After much procrastination I have decided to throw my hat into the A to Z ring once again. My theme this year will be cemetery searching.
This will seem like a strange topic to many, but for family historians and genealogists, a visit to a family cemetery is a thrill. Not only is it interesting to see graves of family members long past, but the variety of headstones, ages, and causes of death can be fascinating.
For me, it’s the long-ago graves that especially hold my interest and offer some connection to my ancestry. This is the only “concrete” way of connecting with them other than through documents and archival records. There is much less urgency for those gone more recently – at least for me – because I knew them and hold memories of them which keeps them alive for me.
When searching graveyards or cemeteries, it’s always good to have a willing helper who’ll help search a large cemetery. Mr Cassmob is very tolerant of this foible of mine and he seems to unerringly find the right grave, no matter how we divide up our quadrant search. He does tend to get distracted occasionally by the inscriptions on the headstones which can be a bit frustrating when time is limited. <smile> My children, on the other hand, have very little tolerance of cemetery searching declaring their irritation at hot, crackly grass where there might be snakes, or cold Irish graveyards at dusk with owls hooting. Really, there’s no pleasing some people!
When time permits, we will peruse a cemetery with no known links to our families, just out of curiosity. I tend to photograph stones that are in peril of collapsing or becoming illegible, as well as monumental inscriptions for German immigrants or those from County Clare, Ireland as I have a research interest in both of those.
So if you’re not put off by ghoulies and ghosties feel free to join me on this journey. I only hope my commitment gets me to Z.
Family history across the seas 
The first gravestone I found belonging to a family member was my DNA discovery – my biological father. His parents, my grandparents, were there too. Quite an unreal feeling.
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That must have been a bit confronting as well as giving a sense of connection.
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I do enjoy a cemetery visit, especially when finding my people buried there.
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Finding family is the proverbial icing on the cake 🙂
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Count this Taphophile in. Looking forward to your posts – I share your ghoulish interest.
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We’re a weird mob for sure 🙂
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I love this topic and maybe I might do an A to Z of this in the future. Cemeteries do lure me in. The best one was Boneventure cem in Savannah Ga. I do need to write that post.
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Don’t do what I do and leave it till the last minute though 😉 Meanwhile do the Boneventure one.
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I have many to finish up… now April is in my way!
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I love this theme Pauleen. I racked my brain trying to think of a them this year. I may even steal this in future years. Looking forward to your posts
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Happy to inspire you with this theme. I ummed and aahed before I went ahead, but pretty sure I’ve a theme list I worked out last year – but where??
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I love this theme Pauleen. I racked my brain trying to think of a them this year. I may even steal this in future years. Looking forward to your posts
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Like you I love an old cemetery. And yes, my children were the same when I insisted on a cemetery search while on Holliday. Looking forward to your posts. I’ve been so focussed on my own that I’m just catching up now.
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I’m chasing my tail with posts and comments so I can relate. Little did we know we were doing the reverse on inspiring future genealogists.
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Hi Pauleen,
Love the idea of using cemeteries as your theme. I would love to do that but as my ancestors arrived in Tasmania from 1830 onwards and have mainly lived in two areas, I would be limited in which letters I could include with a cemetery.
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That would be limiting. Mine didn’t gad about too much here but I also search for the Irish and Germans which spreads the net wider.
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