The Graveyard Rabbit Student!

Tombstone Tuesday: Edward F. Harney

2010-02-08T21:00:00.000-08:00

This is the tombstone of Edward F. Harney. This picture was taken in Evergreen Washelli Memorial Park and Funeral Home in Seattle, King County, Washington.

Edward is the brother of my great grandfather, William Fredrick Harney. He was born April 29th, 1883 in Indiana. He moved to Seattle and raised his family there. He died on December 8th, 1944.

Note: This picture was taken by Karen Sipe and is on the FindAGrave website. You can view his memorial page here.

Symbols Found On The Gravestones Of Children

2010-02-07T11:36:00.000-08:00

Burying a child is every parent's worse nightmare. Unfortunately it was something that our ancestors had to do all too often.

Below is a list of commonly used symbols on the gravestones of children:

Butterflies: This is often a symbol that represents an early death or a life taken too soon.
Lamb: This represents innocence or sinlessness.
Birds with Wings (as if flying): This symbolizes the soul's flight to heaven.
Angels: The idea behind this symbol is that an angel guides the soul to heaven.
Urn or Vase: A symbol of an early death.
Dove: This is a symbol that represents love, tenderness, peace, purity, and innocence.

When searching for the gravestone of a child, search for these symbols. Have you ever seen these symbols on the gravestones of children? What other symbols have you seen on the gravestones of children?

Wilbourn Vines - Nashville National Cemetery

2010-01-19T20:06:00.000-08:00

To the left is a picture of the grave stone of Wilbourn Vines. He died on February 19, 1864 while serving in the state of Tennessee during the Civil War.

Wilbourn Vines (Also known as William Wilbourn Vines) and is my great-great-great grandfather. He is the father of Edna Jane Vines and the husband of Melvina Dugger.

He lived in eastern Tennessee in Johnson County. He was born about 1835.

Wilborurn Vines is buried in the Nashville National Cemetery in Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee. He is in plot E.1528

Note: This picture was taken by Kathy Bilbrey, a FindAGrave.com volunteer. It is because of people like her that I am able to see the graves of my ancestors that are buried very far away from me. I am always grateful to the wonderful, helpful, and knowledgeable volunteers.

Tombstone Tuesday: Daniel Weston and Elizabeth Coombe Weston

2010-01-12T14:10:00.000-08:00

To the left is a picture of my great-great grandfather's tombstone. His name was Daniel Weston. He was a Welsh mining immigrant who came to this country with his family in 1889. He settled with his family in the small mining town of Black Diamond in King County, Washington.

The family bible is currently on display at the Black Diamond Museum.

To the left is a picture of Daniel's wife, Elizabeth Francis (Coombe) Weston. Elizabeth and Daniel were the parents of 12 children, including two sets of twins.

As you can tell, Elizabeth's stone is deteriorating.

The couple is buried in Black Diamond Cemetery, which is located in Black Diamond, King County, Washington.

Note: The pictures above can be found at FindAGrave.com

Further Reading:

5 Tasks You Can Complete in 30 Minutes Or Less

2010-01-05T13:39:00.000-08:00

We all lead busy lives and the time we have to dedicate to our genealogy is often very limited. It is important that we spend the time wisely and efficiently to get the most from it.

With that in mind, I created this list of 5 things you can do in 30 minutes or less that involves cemetery-related research. Here are 5 cemetery-related things you can do in 30 minutes or less.

1.) Search FindAGrave.com for your ancestor. Enter as much detail into the search boxes to see if you get anything. If you aren't getting any results, then begin entering less and less information into the search boxes until you get more results.

2.) Request a photo on FindAGrave.com for an ancestor when you know the cemetery.

3.) Upload 5 cemetery photos that you've taken to FindAGrave.com so that other people can have access to them.

4.) Read about cemeteries. Pick a cemetery related topic and do a Google search on it. You will most likely find lots of blog posts about preservation, different types of stones used in different time periods or geographic locations, what the symbols on grave stones means, etc. The point here is to learn something new.

5.) Plan a cemetery trip. You can make a list of the cemeteries you want to visit. You can pack the bag you are planning on taking with you. You can look up directions and/or print out maps that tell you how to get to the cemetery. You can email local historical/genealogy societies in the area of the cemetery to see if a volunteer would be interested in showing you around or sharing information.

I hope these quick and easy activities show you that with just a little bit of time, you can still get a lot of cemetery related activities done.

Where is Adolf Doerflinger?

