{"id":62981,"date":"2020-11-06T10:24:55","date_gmt":"2020-11-06T15:24:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=62981"},"modified":"2021-04-19T09:49:54","modified_gmt":"2021-04-19T13:49:54","slug":"genealogy-tips-lessons-learned-from-writing-a-cemetery-book","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/genealogy-tips-lessons-learned-from-writing-a-cemetery-book.html","title":{"rendered":"Genealogy Tips: Lessons Learned from Writing a Cemetery Book"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction<\/em><\/strong>: In this article, Gena Philibert-Ortega provides genealogy tips for researching cemeteries that she learned while writing a book on cemeteries in eastern California. Gena is a genealogist and author of the book \u201cFrom the Family Kitchen.<\/span>\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

In 2007 I wrote a book titled Cemeteries of the Eastern Sierra (Arcadia Publishing) that focused on the images and history of cemeteries in the Eastern Sierra region of California. This required a lot of research in various repositories online and off, as well as the cemeteries themselves. That experience taught me a lot about cemeteries and what mistakes we genealogists make in searching for our ancestors.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: tombstone for Curtis Bellows. Credit: Gena Philibert-Ortega, from her book Cemeteries of the Eastern Sierra.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Not Everyone\u2019s Grave Is Marked<\/strong><\/p>\n

While we would like to easily find our ancestor\u2019s final resting place well marked, that\u2019s not always the reality. Not everyone had a gravestone and that, unfortunately, is still true today.<\/p>\n

The cost associated with final burial arrangements is expensive, and that was even true for our ancestors. Gravestones can be expensive and not everyone\u2019s family can afford one. They might have delayed marking the grave thinking they would eventually get around to it \u2013 and instead life got in the way.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also important to remember that not everyone leaves family behind. No close family, or being the person who outlives everyone else, may mean that no one is around to take care of the final details.<\/p>\n

Add to that the fact that gravestones can be stolen or destroyed over time. Wooden markers don\u2019t last, and some stone markers don\u2019t always wear well in the elements. When I was writing my book, thieves were stealing the metal inserts from some markers and selling them to metal recyclers. So, if your ancestor\u2019s grave is marked, consider yourself lucky.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: broken-down gravesite. Credit: Gena Philibert-Ortega, from her book Cemeteries of the Eastern Sierra.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Not All Cemeteries Are the Same<\/strong><\/p>\n

Visualize a cemetery. What do you see? Maybe a nice manicured lawn with neat rows of gravestones all lined up. That\u2019s one type of cemetery, but there are others. Cemeteries are different. Yes, there are those beautiful manicured cemeteries \u2013 but there are also cemeteries that are forgotten and overgrown. Cemetery types include:<\/p>\n