Your Cemetery Tool Kit

A couple of days ago, I wrote about the wealth of information that a headstone could hold. I also mentioned that, sometimes, headstones need to be cleaned before you can read it. Today, in preparation for spring, I want to pass on information that I learned about in 2012. I wrote the following in December of 2011 for publication in a newsletter in 2012.

During the snows and cold of the Canadian winter, it is difficult to visit the final resting places of our ancestors to gather information about them.  These visits must be done during the good weather of the spring, summer and fall.

As many of you know, you will need to prepare to visit a cemetery so that you will get the most of your visit.  This preparation can be done during the cold winter months.  The first piece of information that you will need to find your ancestor is “where is the dear one buried?”   Bits of information that will help you with this are things like:

Where was his residence?

What Church did he belong to?

Was there a family plot?

Is there a published family history?

What cemeteries are in the area?

Now, you think that you may have your ancestor located.  Are you ready to go to find his final resting place?  The groundskeepers do not have the time to look after individual headstones, so you need to be prepared for this. 

Part of your preparation for your trip is your tool kit.  Why do I need a toolkit, you say.  I have gone to a few cemeteries without one and regret it every time.  You don’t need much, but here are some items that will help with the success of your trip.

Notebook and pens or pencils (for copying the inscription)

Carpenter’s apron (handy way of carrying your equipment)

Gardener’s knee pads (to pad your knees when kneeling)

Garden shears (to trim grass and weeds)

Whisk broom (to remove trimmed grass, weeds, and dirt)

Sponge and water (to rinse the headstones)

Sunscreen or Sunblock

Non-ionic detergent and a white soft-bristled brush

Moist towelettes

Bug Repellent

Camera (Film or Digital)

We have learned over the past few years that great care must be taken with cleaning headstones.  They are delicate artifacts that give valuable information about our family.  We must learn non-abrasive ways of maintaining these treasures for future generations of our families.