Almost every genealogist I know loves visiting a cemetery. I’m known to visit cemeteries even if I don’t have any ancestors buried there. Planning for a cemetery trip can be very important.

Tips for Planning the Cemetery Tour

• Use maps to plan your tour. I use Google Maps: My Maps. If you have several cemeteries to visit in one area, use Google Maps to create a route for efficiency.
• Get cemetery hours and sexton or office information ahead of time, if possible.
• Don’t forget to plan for bathroom breaks, lunch breaks, travel time, and time to get lost.
• Have a back-up plan if the weather gets bad. If you are doing this in conjunction with a  family visit, try to have a flexible schedule.

Cemetery Tour Tips

• When taking digital photos, take a photo of the front gate sign at the beginning AND the end of the session. This will ensure you attribute the correct cemetery to the correct tombstone.
• Pay attention to who is buried around your ancestors. Often families bought plots together.
• If there is a local person around, a sexton, groundskeeper, or office staff, be sure to talk to them. They most likely know something more or have supporting documents.
• Take good, detailed notes and process your data as soon as possible.

What’s in the bag?

Be sure to pack the following:

• Camera, reflector
• Memory Cards
• Battery back-up (USB), car chargers
• SOFT brushes
• Water, snacks, sunscreen, bug spray
• Wear appropriate clothes & shoes (think about weeds, burrs, snakes, bugs, etc)

You never know what kind of obstacles or critters you might encounter in the cemetery. Here are a few that I’ve encountered over the years.