Hello All,
In this part, I will offer a few tips on cleaning and identification. The
book mentioned in the postings a week ago, and several others out there,
can be a valuable aid for solving specific problems in cleaning stones. A
web search will also produce some sites that offer tips on cleaning.
Rootsweb also has a page of links on cemetery information at:
http://www.rootsweb.com/~cemetery/links.html
Also, do not forget the information and links on the INPCRP web pages.
Now, some cleaning tips:
Two important rules, do not do anything that cannot be undone, and do not
use anything that will harm the stone. Plain water and a soft bristle
brush will cause a minimum of damage, and may produce the results you want.
For badly stained stones, or fungus and moss problems, try to find a
proven method to solve your specific problem in one of the publications or
on the internet.
Avoid using metal scrapers and wire brushes. On the Marsh Creek project,
many of the stones cleaned up with plain water. On the stones that were
buried and badly stained, we used a mild mixture of Dawn dishwashing liquid
and bleach. Use the bleach sparingly, as too strong a mixture may speed up
deterioration of the stone. DO NOT use any cleaners containing acids or
abrasives.
IDENTIFICATION.
Once your stone is clean, you can try to decipher any hard to read
information on the stone. On some, I found the shaving cream trick works
well. I had read somewhere that some shaving creams contain acids, and to
use the products for sensitive skin to avoid any chemicals that may harm
the stone. The shaving cream is spread on the stone, then run a squeegee
or wooden ruler over the face of the stone. This leaves the cream in the
indentations, making lettering and numbers easier to read.
Another method is aluminum foil. Place a sheet of foil on the face of the
stone, then rub with a gloved hand. Characters are transferred to the
foil, and can be read when the sheet is removed. Creating a rubbing with a
sheet of paper and a pencil will also work.
A trick I used was a spray bottle with plain water. Spray a mist on the
stone, then try to read it from different angles. This will also work with
a camera and black & white film.
Remember, a deteriorating stone WILL CONTINUE to deteriorate, and one day,
be gone! RECORD the information. And share your information with
libraries, historical societies, genealogy groups, and families. Make sure
that when the stone is finally gone, there is a record that it existed.
If you cannot read all the information on a stone, those old records you
searched for in the beginning will come into play. I found an old record
of Marsh Creek that was done in 1950. I was able to match some hard to
read stones with the old list. A warning, BE CAREFUL that the data was
CORRECTLY read for the old records. I have found a few date and spelling
errors in the old records. Just as we struggle to decipher a date, the
person who done it before us may have had the same problem.
In the case of Marsh Creek Cemetery, some data that was illegible on the
stones was determined by researching birth, death and census records, and
family histories. By all means, make sure you are recording accurate data
for your record. DO NOT GUESS!
In the next installment, Reparing the broken pieces.
Ernie