2010-01-03T09:51:00.000-08:00

Note: Before I let you read this article, I just want to apologize for letting this blog go. It was wrong of me to ignore this blog as if it doesn't exist. But it is a new year and I am going to give this blog life again. I got discouraged because I don't have many cemetery photos...but that is okay. I've decided to post about the pictures I wish I had and my theories about where my ancestors are buried. So....a new year and a new start for this blog. I will probably be redesigning the blog so look for that in the coming days.

Adolph Doerflinger is my great great grandfather and I don't have a picture of his tombstone.

Adolph has always been one of my most interesting ancestors. He is the man who left his first wife, Augusta Baumeister (whom I am descended from) for his mistress. He then married his mistress and moved to California where he raised his new family, leaving his wife all alone. His son from his first marriage is rumored to have harbored a lot of anger toward his father's new family.

Luckily I've recently met a new Doerflinger cousin who is Adolph's granddaughter from his second marriage. She was nice enough to share the information that she knows about the family - including where she says Adolph is buried.

However I have yet been able to drive out to the cemetery to figure out if he really is buried there.

I checked FindAGrave.com and there is only one "Adolph Doerflinger" in their database who is buried in Missouri and the dates just don't match.

So until I have the time, gas money, and someone willing to drive me since I do not have my license - I will not be able to go exploring the cemetery.

Laid to Rest at Sea

2009-08-25T10:54:00.000-07:00

I don't have many memories of my Grandma Dugger. When I was a baby, she was diagnosed with dementia. Soon after, she was placed in a state-run nursing facility.

I know that my dad went to visit her a lot, but I didn't go too often. I think it was just too painful for him to watch her not remember me, since only years before she was bragging about how I was her first granddaughter.

The visits that I do remember are not exactly pleasant memories. I remember visiting her when her illness had progressed very far. Since my cousin Jen and I were still very young, he would take my grandma out of the nursing home to go to the park. We would grab lunch at McDonalds and head out to the park that my grandma used to take me to.

My dad used to have to lift my grandma out of her wheelchair to put her in the car. As we would drive, she would begin to repeat certain words. She loved to stare at the sky and I remember her often repeating the word "bird" when she saw a seagull or pigeon fly by. I also remember wishing that I had a "normal" grandma who would make me cookies and take my shopping like other kids had. Now that I am older, I feel bad for feeling that way, but I remind myself that I was only a kid.

The sicker my grandmother got, the less often I went with my dad to visit her. While my dad and I have never had an in-depth discussion on the reasons for this, I think it is because it was just too painful for him. My dad's family is not much of an emotional bunch and I know it was difficult for him watching her mind and health deteriorate. My dad had such a close relationship with his mom - so watching her health slowly deteriorate must have been difficult.

She died when I was 12, just before I got interested in genealogy. I remember hearing the news that she had passed away. My dad went to go stay at a motel for a few days because he wanted to be alone. I always figured that a funeral would happen eventually, but it never did. We didn't mention my grandma in our house for months after she died because we all knew it was too painful for my dad to discuss.

Many years later I asked my dad where grandma was buried or where her ashes had been scattered. To my shock, he told me that a nonprofit organization had taken her ashes out to sea. I asked if anyone in the family had been on the boat as her ashes were spread out - he said no.

Perhaps if I was part of another family, I would feel that my Grandma Dugger's children had abandoned her. I know that they did not abandon her but that they loved her very much. The only people that were left in the family were her three surviving children and her three grandchildren. No one had the money for a formal funeral - the family had already spent the little money that we had on her hospital care.

I am very grateful for this organization - because they spread my Grandma's ashes in the ocean. They said a few prayers and then came back to shore.

I have very few pictures of Grandma Dugger and I. The ones that I do have include ones of her showing me how to make a sand castle and holding a sand crab. I know that the ocean was a very peaceful place for her, so I am happy that she was laid to rest at the place that brought her so much happiness.

R.I.P

Nancy Jean (Rogers) Dugger

1924 - 2002

Loving Mother

Greatly Missed

Not Everyone Has A Gravestone

2009-07-21T14:43:00.000-07:00

Note: This post contains information about my maternal grandmother, Margaret Janice Doerflinger (Her maiden name was Harney). It also contains information about my uncle, Eugene "Gene" Doerflinger, who died in 1961.

While at lunch today, I began talking to my parents about what I wanted for my birthday. Since I know money is tight in my household, I only had one small request of my parents for my birthday: Take me to the cemetery that my Uncle Gene and Grandma Doerflinger are buried.

The moment the words left my mouth, my mom's eyes got big and she bit her lip. "Well...why would you want to go there?", she asked.

