Is a visit to a cemetery in your summer plans? If so, I have a few tips to share after my recent experience. As part of Memorial Day weekend, I wanted to visit the cemetery in Preston, Idaho, where my mother-in-law’s ancestors are buried. With her parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents all laid to rest in the same cemetery, I thought it would be a quick and easy thing to locate them. We quickly learned that there was more to it than arriving at the cemetery and walking around. After reflecting on our experience, I thought of three tips to make...
Do you enjoy a good tromp around a cemetery – looking at the headstones and wondering about the lingering stories? As a family historian and genealogist, you know the value of cemetery research to mine names and dates, but have you explored the symbols often engraved on a headstone? Those can hint at stories to be uncovered. In this guest post, genealogist Lynn Blair shares her photos and passion for discovering the stories found in New England’s cemeteries. I met Lynn while I mentored ProGen 44, a 14-month study group. When she shared her hobby, I knew I wanted to...
Have you ever traipsed through a cemetery and wondered if you’re discovering all the clues for your ancestor? We are understandably most interested in the names and dates on the headstones, but what else should we be considering? In part 1 of this series, you learned about the various types of U.S. cemeteries and how to find the cemetery for your ancestor’s burial. In part 2 you discovered a variety of cemetery records such as sexton’s records, plat maps, and cemetery deeds. This article will show you how to use all of the information on the headstone or memorial to...
What types of cemetery records are available to shed light on your ancestor’s life? Have you considered searching for more than the headstone? A cemetery record can contain important genealogical information such as birth and death details, family relationships, and more. If we’re going to discover all we can about our ancestors, we need to be aware of the variety of cemetery records and what can be found in them. In Back to the Basics: Cemetery Records Part 1 you learned about the various types of U.S. cemeteries, and how to find the cemetery where your ancestor might be buried....
Memorial Day and summer are approaching and you may be getting ready to do some hands-on cemetery research. If you’re not able to visit a cemetery in person right now, can you still do cemetery research? What are the basics that you need to know? In Part 1 of this series we’ll cover the types of U.S. cemeteries and strategies for locating a cemetery for your ancestor. Why Cemetery Research Why should you explore cemetery records? Often a cemetery record might be the only mention of a child who was born and died in between census years. It could also...
You’ve searched Find A Grave and Billion Graves. You’ve visited your local cemetery and taken photos of the headstones. What’s left for your cemetery research? Answer: the records kept by the cemetery office or sexton’s records. You may be surprised at the details in these records. I recently discovered a collection of cemetery records at the Utah Archives for my Kelsey family and today I’m sharing what I found. I’ll also give you three tips for locating cemetery records of your own. First of all, why go after the cemetery records? Isn’t all of the information for an individual on...
Family history is all about people and meeting new cousins is often a highlight in our genealogy ramblings. Ten years ago, long before Ancestry’s DNA became hugely popular, I participated in a YDNA test group that not only proved my connection to Thomas Royston, who arrived in Virginia in 1635, but led me to a new cousin. Today I’d like to introduce you to Don Royston, my DNA proven cousin and fellow Royston researcher. I met Don via email in November of 2005. I had been actively researching my Royston line for over two years, having only the name of my Texan...
