Monuments Speak to Genealogists
March 17, 2009
“If only these monuments could speak” is a sentiment often expressed by poets and songwriters. In fact, monuments do speak, as any genealogist will tell you.
Genealogy is the study and tracing of families, and cemeteries are vital sources of information for genealogists. When searching for family information, cemetery records and your local library database are invaluable aids, but most would recommend visit to a cemetery.
Monuments often reveal the correct spelling of names, which sometimes get muddled in the telling and re-telling of family stories. Monuments – especially the older ones – may also provide a more complete picture of the person’s origin and interests, and the maiden names of family members. Monuments or symbols used by fraternal orders might indicate what kind of religion or background a person came from.
An iron cross could indicate that the person was of Russian-German descent, for example, says Laura Grzyb, a dedicated genealogist. She has been filling in
branches of her family tree, and her husband’s, since she received a baby book when her first child was born. She has visited every cemetery (and lots of other monuments) where her family monuments are located.
As you would expect, there are active genealogical societies in every corner, but if you’re looking for a cemetery, check first with the searchable index offered by most libraries or historical societies. If you are planning a monument for a loved one, consider how a symbol or a photo would add meaningful information to the monument for generations to come.
There is renewed interest in memorializing important parts of an individual’s life, choosing the right monument and new technologies have created more options for you and your family to make that monument “perfect”.
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