"I don't have pictures of their gravestone and that just seems wrong since we live so close to the cemetery," I replied.

"Oh," my mom said before looking down at the table. "...About that..."

"What?" I asked desperately.

"Well, when Grandma died we cremated her. "Then we put her in Gene's casket, but we never bought a new gravestone. So it doesn't say Grandma's name on it,".

I know that not every person who has died has a gravestone - some people are unknown, some didn't have the money for a gravestone, and some had their ashes spread. Apparently though, some people don't have a gravestone because the person who buries them doesn't feel like getting a new gravestone.

So when I go to my Grandma's Grave, I am going to have to take a picture of the gravestone that is there, and then leave a lengthy note in my genealogy database that describes the situation.

Note: If you contacted the cemetery in which my grandmother is buried, they will tell you that my grandmother is buried there.

Honoring Their Service and Their Lives

2009-05-10T18:12:00.000-07:00

My family is full of veterans. My dad, my grandpa, and many of my uncles are veterans.

But my story today is going to focus on the uncle I never knew because his life was taken away all too soon - My Uncle Gene.

Eugene William Doerflinger was born on May 13, 1935 in Santa Monica, California to Max and Margaret "Sis" Doerflinger. He was the newly wed couple's firstborn, and the new family had a bright future ahead of them.

Eugene would become the first of six children born to Max and Margaret. The kids were spread out in ages though, with the last child, my mom, being born in 1959.

Eugene decided to join the Army, and he proudly served his country for three year

s. I am so fortunate enough to have all the letters that were sent to him from home and sent from him to home. Despite being in Africa, he rarely discussed military life, opting to instead ask about his baby sister (my mom) or talk about a new food that he had tried.

Below is the front and back of the ID card of Eugene that he used when he was stationed in Ethiopia.

(He is certainly a good looking man, ain't he?)

Once Eugene was out of the Army, he settled back at home in Santa Monica, CA and his relationship with his girlfriend began to get serious. He finally confided in a close family friend, Jack, that he was ready to ask her to marry him.

Before he popped the question, he wrote a letter to his Aunt in Seattle, WA - telling her to prepare to travel down to California for the wedding. He talked about how his sister, Janice, would be a bride's maid, about how his sister, Diane would be the flower girl, and a house that he was looking at. The excitement in his words in evident.

The next day, he got a quick pep talk from his best friend, Jack, and headed off to pick up his girlfriend. He decided to take her to a beautiful spot in the hills to pop her the question. While they were traveling on a high, winding road, the car crashed and tumbled over the side of the hill. While his girlfriend survived, Eugene did not. The date was the 15 Feb 1961.

Everyone says that my grandparents were never the same after that. They say that my grandparents were forever heartbroken and incomplete, missing that bright love for life that they once had. But who could blame them - loosing a child would certainly change you.

My mom has always said that despite the fact that she doesn't really remember him much, that she has always felt connected to him. If I was a boy, I would've been named Eugene.

Taking Wonderful Cemetery Photos

2009-04-19T10:53:00.000-07:00

So you're going to the cemetery. You got your camera, your notebook and pen, an extra battery, and an extra memory card. But how do you know you'll get the best pictures possible?

Taking Pictures Of The Cemetery As A Whole
When you go to the cemetery, you are going to want to take pictures of the cemetery as a whole. Try taking pictures of the entrance, the gates, the sign, even the little church that's on the property. The exact things that you take a picture of will vary slightly from cemetery to cemetery, but you just want to give a general idea of what the cemetery as a whole looks like.

Using Pictures To Give Location Clues
When you take pictures of the individual stones in a cemetery, you of course want to get a close up picture to be able to read the inscription. But you also want to remember to take a more wide, far away shot so that you (and others) have an idea of where the tombstone fits in with the rest of the cemetery.

I Can't Read The Inscription
Contrary to popular belief, it is a horrible idea to use shaving cream on a tombstone in an effort to make the inscription easier to read. The shaving cream will damage the stone over time. Instead, use water from a spray bottle to make the wording darker. Simply spray the tombstone, let it dry for a few minutes, and then take your picture. The words will be much darker and easier to read.

I've Renamed My Blog!

2009-04-08T18:27:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my newly renamed Graveyard Rabbit Blog: The Graveyard Rabbit Student!

After some careful consideration, I decided that renaming this blog was the best thing to do. Afterall, I am a student - and I wanted people to understand that I am not only a student in college, but also a passionate student about cemeteries. I felt the title fitted me much better.

