ANNOUNCEMENT! Posts for two weeks will be
brief with genealogy tips only. When the blogger returns (Oct 28) we will go
back to our standard format. As they say: “Don’t go away. We’ll be right back!”
Genealogy tip for today: Cemetery Kit
You’re all geared up and ready
to hit the trails. Wait a moment – hold your horses, as my mom used to say. You
need to put together what is called a cemetery kit. I have one put together
that I keep in the garage. I just grab it and take it with me when I get ready
to hit the road.
I’ll give you a list.
Virtually all these are household items that are easy to find and/or
inexpensive to purchase. I’ll also find you website you can check for similar
information. And of course, your supplies will depend on which way you are
going to do your reading – photo, rubbings, or other.
This is pretty much a master
list, because you may find from time to time one method will work one time, but
you will need to do something different another time. Before we get to the
list, there are calculators on the internet that can help you determine a birth
date, but the age at death.
Cleaning and Rubbing Supplies:
Baggies
Squeegee
Shaving foam
Spray bottle of water
Two gallons of water (or
more)
Paper Towels
Sponge(s)
Rubber Gloves
Garden Gloves
Large Ziploc bags or small
trash bags
Clean towels or rags
(several)
Masking tape or painter’s
tape (leaves no residue)
Newsprint or rice paper
Charcoal or unwrapped crayons
Moist Towelettes
Metal polish, clean soft rags
or cotton balls
Toothbrush
Craft sticks
Grass clippers
Small hand shovel (used with
potted plants)
Trowel (shovel or trowel may
be needed to clean grass or gravel from around the grave marker.)
Kneeling board
Painter’s plastic or large
trash bags cut open (coverage for ground in case it’s muddy)
Small, long dowel rod* (or
metal rod)
Metal Detector*
Mallet (to gently tap on the rod) – or use your
shoe. J
Office Supplies:
Notepad/notebook
Clipboard
Pens, pencils
Eraser or art gum
Ruler or tape measure
Pencil sharpener (handheld)
Small stapler and staple
remover
Paper clips
Scissors/shears
Camera supplies
Umbrella (or a foam board
covered in aluminum foil)
Camera
SD card, film
Batteries
Tripod
Flood Lamps
Photographer’s umbrella
Plywood or board, (for
photography equipment to set on)
Personal Needs:
Band aids
First aid ointment
Flashlight
Magnifying glass
Kleenex, personal size
Allergy kit (if needed)
Snake bit kit
Sturdy shoes/hiking shoes/socks
Long pants, long sleeved
shirts
Broad brim straw hat
Bug spray
Sunscreen
Sunglasses
Snack Bars (clean up your
trash)
Drinks
Maps, or printed out maps
from the Internet
*The dowel rod may seem like
an odd piece to take. When you don’t have a grave marker, you can sometimes
find an older grave by poking the rod down into the ground. If they were just
buried in wood, the wood may be decayed and the ground may be fairly soft from
being dug up. If it’s virgin soil it will be hard and possibly have rock
layers. You can’t always make a firm decision, but this can help you deduct
possibilities. The metal detector can help for the same reason. If you have one
or can get access to one, it may also be of help. The cemetery association or
caretakers may have maps for you. These items (dowel rod and metal detector)
are also helpful in finding graves that are on the map, but not otherwise
marked. They can also be useful in find buried headstones.
This is more than you can
pack into a medium box or plastic container, but you can always set up a basic
one and add the clothes and camera equipment when you go. Take good notes – of
where you go, what you find and what you need next time.
And if you think of something
not on this list – drop me a comment and I’ll be glad to add it to the list. Also - feel free to copy the list.
Here are a couple of examples of people's kits:
Here are a couple of examples of people's kits:
Happy Hunting.
If any of these posts are helpful drop us a line in
the comments section below. We just want to know if the information we provide
to you is helpful in anyway.
ENJOY!
Now You Know!
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