User:AdkinsWH/Sandbox CemClues

Page start - mind dump: [May just put this on the WA state Cems page]

Contents:

 * Name of Spouse: Usually only the given name, not a maiden surname.
 * Birth place: more common since 1920's

Records work together:

 * Marriage records: search for sisters, aunts, and even a widowed mother remarrying. Then search the cemetery(s) for those surnames.
 * Obituaries, death certificates, funeral homes, and other death-related records help you identify the cemetery.

Clues in the data

 * Tombstones
 * granite, sandstone, wood
 * Sextons (minister/clerk of a church, city employee, family Bible)
 * Burial permits (in very settled areas)

Gather/point to items now in the wiki

 * Symbols
 * United States Cemeteries
 * Sexton Records

Find items on the Internet

Tips:

 * To find married (and re-married) sisters, aunts, and even a widowed mother, search marriages. Then check those surnames in the cemetery.
 * Relatives are often buried nearby, especially children who died young.
 * The earlier a cemetery was transcribed, the better, due to weathering and other damage to tombstones and markers.
 * Periodicals often published transcriptions of tombstones. See PerSI (published issues may be easier than the online. An online edition on HeritageQuest Online, available at many public libraries.