Instructions & Information

Preparing for a Cemetery Visit, byThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

1) Get the death certificate if possible and other documents you might 
want to refer to so that you are prepared.

2) Check the databases such as JOWBR, FindAGave, etc. to make sure at 
least some of the information is not already online.  Check with the 
individual cemetery because some of them have posted databases for 
their internments.  Also check not only the individual name you need 
but family names because there may be others in the same cemetery/same 
plot.  Also when you are there take time to walk around the area 
because you might be surprised to find other relatives.  Also when you 
are at the plot see if the Society erected gates because they often 
have the names of the officers of the Society.  Also check both sides 
of the stone if it is a standing one because sometimes they put Hebrew 
on one side and English on the other.

3) If it is an older cemetery/grave the stone might be only in Hebrew.  
Translate the date of death into the Hebrew calendar as well as the 
Hebrew characters.  If the stone is not going to be in English it is 
very likely the date will not be in Arabic numerals either.  Also 
remember that they could be using a Hebrew name which is very different 
from the every day name you are expecting.  So the date may be critical.

3) Call the office and try to work with them in advance.  Tell them 
your are trying to find family graves and ask what help they can offer. 
  You might want to asking about making an appointment for the visit for 
the staff/groundskeeper will be available to help.  Also ask them if 
they can look in advance and see if they have the plot map for that 
area.  Most times the office will be cooperative with you.  They might 
also know if the burial society (if there was one) is still active and 
have a contact for the people who manage it.  Those people might have 
information or a map.

3) When you get to the office ask for the map and do things like count 
the rows, in the from the paths, etc. to try and get a location.  Ask 
if the office will photocopy the map or let you take a digital picture. 
  Try and takes notes of names at the end of rows, etc. so you can 
relate the map to the plot when you get there.  Some but not all
plots have distinct patterns of burial.  Some buried women and men in 
separate sections.  Some buried in date order and in that case they 
might work  from the back of the plot towards the front and from the 
right side to the left.  Some permitted family groupings within the 
society.  So spend some time getting a feel for the patterns.

Generally cemetery offices will not have a lot of information and are 
reluctant to share too much because of concerns over privacy.  They 
generally only keep basic information like the burial date and the next 
of kin/who is responsible for the grave.  They might know the name of 
the firm that did the stone or the funeral home.  Older cemeteries 
often kept burial books which were arranged by plot and then by date.  
They can be an alternate reference if you have a problem with finding 
the grave and if the cemetery will let you look at the book might be an 
easy way to look for family members in the same plot.  The books 
generally only have the name, the date and the location of the grave.

4) If the cemetery office can not help or provide someone to go out to 
the plot with you look around and see if the men who say prayers are at 
the cemetery.  In New York we can often find these men there to help 
the families say prayers.  For a small gratuity you might be able to 
enlist their help to go out the plot and help by reading the Hebrew 
stones.  Or in some cases there might be a Jewish center nearby or you 
might even be able to find a lister to meet you at the cemetery and 
help with the
Hebrew.

5) While you are there why not photograph the whole society plot and 
then you can donate the information to JOWBR as well.  Digital cameras 
and smart phone cameras make it easy.  If you are having problems 
reading the stones take close ups of the writing.  You may even need to 
do a montage to capture parts of it and then piece it together later.  
If it is overgrown sometimes you can even get a close up behind the 
bush or whatever to capture details and then piece back together the 
stone in your photos.  This technique also works nicely on faded stones 
that are difficult to read (see below).

6) Give yourself enough time.  The office may be busy.  The cemetery 
may be large.  It may take several efforts/visits to the office during 
the trip to find the grave so don't go just before closing time and you 
do not want to be watching you watch because you have another 
appointment.   Don't be afraid to go back to the office and say you can 
not find it.  Most of them will be cooperative to help you when you are 
there.

7) You may want to take some "supplies."  By that I mean a soft paint 
brush or such to brush away dirt or grime on the stones.  Maybe some 
garden gloves.  Maybe even a small hand trimmer because the stone might 
be grown over.  Also of course paper, pencil, pen, something to lean on 
to take notes.  Don't go in your best clothes because you might have to 
be climbing over or around overgrowth or whatever.  
[Editorial suggestion: Wear long pants and sleeves]
In oldest cemeteries you may have to deal with a stone that has sunken or is 
partially covered by soil.  (I am not going to take a stance on things 
like charcoal, paper, etc.  I have had a lot of luck taking high 
resolution digital images and then manipulating them on the computer to 
increase contrast, etc. to create a digital "rubbing" of the stone to 
pull out hard to read text.  If you are planning on photographing a lot 
plot someone long ago suggested taking golf tees and using them to mark 
the stones are you photograph them.  If the plot is not symmetrical it 
might be a big help to know what you have done.  I guess you need to 
collect them at the end and also take some time to review the pictures 
on your camera before you leave or even after every few shots.  Nothing 
worse than to get home and find the camera was not working, you had sun 
glare, the pictured blurred, etc.  The extra time on site can save a 
lot of heart ache later.