While on Spring Break (which I am on right now), I hope to do some more posting. I've been so busy with school that I haven't had much of a chance to do posting.

Tombstones - Primary or Secondary Sources

2009-02-06T21:32:00.000-08:00

Tombstones can often give a great deal of information about an ancestor. Names, dates, places, even information on the family can be included on a tombstone. Once people find the tombstone of an ancestor, they hurry to enter the information into their genealogy programs. But when it comes time to cite the source of this new found information, many people get stuck: Is this a primary source or a secondary source?

The answer to that question is that all information on a tombstone is from a secondary source.

The first reason that a tombstone is considered a secondary source is that the information on the tombstone is only as accurate as the informats memory. It is so easy for birth dates and places to be wrong - even for a name to be wrong. One of my ancestors came to the U.S from Germany with his birth name being Anton Keppler. But on his tombstone, he is listed as Anthony Keppler, because as he assimilated with American culture, he let his name become Americanized.

Sometimes, it took a while for the family to be able to afford a tombstone. So by the time the information was even put on the tombstone, it could be weeks, months, even years later. During the Great Depression, it was especially common for families to not be able to afford a tombstone. Money was simply not available for a tombstone, and sometimes families had to wait years before they could afford one. All of the information is now left up to family members as they are forced to try to remember dates.

Another reason why tombstones are considered a secondary source is that sometimes the stonemason made a mistake when carving in the details. Sometimes a name is mispelled or a date written incorrectly. You would think that these stones would be replaced, but sometimes the money was just not there.

The moral of the story is to never assume that the information on the stone is correct - more research is needed to confirm.

A Celebration Of Life Versus A Funeral

2009-01-20T07:58:00.000-08:00

When my Uncle Dudley died in July of 2007, my entire family was heartbroken. He had long been a backbone that our family depended on. When he died, it was left to his only daughter, Arianne, to put the peices back together.

In a way, she had been lucky that he laid out directions for her. He not only had his wishes listed in a will, but he had also written notes to her during the months that he was sick that laid out his wishes and gave her encouragement. What he wished for was to not have a funeral because he always said that he hated funerals. Instead of focusing on the life that he had lost, he wanted the focus to be on the life that he had lived. So, he decided that he wanted a Celebration of Life, which would give everyone a chance to celebrate the life that he led.

So, Arianne rented a large banquet hall and got a caterer to serve my Uncle's favorite meals, and she sent out invitations (the event took over a month to plan), and people came out of the woodwork to attend. (In fact, so many people wanted to attend, that some people had to be turned down for the celebration of life and invited to other parties).

Everyone was dressed formally in black ties and fancy dresses when they arrived (just as my Uncle's wishes) and everyone enjoyed themselves as they told wonderful stories of my uncle. After we ate some of his favorite foods, there was a slide show that was beautiful. Then, everyone had a chance to speak to the crowd, which was wonderful.

So, if as your preparing your will (which, as morbid as it is, is very important), you might want to consider having a Celebration of Life.

Organizing All Of Your Cemetery Pictures

2009-01-11T13:39:00.000-08:00

Hopefully, many of you have some cemetery pictures that relate to your ancestors. It can get a bit difficult to organize these photos. But I've come up with a plan.

My plan for organizing the cemetery pictures that I've accumulated is to use a format similiar to a book or notebook. It follows the idea of one picture per page, along with a short description. It can then be organized by surname, couples, location, or cemetery. Each page can be easily created using a word processor, such as Word. All of the pages can be easily bound at a Kinkos or copy store, or placed into a binder.

Let me give you an example:

Let's say I am going to make the page for my great grandfather, Monroe Dugger and his wife, Matilda Clawson Dugger. Here is what I would do:

1.) Because Monroe and Matilda have only one stone for the two of them, I am going to list them on only one page. (Although, you could just copy the picture and have it in two places).

2.) In my word processor, I would open up a new document, and for a header, I would type "Monroe Dugger 1885-1950 and Matilda Clawson Dugger 1886 - 1931". From there, I would start to write some basic information for each person (birth date/place, marriage date/place, death date/place) in a list format.

3.) I would then begin writing, in paragraph form, a few details about Monroe and Matilda and their life together. You might want to include the names of their parents, any children they had, where they lived, their occupations, etc. The length of this can vary based on how much detail you have about the person/couple, but as a general rule of thumb, I always leave about a quarter of the page for the picture and details about the cemetery.

