Names In Stone News Room

FIVE REASONS TO PROTECT CEMETERY RECORDS

Cemetery visitors, researchers, and record keepers face many challenges when dealing with cemetery headstones and records.  Some common stories are heard far too often:

• A researcher knows her ancestor is buried in the cemetery, but the aging hand-written records were destroyed in a cemetery office fire. There are no duplicates.
• Floodwaters tossed headstones all over the cemetery. With no current map, no one knows for sure which headstone belongs to which grave.
• Descendants visit a family cemetery hoping to expand their records of their ancestors. But the headstone inscriptions are completely illegible.

These stories and recent headlines highlight five important reasons for protecting cemetery records.

 

 

1.    A Changing Landscape. Friends of the Crosby Family Cemetery in Louisiana will tell you that a changing landscape can be disastrous for cemeteries. Creeping coastal erosion is gradually claiming this little cemetery, and as the land sinks, headstones are plunging into the fast approaching Bayou Lafourche. Even the caskets float away. Read more here.

2.   Urban Development. In many areas, particularly in the southern US, small family cemeteries once dotted the landscape. With cities now spreading rapidly outward, many of these cemeteries are now in the way of urban development. Sometimes they are discovered mid-construction, leaving landowners to make critical decisions. Some cemeteries end up in the middle of parking lots -- others are bulldozed or paved over. Learn more. 

3.    Wear and Tear of Time. Although headstones are made to last, most are made of stones that gradually deteriorate with weather and time. Their inscriptions, and the lives of those they represent, become a mystery. One family would like to know if Amos' wife Jane is buried beside him, but they are unable to decipher the illegible inscription. You can read about it here. 

4.    Vandalism. Recently, nearly 300 headstones in an eastern Ohio cemetery were pushed over or destroyed by vandals. Some of the stones are from the 1800s and are irreplaceable. Read the article here. 

5.    Natural Disasters.  Hurricanes, fires, floods, earthquakes--all can wreak havoc on cemeteries and their irreplaceable records. A dramatic example is this cemetery in Orange, Texas, that was devastated by Hurricane Ike.

 

 

What is the solution?

How do we protect the records of cemeteries both large and small?

At Names In Stone, we believe the answer is to digitize cemetery maps and records so they are preserved and protected even though disaster might damage the headstones or paper records. Digitized maps and records are easily backed up and stored off-site for extra protection. And digitized records are also easily shared online to benefit others who may not be able to visit in person.

Are you interested in learning more? Contact a Names In Stone representative to learn how to help cemeteries of all sizes digitally protect their records.

 

 

 

 

Huntington Rural Cemetery Survives Superstorm Sandy

The last storm of the 2012 Hurricane season left a trail of devastation from the Greater Antilles to eastern Canada. Although most of the eastern seaboard was impacted by Sandy, the coastal Mid-Atlantic States received the brunt of her wrath.

How did one local cemetery make it through the Superstorm?

“We were lucky,” says Bill Murphy, Superintendent of the Huntington Rural Cemetery in New York. “When Sandy came through there was no building damage, but we lost two very large and very old trees.” The 50-year old giants stood nearly 40 feet tall, with trunks measuring over two feet in diameter. 

“We don’t think the trees landed on any headstones,” says Mr. Murphy, “but when the trees fell over their massive root sections lifted mounds of dirt and toppled over a large granite monument. We don’t think there is any more disturbance than that,” he says. 

Because of the urgent need for felled tree removal in other parts of the region, the two huge trees will remain in their horizontal resting position for some time, marking the power of Hurricane Sandy.

The loss of electrical power was another result of Sandy. “We were without electricity at my house for eleven days,” says Mr. Murphy, “and it got cold! We had to live with our son until the power was restored.”

Power was only down at the Cemetery for three days, but when staff turned the computer back on, they wondered if their cemetery data would be affected. 

“In times like this, we are glad we back-up our data to a flash drive and store it offsite in a safety deposit box,” says Mr. Murphy.  Fortunately, their records management software and data made it through the storm and came back up without any problems.

We’re glad to hear our friends at Huntington Rural weathered the Superstorm—and had peace of mind knowing their digitized cemetery records were safe. 

About Huntington Rural Cemetery

Nestled on 40 beautiful grassy acres near the shores of the Long Island Sound is the Huntington Rural Cemetery. The Cemetery, located in the town of Huntington, New York, was established in 1851 and is the final resting place for over 11,000 people.

The Cemetery had its first burial in 1853—William Fleetwood Hull, the son of Isaac and Judith Hull. Little William was just two years, two months, and sixteen days old when he died.

Huntington Rural Cemetery is also the final resting place of:

• Abner Crossman, soldier of the American Revolution
• 176 Civil War veterans
• 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.
• Harry Chapin, popular singer and songwriter (“Cats in the Cradle”), who was killed in 1981 on the Long Island Expressway.

