Different Ways Of Transcribing Tombstones

Submitted by: HOST GFS Heather@aol.com

 

There are right and wrong ways of doing transcribing tombstones and this will be discuss both ways:)

First of all, when you go to a cemetery that your individual is buried in, the cemetery office can provide you with a map to show you where the individual is buried. It will show a section, row and space #. The cemeteries are divided in sections, such as A, B, C, D... etc. You will first need to find the section. Your next step will be to find the row, which are numbered like, 1, 2, 3, 4, (they are not numbered by markers, meaning the rows, you will have to pace it out). Once you found the right row, then you will need to pace it out to the right space number. This is where you will find out where your individual is buried.

I find the following items useful when transcribing a gravestone... dictaphone, soft scrub brush and water. Many folks in the past have used shaving cream and a squeegee so they can read the writing better, however this is a big NO NO!!!!!!!!! DO NOT use shaving cream or anything that contains chemicals, for this can damage the tombstone in time! Only use water and a soft scrub brush, if you want to clean the headstone, prior to taking a picture of it.

Some folks have used parchment paper and charcoal, they place the paper on the headstone, then rub the charcoal over the paper, which will bring up the writing from the headstone on the paper. This is fine to do. This method is called a Rubbing.

When I personally go to cemeteries to transcribe them, I first clean the headstone off with my soft brush and water. Once I have done this, I pour some more water on the headstone, which makes it seem clearer, being wet, I then take a photograph of it. It is a good idea to bring water with you in a big jug, however most cemeteries will have a water faucet somewhere you can use, unless it is an old abandon cemetery.

Besides taking a photo of the headstone I tape record what is written on it, just in case the photo does not turn out. Sometimes you will find that even though you cleaned it very well, it is hard to read. So it is a good idea to tape record it, to have another record of it. On the tape, state the date, time, and the name of the cemetery and the address. Also state where in the cemetery the individual is buried. Sometimes, especially if the cemetery is very old, you will not see any markers for the sections, so you can state landmarks, so if you want to return, you know where to go.

Another method would be to take your video camera with you. For you cannot only take a video of it, but you can talk on it as well.

Another thing that would be handy is to take something to trim the grass/weeds that may surround the headstone, so you can make it look nice for the photo. You may also want to take something, like a flower or whatever to place on the headstone for the photo.

Again, PLEASE do not use any chemicals on the headstones, for they can be damaging. ONLY use water!!!!! Most importantly HAVE FUN!

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