Madison County Genealogical Society

Minutes of the Meeting - June 9, 2016

The June 2016 meeting of the Madison County Genealogical Society was held at the Edwardsville Public Library on Thursday, June 9, at 7:00 pm.

President, Robert Ridenour, called the meeting to order.

The following is the Treasurer's report for the month of May:

GIFT MEMBERSHIPS AVAILABLE

Do you have a family member that is interested in (or even obsessed with) genealogy? A membership in the Madison County Genealogical Society would be a very thoughtful gift. A gift card will be sent to the recipient of any gift membership.

The following memberships are available:
Individual/Family Annual Membership $20.00
Patron Annual Membership $30.00
Life Membership $250.00

Contact our Secretary, Petie Hunter, at [email protected], about a gift membership.

June Meeting


On June 9, 2016, Tom Pearson, Subject Specialist in the Genealogy Room of the St. Louis Public Library presented a program titled Speaks With the Dead: Getting to Know Your Living-Impaired Relatives or The Basics of Cemetery Research.

What cemetery are they buried in?

The first step in doing cemetery research is discovering which cemetery your ancestor was buried in. If you already know, great! If not, there are a number of ways to find out:

1.    Is there a surviving relative who might know? Ask him or her!

2.    Do you, or does someone else in the family, have a death certificate for this person? The certificate usually lists place of burial.

3.    Is a burial permit required in the county where he or she is likely buried? If so, it will provide the info you seek.

4.    Did the person in question die an unnatural death (accident/homicide/suicide/mysterious illness)? If so, the county coroner/medical examiner may be able to help.

5.    Is there an obit/funeral notice in the local newspaper? A local public library/genealogy society may be able to help.

6.    Are there only a few funeral homes in that locality? Ask them to check for your relative ­ if they are reluctant to do so, explain that you really only need the place of burial!

7.    Was the person a veteran? If yes, you can get that person's service record (regardless of your relationship to him or her) if that service member was discharged prior to 1953. He or she might be buried in a National or state veterans' cemetery.

8.    Do you know the person's religion? If so, contact a local church of that denomination.

9.    Do you know the person's occupation? If he or she would have likely belonged to a union, contact that local to see if they placed a death notice in the local newspaper.

There are some good online resources that can help you figure out where a person is buried.


Once you've learned the name of the cemetery, there are ways to figure out exactly where it's located.


Once I arrive at the cemetery, how do I find her grave?

You could try dowsing for it ­ Having somebody in the car who knows its location is the best solution, of course.

1.    Walk the cemetery (depending on its size, of course). Check headstones for death dates near to that of the person you are looking for and remember, relatives are often buried in the same lot, or adjacent lots.

2.    Ask the sexton (if the cemetery has an office).

3.    Ask at the church (if it is adjacent to one).

4.    Ask at City Hall/County Courthouse ­ they likely have some relevant records, and a long-time employee may have the info you seek.

5.    Ask at the local public library (may have a map/book about the cemetery, or a long-time employee may have the info you seek).

6.    Check in at the local genealogical society office and ask questions.

7.    Ask a local undertaker ­ he or she may have buried your relative, and will be knowledgeable about local cemeteries in any event.
If the person is buried in a National Cemetery, you can usually download/print a map of that cemetery on the Nationwide Gravesite Locator website.

What should I take with me to the cemetery?

1.    Area map (and cemetery map, if available).

2.    Notebook and clipboard.

3.    Pens, pencils, and ruler.

4.    Cell phone/tablet (and a car charger, if you have one).

5.    Digital camera and extra batteries/memory cards.

6.    Umbrella.

7.    Pocket mirror.

8.    Spray water bottle.

9.    Drinking water or soda/bag of snacks.

10.Compass/GPS locator.

11.Sunglasses/suntan lotion.

12.Sweater/long-sleeve shirt/ball cap or broad-rimmed hat.

13.Gloves.

14.Boots/galoshes.

15.Pruning shears/hedge shears or a hoe.

16.Insect repellant.

17.Whistle.

18.Supplies for making rubbings (but see next section).

19.Soft bristle brush (nylon, never wirebut see next section).

20.Travel bag/knapsack to hold all this stuff in.


When's the best time to visit a cemetery?

Spring or Fall. It is easier to avoid: Tripping Hazards, Snakes, Poison ivy, poison sumac, and poison oak If you are looking for a small family cemetery, in summer crops can block the view:

How should I record the info I find in a cemetery?

You can always go old school and write everything in a notebook or use a cell phone or tablet. A digital camera with lots of memory is a great option. You should ask before making a rubbing or using a bristle brush or cleaning agent on a gravestone! And please no shaving cream or chalk on gravestones ­ ever!!

Cleaning a gravestone covered with moss or lichen is a bad idea ­ the moss or lichen might be all that is holding it together!

What if the lighting is bad ­ too cloudy or too sunny?
Too cloudy ­ a pocket mirror can shed a little light on the subject. Too sunny ­ bring an umbrella and your photos will be made in the shade

What if a grave is not marked?
You can often spot sunken graves. Be sure and check nearby graves, to see if names sound familiar (or you know them to be relatives). One or more occupants of a sunken grave could be your ancestor!