4.) Then I insert the picture(s) of the headstones on the bottom part of the page, along with some details of when each person was buried, the name and location of the cemetery (if it is in a particularly rural place, I'll include quick street names), and some small details about the cemetery (Is it abandoned?, When was it created?, Is it a family cemetery?, Is there a church that takes care of it?, etc.)

5.) Finally, I number the page and print it out (Remember, you don't have to number them in the "1, 2, 3" format. You could use the first letter of the surname followed by a number or really anything you like). Now I can place it into my binder and it is almost ready to go.

6.) Tip: Print an index for your book - so that you can easily find the person you are looking for at a glance. This way, you don't waste time searching through your book to find someone/something. Might I also suggest that you also make an index of the cemeteries, so that if you ever get curious as to how many ancestors you have buried in a certain cemetery, you can easily find out.

This post was just meant to give you some inspiration on how to organize all of those cemetery photos that you have. You can certainly adapt this method to your own needs.

What Do You Do When Your Ancestor Wasn't Buried?

2009-01-10T19:31:00.001-08:00

When my uncle died in 2007 - it was devastating to my family. A bit unexpected, his death threw our family into panic-mode, as everyone came together to deal with the loss as a family.

Luckily, he had a will (one that was notarized, and multiple "updates" to his will that he wrote during his final months, while he was sick). While everyone had originally thought that he wanted to be buried in the same cemetery that his parents and brother were buried in - he had actually specifically written that he wanted to be cremated. Furthermore, he wanted his ashes to be spread out throughout the country, in places that had brought him joy throughout his life.

For example, he asked for some of his ashes to be spread in Seattle because he spent many summers there with his grandparents and he went to college there. He asked for some of his ashes to be placed in the ocean off of San Marcos, California - because it was on those beaches that he felt he had connected with his daughter the most. He asked that some of his ashes be placed in Palm Springs, because that was where he bought his first home. And finally, he asked that some of his ashes be buried in the backyard of his condo - because he said he felt the love of his family and friends whenever he was home.

After I had grieved his death, I realized that there wasn't one specific place that he was buried. There was no headstone to go searching for, no cemeteries to search through. So what would his descendants do?

That's when I went into brainstorming-mode, because I didn't want our descendants to feel the frustration of not being able to find him in any cemeteries. How could I communicate with them what happened?

While I can't guarantee that my idea will work, I think that it is the best shot that I have: Write down information about his death, his celebration of life (he opted for this instead of a funeral), and the spreading of the ashes and give a copy of it, along with a DVD of a slide show of pictures of him, to as many family members that I can think of. I also sent one to many close family friends, just in case it is one of their descendants that has the last copy.

My cousin Arianne (my uncle's daughter) and I are also in the process of creating a small book of sorts that is dedicated to my uncle and his life. It will include pictures, a biography, and many stories that friends and family wrote about my uncle. This book is just another way to celebrate the life that he led and continue to spread his spirit around.

While not many of your ancestors (from more than a generation or two), may have their ashes spread in different places - this new trend might make an impact on your descendants. So if you have a family member who chooses to have his/her ashes spread in a location(s), then consider some of the things I've talked about in this post. Hopefully, your descendants won't feel the frustration of trying to find something that doesn't exist.

An Update On My Volunteer Work

2009-01-04T15:31:00.000-08:00

Remember my post that I made before the holidays that stressed doing volunteer work in cemeteries and that talked about my own volunteer work that I planned to get started with a friend? Well, since it got such a great response, I thought I'd give you guys an update.

I found a friend to do my volunteer project with (Which makes it a lot more fun!). She decided to participate with me because she needs to get some volunteer time so she can qualify for some more scholarships. Her name is Amy, and after a lot of delays (between family obligations and the rain, there were A LOT of delays), we finally got to go out this weekend.

We arrived to the small cemetery, nestled in between two apartment buildings in the residential area of San Pedro, California at seven in the morning. We took Amy's gigantic dog, Max, along with us for protection and company (it is not exactly the safest area of San Pedro for two young girls to be all alone in).

Amy was the designated picture-taker (She took a TON of pictures) while I was the transcriber. After making a rough map of the cemetery, we set to work. We noticed, however, that in front of each stone, there was an old flower. We thought this was sweet, that someone had thought of these people even though the cemetery is long forgotten by the town.

When we were about half way through the cemetery, I noticed an old woman with a cane and a picnic-style basket come walking into the cemetery. She seemed like she knew where she was going as she walked up to one particular stone and bowed her head for a moment. Then, she placed a flower in front of the stone and walked back to the front of the cemetery.

