There is something special about standing in a graveyard where your ancestors are buried.
You may have spent years looking at their names on census records, birth certificates, marriage records, and family trees. You may have wondered what they looked like, where they lived, and what their lives were like.
And then suddenly, there you are, standing beside their gravestone.
It can be an emotional moment. It can also be an exciting one, especially when you begin looking around and realize the graveyard may hold far more clues about your family than you expected.
But before you get caught up in the excitement, take a breath.
Look around. Take your time. And document what you find.
You never know which little detail will help you solve a family mystery six months—or six years—down the road.
Here are five ways to make sure you bring home more than just a photograph of your ancestor’s gravestone.
1. Take Multiple Photographs of the Gravestone
Your first instinct may be to walk up to the grave, take one photograph of the stone, and move on.
Don’t.
Take several photographs.
Start with a photograph that shows the entire gravestone and its surroundings. Step back far enough that you can see the stone, the graves around it, trees, pathways, or other landmarks. This gives you context and can make the grave much easier to locate again.
Next, take a photograph of the stone itself, making sure the inscription is clearly visible.
Then move closer and photograph the inscription.
If the stone has information on more than one side, photograph every side. If there is writing on the back, a family symbol, an interesting carving, or a military emblem, photograph those too.
And don’t forget the base of the stone.
Sometimes the name of the monument company is carved into the bottom. That may not seem important today, but it can help you determine when the stone was installed or identify other stones made by the same company.
For example: You find the gravestone of your great-great-grandparents, William and Mary. The front gives their names and dates, but the back lists the names of their children. That information might lead you to a child you didn’t know existed.
One photograph could have been enough to prove you found the right grave.
Several photographs may help you discover an entirely new branch of the family.
2. Photograph the Surrounding Graves
Once you’ve photographed your ancestor’s grave, don’t immediately pack up your camera.
Look around. Who is buried nearby?
Family members were often buried together, and neighboring graves can provide clues that don’t appear in the records you’ve already found.
Photograph the stones on either side of your ancestor’s grave, as well as those directly behind and in front of it. You don’t necessarily have to photograph every stone in the entire cemetery, but pay particular attention to people with the same surname or people whose names you recognize from your family research.
Let’s say you came looking for your third-great-grandfather, Thomas Brown.
Beside him is Elizabeth Brown, whom you don’t recognize.
Her dates suggest she was born around the same time as Thomas.
Suddenly you have a question to investigate. Was Elizabeth his sister? His first wife? His mother? A cousin?
The graveyard has just given you a research problem—and those are often the most fun kind.
You may also find children buried near their parents, spouses buried together, or several generations of a family in the same section.
Take photographs of the clues, even when you’re not sure what they mean yet.
You can figure that part out when you get home.
3. Record the Location of the Grave
A photograph tells you what the grave looks like, but it doesn’t always tell you exactly where it is.
Make a note of the cemetery’s name, the town or community where it is located, and, if possible, the section, row, plot number, or other location information.
If the cemetery has a map, photograph it.
If there is a cemetery office, sign, or entrance marker, photograph that too.
And take photographs that show how to get from a recognizable landmark to the grave.
For example, you might photograph the cemetery entrance, then the road or pathway leading toward the section where your ancestor is buried. If there are numbered sections, photograph those signs.
This can be especially helpful in a large cemetery.
You may think, I’ll remember where this is.
Trust me. You probably won’t.
Years from now, when you’re trying to find the grave again, or helping another family member locate it, you’ll be very glad you documented the route.
If your phone allows you to record GPS coordinates, save those as well.
A little information gathered in the moment can save you a lot of frustration later.
4. Write Down Everything You Notice
Photographs are wonderful, but don’t rely on them to tell the whole story.
Take notes.
Write down the date of your visit and the weather. Note the condition of the gravestone. Was it standing upright, leaning, cracked, or partially covered with vegetation?
Record anything unusual.
Perhaps the grave has flowers on it. Maybe there is a small flag, a photograph, a religious symbol, or another item that gives you a clue about how the family remembers this person.
Look at the inscription carefully. Does it say “beloved wife”? “Father”? “Mother”? “Daughter”? “Our son”? Those words can help establish relationships.
Also pay attention to the dates.
If a husband and wife are buried together, compare their dates. If a child died very young, make a note of it. If several family members died within a short period, that might eventually lead you to investigate an illness, accident, epidemic, or other event.
And don’t forget to write down the things you don’t understand.
You don’t have to solve every mystery while standing in the cemetery.
Sometimes the best note you can make is: Who is Margaret? Need to investigate relationship to James.
That simple question might become the starting point for your next research discovery.
5. Document the Cemetery, Not Just Your Ancestor
Finally, take some time to document the cemetery itself.
Photograph the entrance sign. Take a picture of the cemetery’s overall appearance. Photograph the church, chapel, cemetery office, historical marker, or other buildings associated with it.
Look for information about when the cemetery was established. Is there an older section and a newer section? Are there stones from the 1700s or 1800s? Are certain surnames repeated throughout the cemetery?
If the cemetery is attached to a church, photograph the church as well.
These details help tell the story of the community your ancestors belonged to.
And remember that cemeteries change. Trees are removed. Stones deteriorate. New landscaping appears. Old markers can become difficult to read.
Your photographs are not only useful for your own genealogy research. They may become an important record for future generations.
Before You Leave, Take One More Look
Before you get back in your car, stop for a moment, and look around one more time.
Did you photograph the entrance?
Did you record the cemetery name?
Did you photograph the entire stone, including the back and sides?
Did you look at the neighboring graves?
Did you make notes about anything unusual?
Most importantly, did you document the things you might forget?
Your visit to an ancestral graveyard isn’t simply a trip to take a picture of a gravestone. It is an opportunity to gather pieces of your family’s story.
So take your time. Walk a little farther. Look at the stones around you. Write down the questions that pop into your head.
You may arrive at the cemetery looking for one ancestor, but you might leave with clues about five more.
And isn’t that one of the best things about genealogy?
You never quite know what your ancestors are going to leave behind for you to discover.