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Tools of the Trade:

• Graph paper
• Notebook paper (or copies of the template)
• Pencils

What to Do:

On the graph paper, consider each square to be the equivalent of a cemetery stone. Map out the cemetery by using a simple numbering system starting with number 1 and numbering until you've finished recording all the stones by placing the numerals in their approximate location to each other on the graph paper.

On the notebook paper, reference the stone # from above and list all of the information found on each stone individually. Alternatively, we have developed a template that you may copy and use instead of notebook paper if you wish.

If you're working in a large cemetery, make it easy on yourself and break the cemetery down into manageable sections. Start each section with number 1 again, and draw an overview of the cemetery to show which section is which. Sections should always be labeled with letters to differentiate them from the stones, which are always numbers. Be sure to record all the normal information found on the stones, plus any additional information; such as:

• Verses
• Daughter/Son of
• Wife/Husband of
• Place of birth or death
• Military information
• Marriage date
• Children's names
• Name of funeral home - if temporary marker (note that it's a temporary marker as well)
• Name of monument company, if you can find it
• Any other information on the stone
• Notate if there is a photo of them, of their barn, etc on the stone as well

If you have further information on any of the people in the cemetery that you are indexing, by all means please include that information. This information may come from a number of different sources, but generally from the cemetery records or church records. If you do list this information, PLEASE be certain to notate this as additional information that WAS NOT ON THE STONE. We need to keep that data separated for a true transcription. The additional information is for the benefit of our readers and should not be mixed in with the transcription data. An example of this would be if a person's cemetery marker gave their birth and death year only (i.e.: 1878 - 1950), but through the records you find that their death date was June 25, 1950. You want to record the full death date as a note only. Do not fill in the month and day in the actual record portion. We have been including such information as:

• Maiden names
• Spouse's name
• Parent's names
• Full birth date (when only a partial date is listed on the stone itself)
• Full death date (when only a partial date is listed on the stone itself)

When you have your cemetery project completed, you may bring it along to the next meeting, email it to us (Any Microsoft product through version 2000 (no XP please) will do - or any other program file that MS can read) or mail it to us at:
ICGS
PO Box 321
Dodgeville, WI 53533-0321

Thanks for all your tremendous help. We couldn't have gotten this far without you!

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