I thought that she was getting ready to leave, but she instead walked to the end of the first row and began placing a flower in front of each headstone while also picking up the old flower and placing it into her basket. She continued through every row while Amy and I were doing our work. When our paths finally crossed, she gave us a big smile, nodded her head and continued her work.

Amy was the first who tried to talk to her, asking her often she left flowers on the stones. It quickly became apparent that there was a language barrier, and judging by what she did say, it sounded Italian. We continued our conversation in a charades sort of fashion, giggling at ourselves for trying to act out every sentence.

From what Amy and I were able to gather, the stone that she first left the flower on was the gravestone of her grandfather. I think he was a fisherman or atleast had something to do with the water. When asked how long she had been leaving flowers for the people in the cemetery, she said she had been doing it since she was a young girl (or atleast, that is what I think she said...)

So, after Amy and I were done, and the sweet old lady was done, we left. The next step is to go through every photo, name it, match it up with the transcriptions I've done, and put it all together in a word processor. I hope that by the time school starts, I will have the book version of this done and bound by Kinkos so that I can deliver it to some of the libraries in the area and the family history library.

Tombstone Study: Samuel L. Dugger Headstone

2008-12-30T10:09:00.000-08:00

Out in Carter and Johnson Counties of Tennessee, many of us Duggers know the name Samuel L. Dugger (Dugger is my father's last name - but I was given my mother's last name of Doerflinger...but I still consider myself a Dugger).

Born in 1806, Samuel was the son of John and Mary Engle Dugger. John and Mary Engle Dugger were the parents of a large number of children (the exact number of children is still being disputed, but the number of children ranges from about 15-20 children).

Samuel is my ancestor, along with his wife Hannah Ida Potter Dugger. Samuel married his wife in 1830.

Samuel died in June of 1890 and was buried, along with his wife Hannah, at the Julius Dugger Cemtery in Johnson County, Tennessee. Below, you will see a picture of his headstone (however, the words are very difficult to read because so much time has passed since it's creation).

Holidays Are A Time To Spend With Family

2008-12-20T08:19:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone. With Christmas less than a week away and one very family packed schedule for me - I must tell everyone that I will mostlikely not be posting any articles until after Christmas. I just have so much to do and I have very little time to do the research that I think these articles deserve.

So I'd like to take this time to tell everyone Merry Christmas (Or Happy Christmas if you are from the U.K) and happy holidays. I hope everyone enjoys their family during this wonderful time of year so that you have some memories to pass down to your descendants someday.

Cleaning Stone Grave Markers

2008-12-17T19:42:00.000-08:00

Part of preserving our cemeteries is to try and preserve the stone grave markers that show the final resting places of our ancestors. Part of taking care of these cemeteries is to keep these stones clean, which can also help when trying to read the stone grave marker.

Since I am far from an expert in this field, I decided to do some research so that I can try to provide you with the best possible information. One of the things I found was this wonderful video that was made by a man named Jason Church. This video shows how to properly clean a grave marker and also comes with an accompaning pdf document that gives the same information. You can find this video at:

http://www.ncptt.nps.gov/Training/Videos/Cleaning-a-Stone-Grave-Marker.aspx

After all my research, I've noticed that one thing has rang true:

Never, ever, under any circumstances, spray, pour, scratch, or rub anything onto the stone. This could cause further damage. Contact an expert in cemeteries and stone work and ask that person to help. If you have the money, the best thing might be to have a new stone created that lists the same information and is placed slightly in front of the old stone. This way, there is a new stone that will probably last a bit longer than your old one.

For those of you who want to have a rubbing of the stone, please - buy a kit. I know that these kits can get a bit pricey, but if you are going to rub the stone then you midaswell do it correctly. By buying a kit from a genealogy store and following the instructions that are included, you can rest easy knowing that you are not furthering any damage to the stone.

Remember, these stones are old and fragile. Time, weather, and pollution has probably damaged these stones and it is best to make sure that you take all the cautionary steps. By doing all of these things, you will be making one of your descendants very happy when they come searching for the stone.

Using Interment.net to Find Your Ancestors

2008-12-15T09:51:00.000-08:00

Are you trying to find where your ancestor was buried? Do you know where your ancestor died and you are pretty sure he/she was buried near that town/city? Well...I have one option to try and find your ancestor.

Try going to http://www.interment.net/us/tn/index.htm to look at some cemeteries by county. Since this website goes off of volunteers, not every cemetery is listed. Infact, not every county has a cemetery that has been transcribed. But, it is still worth a shot because you might find a possible match.

