If you have been following the
instructions, great! If not you might first want to check the genealogy
sections located in our archives.
Locating
Genealogical Hints Hidden Within Your Research.
In our last edition, we discussed using correspondences to locate hidden information or clues to locating further information. This week, we shall discuss using clues from tombstones.
Epitaphs or the inscriptions carved into gravestones, provide valuable clues about a person's life, community standing, family and of course, the era in which he or she lived.
Gravestone art and various forms of mourning art reflect a change in attitudes towards deat.
There are many distinct grave markers and grave types to be found, know ing just a bit of history concerning grave markers can assist you in locating a clue that might otherwise, go on noticed. There are various types of grave markers that were made specific to era, and/or location; such as Woodmen Gravestones, ceramic grave markers, Andera Crosses, The United States Military also had a succession of historical era markers, including the iron cross, which are significantly different from those used today.
Tombstones or grave markers contain revealing family information, which includes: birth and death dates, in some cases place of birth and place of death, the inscriptions may go on to detail the circumstances involved in the person's death, and country of birth. Family relationships are not unusual to locate in a cemetery, just look to those interred within the family plot, and to those outside the family plot. Most veterans clearly have their status, branch of the service, military units and occupations.
Needless to say, one should NEVER feel a cemetery is merely a holding place for those who have passed on. It is quite evident that cemeteries are lost treasures just looking to be found.
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