benefit from your survey.

• GPS Coordinates of the headstone (both latitude and longitude)
  
• Location in Cemetery: Near the Center, Near the Front/Back/Side Gate, Near the Edges (N/S/E/W), Near a Structure (indicate structure), In New/Old Section, etc.
• Topography: Hill (Top/Mid/Lower), Flat Land, Valley, Near Water (Stream/Lake/Pond)

It is very important to create a photographic record of each marker. It will not only provide you with additional visuals of the marker, but will be a good indicator of how the marker stands up over time. It very well could be the last fully legible capture of the stone before weather or vandals run their course.

• Photograph of Marker (on all sides where letters, words, carvings, inscriptions appear)
• Photograph of Overall Family Plot (if part of a family plot)
• Photograph of Separate Foot Markers, Military Plaques (that are separate from the primary headstone)
• Closeup of Inscription(s)
• Total Number of Photographs Taken in Set for Current Marker
• Starting and Ending Number of Image in Set for Current Marker

A project of this undertaking will take time. Don't rush it - a rushed job will usually result in a lot of missed information. All of the information above should help you to complete a thorough transcript of each and every marker in the cemetery as well as identify many of the unmarked graves. In a future article, I will review what to do with the results of your survey.