Search Results for: blog before you visit the graveyard

Tips for Visiting the Cemetery

It isn’t unheard of for genealogists to go and visit cemeteries at any time of the year, not just when it is close to Halloween. Here are a few tips to follow that will make your visit to the graveyard result in good genealogy research, and keep you safe, at the same time. Before you visit the cemetery, you should take the time to gather up some very useful items. Bring your smartphone. Use it to call for help if you fall and get injured or become lost. Use it to take a photo of the graves of your ancestors, … Continue reading →

Resources for Those Who Love Graveyards

Do you enjoy spending time in graveyards and cemeteries? This particular interest is fairly common among genealogists. There are several blogs and news articles that are written about a person’s visit to an interesting graveyard, what the gravestones say, and the history of the people who are buried there. These are great resources for genealogists. Genealogy is the study of family. Often, it is the study of family members that have been dead for several generations. One good way to find out information about people who died long before you were born is to read their gravestones. You can do … Continue reading →

What Are Your Genealogy New Year’s Resolutions?

A lot of people are going to be making New Year’s Resolutions today. Whether their resolutions for 2011 are health related, travel related, or simply a promise to themselves to stop procrastinating, there is something about having a brand new year ahead of you that inspires people to better themselves. What are your genealogy related New Year’s Resolutions? I can share with you a few of my genealogy related New Year’s resolutions. One involves scrapbooking. I literally have a box of photographs that document a trip that my husband and I took halfway across the United States that I’ve been … Continue reading →

What Kind of Genealogist Are You?

It seems like a rather innocuous question. You just want to know what kind of genealogist someone else is. What research methods does that person prefer? How long have they been working on genealogy? Unfortunately, it seems that this simple question can lead to a lot of controversy! Obviously the question : “What kind of a genealogist are you?” can be taken as an insult, or even a threat. Someone could think that you are questioning their ability to do genealogy, or are trying to say that they are doing it wrong. This might lead to unnecessary conflict between you, … Continue reading →

What Cemeteries Can Teach You

Many genealogists are aware that a visit to a cemetery can provide a lot of information. Announcing that you are excited about visiting a cemetery, however, especially this close to Halloween, can cause your friends and family to give you some funny looks. Why not explain to them, in ways that are understandable to non-genealogy buffs, what a cemetery can teach you? Explaining your interest might make them want to accompany you on your trip to the graveyard. Or, at least, it might dispel some of those odd looks that they have been sending your way. It is always best … Continue reading →

Visit a Virtual Cemetery

Has your genealogy research made you want to know what your ancestor’s gravestones look like? Sometimes, it isn’t possible to drop everything, and plan a trip to a graveyard that is hours away from where you live, or is located clear across the country from where you are. One alternative is to visit a virtual cemetery. What is a virtual cemetery? It is the term given to a website that has detailed information about the graves in a particular, real, cemetery. You may be able to find photographs of individual gravestones. There may be a list of names of the … Continue reading →

What to Bring When You Visit A Cemetery

Has your genealogy research made you want to visit a cemetery or graveyard? Genealogists, as a group, tend to be very interested in cemeteries, especially older ones. Visiting one is a good way to get some confirmation about an ancestor’s birth or death date. In addition to following some “common sense” guidelines that you should be aware of before you visit a graveyard, you also need to know what to bring with you. Here is a quick checklist of what you should bring and why you may need it: Bring a friend with you. Cemeteries have a tendency to be … Continue reading →

Before You Visit The Graveyard

It is not unusual for genealogists to get excited about visiting a graveyard or cemetery. One way to get a confirmation about the birth or death date of an ancestor is to read it off of his or her tombstone. There is the possibility that you will discover information about ancestors you were not aware of on your visit. Your ancestors may have buried husbands and wives next to each other, or within the same plot. There may be more relatives resting nearby. A graveyard can be a very helpful resource for your genealogy research. Before you rush off to … Continue reading →

Ways to go Wild with Your Family in Nature this Fall

It’s fall… which means most of us only have a few more weeks before Mother Nature’s bitter joke that is winter has us hibernating in our homes until spring. Don’t let autumn’s natural beauty pass you by. Dads, forget about football for one day, and moms, consider running errands during the week so you can use one of fall’s fleeting weekends to take the entire family outdoors for an adventure in nature. One idea: Head to your local wildlife refuge. Hundreds of wildlife refuges around the nation are using Halloween as a way to showcase creatures that are nocturnal or … Continue reading →

Sinkhole Causes Problems for Historic Cemetery

A historic graveyard in Pennsylvania is being threatened by a large sinkhole. There is the possibility that the graves will need to be exhumed. If so, then this could make it difficult for genealogists to record the information on the graves, and to connect it to where they have been relocated. In Allentown, Pennsylvania, a large sinkhole has formed. It is around 50 feet long, and 30 feet wide, and it appears to be growing. As you may expect, the sinkhole is causing the town lots of problems. A dozen homes have been vacated, and 25 people have been evacuated. … Continue reading →