The Huntington Rural Cemetery has been a user of Spatial GENERATIONS cemetery management software since 2003.

 

Eagle Scout Maps Cemetery in Wisconsin

Young men who want to become an Eagle Scout must perform a service-leadership project that totals 80 to 150 hours. A service project of that size is no small task, and Ben Freed, a 17-year-old Boy Scout from Wisconsin, wanted to come up with a great idea for his Eagle Scout Service Project  that would have a lot of meaning.

 

After two project ideas that didn't pan out, Ben became interested in doing something for a local cemetery that would help preserve the records and make them available for others to research.

Ben's mother, Deborah, suggested he do a project for the White Creek Cemetery in Wisconsin. This cemetery has special significance for Ben and his family, because at least 1/3 of the burials in the cemetery are somehow related to them--including Ben's grandfather.

Ben's father did some online research and learned that they could create their own online digital cemetery map on Names In Stone, and that those records would be linked with FamilySearch, the world's largest genealogical database. That project sounded ideal. 

Ben's Eagle Scout Service Project

The White Creek Cemetery is located in Adams, Wisconsin. It is an older cemetery, with tombstones dating from the late 1850s, some with barely legible inscriptions. The cemetery is still in use, with newer monuments along the north and west edges of the cemetery. In 2002, an acre of land was donated to the White Creek Cemetery Association, which will allow the cemetery to be enlarged and a new fence added.

The Cemetery is a wonderful American memorial, with many veterans buried there, including veterans from the Spanish-American War, the Civil War, World War I, World War II, and the Gulf War.

Ben was excited about mapping the White Creek Cemetery for his Eagle Project because he felt it was an enduring project that could be built upon, would be useful into the future, and could be used by many people.

Ben divided his project into two parts: 

• Data Collection
• Data Entry

Data Collection:

The first step was accomplished at the White Creek Cemetery on April 28, 2012. 

Ben divided a group of 33 volunteers into two-man teams, who took photos of each headstone, or photos of a rubbing of a headstone if the inscription was illegible. They marked each photo with a label that identified where in the cemetery the headstone is located. The teams also used a data collection form to record information including: name of deceased, birth date, death date, and all other information found on the headstone.

Data Entry:

After the data collection was complete, Ben recruited 12 people to work on computers and enter the data on an online map he created on the Names in Stone website. During one data entry session, scout leaders were able to provide enough laptops to have four groups enter data simultaneously.

Ben learned quickly how important it was to standardize their methods--and he put himself in charge of quality control. That's one bit of advice he would give to any other Scout who wants to map a cemetery: include "Quality Control" as one of the steps of the project. "I would recommend to anyone who wishes to complete a similar project to use a standard format for all data both in recording and in data upload--as well as standard equipment on the collection end."

 

 When Ben was finished, he had created an online digital cemetery with 524 graves! Users from anywhere in the world are able to click on any grave on Ben's map and see a photo of the headstone and all the data linked with that grave.

How do Ben and his family feel about this project now that it's complete?

Ben says, “Doing this project felt like…ROOTS. I was connecting back to my past. When I was entering names in the computer, it hit me—how these people lived and how they were connected to ME.”

Ben's mother, Deborah, helped on the project by entering headstone information on the computer. She says, "This project was near and dear to our hearts, because my husband’s family is buried there. It was a profound spiritual experience for me. It was almost like I felt them say to me, ‘Thank you. Now I can be found, and I am not forgotten.’”

Ben gives special thanks to all the volunteers who donated their time and efforts to make his cemetery mapping project a big success!

Click here to view the White Creek Cemetery map on Names In Stone.

Would you like to learn more about creating a digital map of a cemetery? Click here for detailed instructions. Get more information about Names In Stone and Eagle Scout Service Projects here.

Christmas in the Cemetery

Cemeteries across the country are getting all dressed up for Christmas. NAMES IN STONE wants to share a few of those stories with you!

NATIONAL WREATH PROJECT

The National Wreath Project, sponsored by the Sgt Mac Foundation, honors veterans by decorating their graves with beautiful wreaths.  The decorations are obtained through donations and placed by volunteers.

In its fourth year, volunteers for the Project laid 1,620 wreaths on graves in Soldiers’ National Cemetery in Gettysburg, and 3,400 in Quantico National Cemetery located in Virginia.

The Sgt Mac Foundation was started by the family of Marine Sergeant Jonathan Eric McColley, a 23-year-old soldier who was killed in a helicopter accident in 2006 off the coast of Djibouti. 

In 2008, the wreaths were decorated by third graders from Sergeant McColley's elementary school in Gettysburg. Read more about the National Wreath Project and view photos in Gettysburg's Soldiers' National Cemetery.