A metal rod can be used to check for sunken graves ­ but check state law before doing so!

Caskets (wooden ones especially) have been known to decompose. Note: How quickly does a wooden coffin decompose? Well, that depends on a number of factors:

1.    Type of wood

2.    Type of soil

3.    Local climate

4.    Depth of area water table

5.    Local insect population

AND, a major factor to be sure:

6.    Is it in a vault, or buried directly in the ground?

How do I stay safe in a cemetery?
The good news ­ zombies will likely NOT be a problem. That said, you do need to remain alert, however ­

1.    Always bring a friend/relative ­ they can help with your research, and there is some safety in numbers.

2.    Do your exploring in broad daylight ­ easier to see potholes, insect and animal pests, and any two-legged vermin that might inhabit the cemetery. Many cemeteries close after dark, anyway.

3.    Your cell phone is not just for taking photos ­ it can also be used to call for help if you are injured/accosted.

4.    Bring a whistle ­ you can use it to signal for help if injured/accosted, and its sound will likely travel farther than your voice would anyway.

5.    Your pocket mirror (you brought one, right?) can also be used to signal for help.

6.    Bring a long-sleeved shirt and boots in case cemetery is poorly maintained ­ they can save you from insect and snakebites, and from contact with poison ivy and other such unfriendly plants. The long-sleeved shirt can also prevent painful sunburn, as can your hat or cap and a bandana.

7.    If you develop a "bad vibe" about a situation, get back in your car, roll up the windows, and lock your doors. It's better to overreact and be embarrassed than it is to under react ­ and be dead.

Grave Markers

The first grave markers were literally stones or boulders that were used to keep the dead from rising from their graves. Stones could also protect the corpse from scavengers.

As time went on, survivors began to mark the graves of the dead with a reminder about the person who was buried there. Many of these markers were made from wood or soft stones, and did not last long when exposed to the elements.

Early monuments and gravestones in Europe and old New England were often crudely carved with frightening motifs like winged skulls, skeletons, and angels of death.

Gravestones/headstones/markers can be made from many different materials:

1.    Brick

2.    Bronze

3.    Cast Iron

4.    Ceramic

5.    Concrete (also improperly called "Cement")

6.    Field Stone (fieldstone)

7.    Granite

8.    Limestone

9.    Marble

10.Native Stone

11.Sandstone

12.Soapstone

Grave markers can take many shapes:

1.    Rounded top

2.    Column

3.    Cross

4.    Monolith

5.    Monument

6.    Obelisk

7.    Pillar

8.    Pyramid

9.    Star of David

Gravestones/headstones can take several forms:

1.    Head Stone (headstone) or Tomb Stone (tombstone)

2.    Foot Stone (footstone)

3.    Ledger Stone

4.    Table Stone

5.    Plinth (actually the base for a column, tomb, or grave marker)

Cemetery iconography can be:

1.    Religious

2.    Symbolic

3.    Family coat of arms

4.    Related to a profession or a hobby

5.    Fraternal/social

6.    Military

7.    Off the wall

Gravestone Symbols and Carvings ­ Meaning and Inspiration can be found at Stoneletters.com

Military Headstones

Military headstones have a very recognizable shape. Usually the government furnished markers for a certain war all have the same shape. Confederate headstones are pointed to "keep Yankees from sitting on them!"

What Should I Know About Cemetery Laws?

Cemetery laws differ to some degree in every state.

Missouri Cemetery Laws

1.    Cemetery operators are required to maintain records of burials. However (and this is a very big however), this requirement does not apply to private or family cemeteries (although it should).

2.    Cemetery operators are required to provide "reasonable assistance" to "family or other interested persons" in locating burials. The law does not state whether fees are allowed for doing so.

3.    Individuals have a right to reasonable visitation of cemeteries surrounded by private land, which right is enforceable by the sheriff or other local law enforcement officer.

4.    Removal, mutilation, disturbance, or vandalism of burial sites, human remains, tombstones, monuments, fences, etc., is specifically prohibited and criminal penalties are provided.

Site with more info on Missouri cemetery laws: Missouri Cemeteries: Laws, General Information and Notes

Illinois Cemetery Laws

1.    Owners of private/abandoned cemeteries are not required by law to maintain them or provide access to them, unless an easement is part of the property deed.

2.    In the case of land development, the owner can be required to bear the cost of maintaining/relocating a neglected/abandoned cemetery.

3.    You cannot clean/repair gravestones or probe for sunken grave markers without a permit from the Illinois Historic Preservation Agent. You will not be granted a permit if you cannot demonstrate that you have received proper training in these activities.

4.    A county or township may choose to provide funds to restore a neglected/abandoned cemetery to "maintainable condition."

The Illinois Historic Preservation Agency has a Cemetery FAQ site

Some Websites of Potential Interest

Mr. Pearson had a handout that listed internet addresses for all the sites mentioned above. If you send an email to Tom at [email protected], he will send you an electronic version of that handout, with active links to those websites.

This presentation was very well received and several questions were asked.

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