Hi wonderful Volunteers,
Just some tips that I have found as I survey a cemetery and
later compile it into a text file.
When reading the inscriptions. I find it important that I
take my finger and feel on those hard to recognize numbers.
8 & 9 can so easily be mistaken....or 3 & 9 also it can
sometimes be a 5.....feel... if you can sense a solid area...
this tells you a bit about what it must be.
even in the best light, it can fool you. It also depends on
the type of script. Also the C & G problem. ...do be
watchful for those.
For entering into your file.....do get you a system to
proof read... I foolishly did not on my first ones. Now I
take it page by page or section by section and go back
making doubly sure I did not make a mistake. It is so easy
to make a typo and very embarrassing later to find out
it is out there as fact and I had an error in it. You can even
skip one, and not realize you did it.
I have been asked what to copy. Personally I would say
all that is there is not necessarily important. I know there
are some who feel we must do it all... I say, copy all that
is important to tell us who this person is, to help others
determine a family relationship and to give a clue to
help a further search for this person. Lodge info, birthplace,
parents names, even siblings if available, are excellent info
and can be entered in the Information column. Most important, Name, Birth
and Death dates.
Besides reading the headstones, I try to get ahold of an
earlier reading if available, and Sexton files...which also
are not always available. But with these three pieces
of information, one can get an excellent compilation.
It takes a lot of time, but I feel well worth my efforts.
To find the Sexton, just ask the nearest Funeral Home.
They usually know. They also can help you to find
out much other information about each cemetery. Like
who owns it, is it private, who do you contact to
find this out etc.
Happy transcribing.
Maggie
Editing Ass.