Cemeteries are a beautiful and often serene place. They offer a place to remember those who have passed on, pay respects, and celebrate the lives of loved ones or ancestors. However, how do you find someone’s grave in a cemetery when there are literally thousands of graves? It can be challenging but with these simple steps, it will become much easier.
A Step by Step Guide on How to Find Graves in a Cemetery
Do you know how to find the grave of an ancestor or family member in a local or national cemetery? Cemeteries are often large with acres of land that can make it difficult for visitors to locate a specific burial location. This blog post will help guide you through the process of how to find graves at different types of cemeteries.
Gather the deceased’s personal information.
Make sure you know all of the pertinent details you might need. This may be their name, date of birth and death date, location of burial, or how the person died. This information can help you narrow down which cemetery they are buried at. A death certificate will often provide the information you need to get started.
Search for resources on and off-line.
Make sure to utilize every possible source of information. Family history can take you pretty far sometimes, but don’t forget that online resources like Ancestry, Fold3, and Findagrave can also provide this information for free. You should also check with the county clerk’s offices or funeral homes for any records on who is interred in their cemetery and where they are located.
Visit the graveyard and seek guidance from the staff.
Cemeteries are often open to visitors and the staff may be able to assist you in how to find a grave quickly. They can also tell you if there is an office or building with records that contain information on the graves of your ancestors, friends, or family members. Cemetery managers love to hear from visitors and are usually happy to share your interest in their historical grounds.
Find the final resting place.
After you have collected all the information about the graves of your ancestor, it is time for a visit. Bring along any pictures or documents that contain vital facts and search around until you locate their final resting place. It is a good idea to take pictures or make a sketch map for future reference.
Cemetery Records and Mapping Products and Services
As you may have noticed, cemetery records play a large part in finding a person’s final resting place. Unfortunately, many graveyards have partial archives with missing or destroyed records. Furthermore, some of the records on file are incorrect or inaccurate. This can be corrected with the use of a cemetery mapping service, like that offered by Sentry Mapping.
When graveyards use cemetery mapping products and services they can ensure accurate records of each burial plot location. Digital mapping programs and GPS/GPR technologies help people locate where their deceased loved ones reside in cemeteries across America. Cemeteries have been using this technology for years with great success.
Cemetery Maps Help People Visit Loved Ones and Ancestors
Cemetery maps are a critical tool for cemetery visitors. With an updated map, people can locate their loved ones and ancestors without any delays or confusion. This is much better than wandering through a cemetery while having to ask for directions. Cemeteries that use mapping programs will have detailed maps of all the sections and plots in their graveyard, making it easy for visitors to find where they are going.
Sentry Mapping provides accurate mapping services that help update cemeteries with new technologies. Sentry Mapping uses GPS and GIS technology to accurately locate burial plot locations. Additionally, they digitize cemetery records with their innovative technologies to help update cemeteries across the United States of America.
GPS & GPR Technology to Help Cemeteries Fully Update and Digitize Their Cemetery Records
GPS and GPR technology help cemetery grounds fully update their records. This means that cemeteries can provide accurate burial plot information to all of their visitors. Grave mapping is a critical first step for people who wish to visit loved ones or ancestors in graveyards across America.
With Sentry Mapping, cemetery details are digitized and updated with the most innovative mapping technology that many locations have seen in decades. If your local cemetery is struggling with lost or incomplete records, have them contact Sentry today to learn how they can improve their records and increase visitation rates at the graveyard!