 

ARLINGTON WREATH PROJECT

Since 1992, volunteers have laid holiday wreaths in Arlington National Cemetery, thanks to wreath donations from Worcester Wreath Company of Harrington, Maine. That first year, Morrill Worcester donated 4,000 wreaths from his holiday decoration company. Every December since, he has set aside several thousand wreaths to lay on the gravestones at Arlington.

How do they determine where to lay their wreaths?  Each year, the director of the Cemetery selects the area, and they plan to cover all areas of the Cemetery over a number of years. 

In December of 2011, 15,000 volunteers laid 90,000 wreaths on headstones at Arlington National Cemetery.  

Watch this special report about the Arlington Wreath Project.

 

 

HOLIDAY WREATH PROJECT OF FORT HOWARD MEMORIAL PARK

A retired Marine in Green Bay, Wisconsin wanted to honor the veterans buried in Fort Howard Memorial Park Cemetery in a special way. So he decided to replicate the the tradition of laying the holiday wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery.

Earlier this year, John Havey began raising money for his project. He was able to raise $1,100 and just before Thanksgiving, he and eight other volunteers assembled the wreaths and placed them at the graves of 57 veterans buried in the cemetery.

Havey told the Green Bay Press Gazette, "It's very emotional for me right now," Havey said. "It's just like a dream come true, and now we can actually look at the fruits of our labors and think about what a fitting and meaningful way to pay tribute to these folks. I'm just really happy about it."

You can read the full story here. 

 

Does your cemetery do something special during the holidays? NAMES IN STONE would love to hear about it. Visit our FACEBOOK page and share your story! 

 

 

Guidelines for Cleaning Gravestones

Often in our cemetery visits, we come across gravestones that could use a good cleaning. But immediately we are faced with questions...

• Is the stone cleanable?

• What cleaners and tools are safe to use?

• How do I clean the gravestone?

 

Here are some guidelines to get you started:

 Decide if a headstone is cleanable.

• DO NOT CLEAN: Wood markers; a stone that is chipping, flaking, or has a grainy surface that is falling away; a stone that has significant fractures; a stone that is brittle or at risk in any way.

• Marble, sandstone, and limestone have all commonly been used for gravestones. However, these are softer stones that should not be cleaned too frequently. Once every ten years should be sufficient.

• Granite markers are a harder stone and can withstand a more vigorous cleaning.

• Cast iron and bronze markers can be cleaned. However, do not try to remove rust or flaking metal.
• Before cleaning any gravestone, you should always get permission from the lot owner or next of kin if you are not a relative of the deceased.
  
  
  Safe-to-Use Cleaners and Tools.

• The most important thing to remember: improper use of cleaners or tools can irreparably damage gravestones!

• DO NOT USE: wire brushes; metal tools; abrasive pads; acid or acidic cleaners; household cleaners (such as soap, detergents, Borax, bleach, 409).

• Always have plenty of water on hand. A portable pump sprayer will give you a source of clean water, which is vital. Don't rinse the stone with dirty water from your cleaning bucket.

• Bring a wide variety of soft, natural-bristle or plastic brushes. Always start with the softest brush to see if it will do the job. Automobile detailing brushes are a good choice. Do not use old brushes that have been contaminated with unapproved cleaners.

• Non-ionic cleaners are safe for nearly all cemetery stones. They have a neutral PH that will not harm the stones, and are sold as a photography product (such as Photo Flo - a Kodak Product, Trion-X 100, or lgepal). Mix 1 ounce to 5 gallons of water.

• Do not use shaving cream. The high levels of alcohol and menthol have been found to damage the stone.

• Do not use sand as a cleaning agent. It will scratch the surface of all stones.  

 

        Cleaning Guidelines.

• Begin by saturating the stone with clean water. Rinse often with clean water to monitor for damage or flaking of the stone.

• Start with a clean water rinse, which may be sufficient. If more cleaning is necessary, progress to the softest brush that will be effective. Scrub gently in a circular random motion.

• Some conservators recommend beginning at the bottom of the stone and working to the top. This prevents residue from staining as it dries.

• Don't let cleaners or residue dry on the stone. Streaking and staining can occur if you allow the dirty water to evaporate. Rinse often with clean water as you work.
  
  

Every time a stone is cleaned, part of that stone's surface is removed. NAMES IN STONE recommends a thorough evaluation of the stone's composition and condition before proceeding.

 

RESOURCES:

Gravestone Preservation.info: Cleaning Gravestones, Monuments, & Stone Sculptures

The Association for Gravestone Studies: Tools and Materials for Gravestone Cleaning Projects

International Association of Cemetery Preservationists: The Proper Way to Clean a Headstone

Everlife Memorials: Cleaning and Preservation of Tombstones, Headstones, and Gravestones