If you are lucky enough to get a possible match then you can ask a volunteer to go over to the cemetery and take some pictures of the tombstone for you.

Using Ancestry.com's Picture Collection To Find Headstones

2008-12-07T13:23:00.000-08:00

Have you ever sat on your computer, daydreaming about finding that headstone of your great-great grandfather who lived on the opposite side of the country from where you do?

Well...you could fly to that side of the country, spend your days searching through cemetery after cemetery in hopes of finding his headstone, finally find it and snap a photo of it.

Or...you could try Ancestry.com's Picture collection in hopes that someone took a picture of said headstone and uploaded it onto Ancestry.com.

So now you are probably wondering how in the world you search through Ancestry.com's picture collection.

First, go to www.Ancestry.com. Then, go to the top part of the page and click on the link called "Search". On the left, click on the link that says "Go To The Card Catalog". On the left, clink on the link that says "Pictures".

Now, you have 18 databases to choose from. Go ahead and search these databases and see if maybe you can find your ancestors headstone!

The Sister He Never Knew Of...

2008-12-06T09:26:00.000-08:00

While I was in Tennessee, one of my wondeful missions was to go into the mountains to take pictures of some gravemarkers and gravestones. I was so thrilled to enter into this rugged country of sorts, into the world of dirt roads and unmarked cemeteries. As odd as it sounds, I was so thrilled to be in something so opposite of my California lifestyle.

When we finally made it to the cemetery, we had to park below a hill and walk up the rest of the way. My Aunt Phyllis warned us to look out for snakes as we walked up the hill full of overgrown grass. When we finally reached the top of the hill, there was a small metal fence that surrounded the cemetery. Most of the place was overgrown with grass, weeds, and bushes. The trees made it so very little light made it into the cemetery and it was a bit hard to see in most places. I certainly wished at that moment that I had brought a flash light so that when I took a picture of the stones, you would actually be able to read them.

So as everyone began looking around, I began taking pictures. My Aunt Deb had the job of writing down what was on each stone. As I was kneeling and bending and twisting every which way to get a "great" picture of my great grandparents' gravestones, I noticed something shiny on the ground. When I reached down, I realized that it was a small stone that had been covered by a bush.

As I pulled the bush back and read the stone, my eyes lit up. "Look what I found!" I shouted out to everyone. As they gathered around me, I read the words on the small stone, "Inf. Dau of Monroe and Matilda Dugger".

I looked at my Aunt Deb and she shrugged. "Dad nevered mentioned nothing to me about a baby sister of his that died young, but then again, he never mentioned much about his family to us."

Everyone looked at my Aunt Phyllis. "I never heard a word about this," she said in suprise.

I was thrilled and ideas were rolling through my head faster than I had time to process them. I suddenly lost interest in the cemetery and was desperate to get back to my Grandpa's house. I had to see him, I had to ask him, I just had to know.

When we finally made it home, I instantly ran into my Grandpa's room to ask him about it. Before I had the chance to tell him what I was so excited about, he smiled at me and tried to calm me down. "Baby Girl, you're going to have to calm down if you want my old ears to hear a word you're saying," he said with a smile. As I told him the story though, his expression changed to one that was difficult to read. "Well, I am sorry to say that I never knew of this 'sister'. My Old Man never mentioned him, but we never talked much. Now, Baby Girl, I'm sorry I can't help you any. But it is time for this old man to get some rest." I gave him a quick hug before leaving his room and that was that.

To this day, I don't know if my Grandpa knew of this "infant daughter" or not. He was never very fond of me researching his parents side of the family. I think this is because he did not get along with his father after his mother's death. He always felt like the black sheep of his family.

Doing Some Volunteer Work During The Holidays

2008-11-23T10:11:00.001-08:00

During the holiday season, my mom and I always go searching for a volunteer project that we can take on to better someone's life or community. In the past we've done "adopt a family", where we buy presents for everyone in a low income family, sometimes we even make them a meal and buy them a tree. Other years we've made cookies for our local Boys and Girls Club (That was a 3 day affair of cookie making!).

Every year for the past two years however, I've been trying to find something that relates to genealogy. In the past I've done free look ups or helped people with their brick walls. But this year - I am not only putting a genealogy twist to it, but a cemetery twist too.

This year, I am going to go out and transcribe a small local cemetery with a friend of mine. Once I've done this, I will organize it into a small book that gives pictures, a general map of the cemetery, and a brief local history of the area. Then I will give the book to many of the local libraries in the area and the county, while also creating a website where that lists all the information in the book.

