Tracy,
Thank You! Terrific ideas! I encourage you to go for it. I will change
the Tombstone pages and/or work with all of you to improve them for our
visitors.
You mention cemetery lists and I agree with you, incomplete is better that
not having. I have found that
http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=116:1:14731284412910309413
is a terrific starting point. (Trust me people will correct you <g>)
Go for it Tracy, let me know if I can help!
Tina
-----Original Message-----
From: tracy reinhardt [mailto:fondygenie@charter.net]
Sent: Tuesday, June 28, 2005 10:32 AM
To: WIGEN-L(a)rootsweb.com
Subject: [WIGEN-L] genealogy stuff...
Hi all,
I haven't been very vocal in quite a while, but I am going to strike while
I have this idea in my head. It's just food for thought.
This all started when I began to reference the Kopet's photo pages on my own
website. and regarding my corrections of cemetery photos locations-
I hope that no-one felt that I was trying to slight in any way, the
wonderful work that the Kopets are doing. It was obvious to me immediately,
that the cemeteries that needed correction in their placement were right on
the border of my county, and since I am trained in land surveying, I am
more particular about proper placement, etc. HA, I just want to be sure
that people can find what they are looking for in the correct place.
In fact, I think that border cemeteries should be listed in BOTH counties,
since the burials are probably people from both counties. But of course,
those border cemeteries should be identified first. No Tina, I don't mean
you should list the link twice.....just read on.
So here is what I am going to do, and I would like to suggest this for
others to think about.
First of all, do you have an easy-to-find map of your county which shows
townships???? [I mean one map showing township locations] I am frustrated
with the many counties all over the country, who do not have a township map
on their website. It would be nice to have that, so people can reference
an adjoining township in the adjoining county.
SPECIAL NOTE - if you find a map of your county's townships, but
don't have a scanner, then just make a nice clear photocopy of that map,
and send the photocopy to me and I will scan it in for you, that's how
strongly I feel this is needed. Email me for my snailmail
address........or request someone on your mailing list to scan one in for
you.
AND, if you can't find a good township map, let me know........I have some
reference material here at home, and I'll create one for you!!! HONEST!
This list is here for us to help each other, remember
Second, is there a list of cemeteries on your website? (Even an incomplete
list is better than nothing) And does it list what township each cemetery
is in? And even better, does it list which section number it is located
in, in the township??? ( I know, I'm getting picky)
A map, and a cemetery list are a BIG help to outsiders who don't know the
area.
[ once again, a request on the mailing list for these things might turn up
some good results/helpers]
Third - if you can identify any cemeteries that are located in a township
section that borders a neighboring county, then add a note to identify that
bordering county as one that the genealogist might also want to look in. [I
mention SECTION, rather than township, so you don't think that every
cemetery in the entire township needs an adjoining county reference]
And don't forget:
I have one instance for sure, that a Lutheran Church is located in Fond
du Lac county, but the church's cemetery is located in Sheboygan county,
and it's those instances where notes need to be referenced to include both
locations for any researcher. i.e.: Imagine someone sitting at their
computer in California, and discovering their ancestors lived in Dundee,
Fond du Lac county WI. They will find that Dundee is in Osceola township,
and will go through all county records for their family. And all of their
research references will read Dundee, Osceola twsp, Fond du Lac Co WI.
But they won't find any burials, because, the Dundee Lutheran Church
cemetery is located in Sheboygan county, not Fond du Lac. And living in
Calif, Dundee is just a name on a piece of paper, and they would have no
inkling that it is on the border, or need to include Sheboygan Co in their
research.
So here is my next project - I think that I am going to do that with my own
county. Any cemetery located close to the county line, I think that I will
reference the other couny as a 'see also xxx county'.
Next soapbox comment:
I am discovering, much to my disappointment, that when the majority of
tombstones were copied in my county in the 1970's and 1980's, that the
inscribers would neglect to include any poem or saying that appeared on the
stone. Now, many years later, that poem is difficult to transcribe,
meaning it is now lost forever. However, thanks to the Kopets, at least
there will be a photo of the stone, in case it topples and disappears in the
distant future. Hats off to them for their untiring work, especially for
their decision to include these photos as part of the WIGEN project, instead
of creating their own website.
tracy reinhardt
fond du lac county
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