May.
A month to enjoy flowers brought to bloom by April showers.
A month to first anticipate and then enjoy academic graduation.
A month to remember military relatives who died while in service to the country.
May is also my favorite month to conduct genealogical cemetery research for a couple of reasons: a.) the cemetery has been freshly mowed and b.) the weather isn’t too hot or too cold. Also, I’ve never seen a snake in a graveyard in May but they’re everywhere from June until it gets cold. Of course, I am speaking of my personal genealogical research which takes place in truly rural areas and not in weekly manicured urban final resting places.
So, if you haven’t had a chance to visit a cemetery where your ancestors are buried, THIS is the month to make time to do it! There may be a WEALTH of genealogical information waiting to be discovered by YOU.
Before you venture out there, however, there are three things you need to do:
A month to enjoy flowers brought to bloom by April showers.
A month to first anticipate and then enjoy academic graduation.
A month to remember military relatives who died while in service to the country.
May is also my favorite month to conduct genealogical cemetery research for a couple of reasons: a.) the cemetery has been freshly mowed and b.) the weather isn’t too hot or too cold. Also, I’ve never seen a snake in a graveyard in May but they’re everywhere from June until it gets cold. Of course, I am speaking of my personal genealogical research which takes place in truly rural areas and not in weekly manicured urban final resting places.
So, if you haven’t had a chance to visit a cemetery where your ancestors are buried, THIS is the month to make time to do it! There may be a WEALTH of genealogical information waiting to be discovered by YOU.
Before you venture out there, however, there are three things you need to do:
1.) Make sure your handy-dandy cemetery kit is fully stocked. A previous post lists the contents of my personal grave kit. These are items I use when I go to a cemetery to gather information. One of the items has been eliminated—a digital camera. My phone takes really good pictures so my load has been lightened. Your kit may be larger or smaller depending on what you plan to do.
2.) Have GOOD directions. If you deal with rural cemeteries as I do, secondary roads may not come up in your nav system. A friend of mine needed some genealogical help a few years ago, so off we went to Whitley County in south-eastern Kentucky. After two trips, of the eight cemeteries we sought, we found all but one. And we did half of it without GPS as we had no service in many places. How did we do it? Good old fashioned paper maps. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet website has printable maps of the State Primary Road Systems by county. These maps are new—2017 and to me seem to have less detail than the General Highway Maps the Cabinet still makes available, however, not being a cartographer, it is simply my "lay opine-pontif." We used those maps to find our way to half of the cemeteries which were located “off the paved road.”
3.) Do NOT trespass. Many rural cemeteries are small family plots. Ingress and egress may involve crossing private property. If a property owner denies access to the burial location of the relatives or ancestors of relatives or descendants, the property owner is in violation of Kentucky state law and may be charged with a Class B misdemeanor. Laws regarding access vary by state. Know before you go. In Kentucky, you have to notify the property owner no less than three days before you plan to visit. You also have to use the route the property owner designates to reach the burial site, and are responsible for any damage you cause while on his property. In West Virginia, you have to give at least ten days’ notice. The property owner may designate time, route, length of stay, etc. On a side note, it’s always good policy, even though you have permission, to knock on the door and let them know you’re there and that you appreciate the access.
Well, it looks like you're ready. Happy researching and let us know what exciting information you find!
Well, it looks like you're ready. Happy researching and let us know what exciting information you find!