Mind you - this is no small task and will certainly take a lot of effort and time. But these days, the smallest things can brighten up our world. I'm sure someone out there will need the information.

So I call on all of you to find a cool way to volunteer for the genealogy world but with a cemetery twist. I've made a quick list of some ideas to get you started, but certainly anything you come up with will be pretty cool.

Maybe you own a lawn mower and you don't mind cutting grass for a underkept cemetery. You could then go down there and make it look so much nicer while also making it easier to read all the stones and markers.

Maybe you are a great photographer - you could volunteer to take pictures of your local cemeteries and send them to your local genealogical society or put them on a website.

Do what I am doing - make a transcription and publish it.

I find this to be extremely sweet: Clean up any dead flowers around the stones and then place a fresh flower on there.

Whatever you decide to do this holiday season - I'd love to hear about it. Drop me a line to let me know!

Pets Get Buried Too!

2008-11-22T20:52:00.000-08:00

I was talking to my dad today about my visit to my Grandpa in the summer of 2003. It was really the only time that I met my Grandpa (well...at least that I can remember. I met him a bunch of times when I was a baby and a toddler).

While I was out there visiting my grandpa in Elizabethton, Tennessee, I learned a lot about my family. One of the things I didn't expect to learn about was my Grandpa's love for his old dog, Jennifer (My little cousin was named Jennifer also...yet he never had a dog named Elyse! Well...that's a story for another time).

So as I am walking around his gigantic backyard (literally...HUGE) and looking at the gardens and trees, I noticed a big gravestone underneath a willow tree. So I approached it and began reading it: Jennifer - Beloved Dog and Loyal Friend. Now mind you - this was a beautiful gravestone with a small dog bone etched on the top corners and it looked like it was made of a beautiful granite.

In the middle of my admiring the stone, I was stung in the thumb area of my hand by a big gigantic bee (Did I mention I am terrified of bees?). I instantly started screaming and shaking my hand - but the bee remained stuck. So as I am running at top speed back to the house, screaming at the top of my lungs, no one even notices me until I get inside. I get inside, still screaming as loud as I can. My Aunt Deb (who took me to Tennessee) is the first to see me and as I put my hand up for her to see - she starts screaming also. My cousin Jen (who also came to Tennessee with me) walks in the room and starts screaming also. My Grandpa finally comes limping into the kitchen, grabs a paper towel, and pulls the bee right off of my hand.

I still remember it clear as day as he patted me on the shoulder and gave me a smile before turning to put the paper towel in the trash. My Aunt Deb began freaking out because there wasn't any neosporin in the house...so my Grandpa took me into his room and poured a small shot of whiskey over my sting. (Oh...and did that one hurt!)

As we began talking about how I got the bee sting in the first place, he began telling me stories about this wonderful dog Jennifer. As he told them, his face truly lit up in a way that very few ever saw. I really felt like I connected with him over the stories he told....

Which brings me to my point - pet cemeteries are important too. The fact that my Grandpa was willing to bury his beloved dog who had spent so much time with him after my his wife died - it really showed how much of an impact that Jennifer was to my Grandpa.

There Is No Way That Was Made In the 1700s...

2008-11-19T12:10:00.001-08:00

Have you ever been online looking at a ton of websites searching for a picture of a particular gravestone? When you finally found a picture of a gravestone that had all of the right information on it, but the stone looks waaaaay too new to possibly be what you are looking for?

Yep...it happens. And no, you aren't going crazy. Often times, many genealogical societies will create a new grave marker or stone for a person who was influential to the area. Sometimes family members who are proud of their lineage will create a new grave marker for someone who either served their country in a war or who made a big difference in something.

If you notice something like this, don't sit there pulling your hair out in confusion...this is definitely something that happens.

This happened with me when I was researching an ancestor of mine named Julius Dugger. I was searching on Ancestry and knew I probably wouldn't get a picture of his grave stone because he died in the late 1700s to early 1800s (I can't think of the exact date off the top of my head). But I did the search anyway - and sure enough - there was the picture staring me straight in the face. Everything that I read on the stone only confirmed what I already knew...but I also knew that there was no way this stone was created in that time period. Well, a little more digging and sure enough, there was my answer: A genealogical society in the area had created it for him because of his influence in Carter and Johnson Counties, TN.

Having a new gravestone created for a gravestone that either no longer exists or is too hard to read is becoming more and more common. My only word of caution is to not take everything on that new grave marker as complete fact because the new grave marker was created long after the person died...and therefore, there is more room for mistake.