HelPeR - BYU Idaho Special Collections and Family History

The Next Generation
Today’s symbolism is very different from the
past. While lamb, baby shoes, and other things were
used to represent a child’s death in the past, today
you will find four wheelers and Scooby Doo on children’s
headstones. Today it is more common to use
symbols on headstones to represent a person’s life
or their hobbies.
Also remember that the ground in a cemetery can
be very uneven, even if it well cared for and covered
with beautiful grass. Be very careful of old graves as
they can collapse and leave you somewhere you are
not ready to be!
Last but not least, be sure to always have your cemetery
kit with you. Happy hunting!
The Sharon DeBartolo
Carmack Cemetery Kit
Taken from Cryptic Clues in the Bone Yard, by permission
of the author (to be used with parental supervision
if necessary)
1. Brightly colored tote bag—easy to spot when you
go off and leave it at a grave.
2. Carpenter’s apron—you can put all your cemetery
tools in it so you don’t have to carry the tote bag
around the cemetery
3. Bug Spray—Off Yardguard is good “The true cologne
of a genealogist”
Connie Casilear Mitchell
Genealogical Records Researcher
Lower Shenandoah Valley/VA./WV
163 Stuart Drive, Winchester, VA 22602
dmitchellkids@aol.com • 540-667-4444
Published Hampshire and Hardy County, WV records
4. Sun Screen—Always remember to practice “safe
sun”
5. Wet Wipes—You will be getting down and dirty
6. Knee pads—Gardener’s knee pads or just a patio
chair pad will work fine
7. Garden Shears—You may need to clip away some
grass or weeds
8. Whisk Broom—For cleaning off the grass
clippings
9. Paper Towels
10. Spray Bottle—filled with “ WATER ONLY”
11. Soft nylon bristle brush or nylon pot scrubber—
For cleaning off the headstone if needed
12. Rags
13. Camera
14. Film
15. Sidewalk Chalk WHITE ONLY—To chalk the
Headstone for a better photo
16. Non Fusible Interfacing—For making a rubbing
17. Crayons or Rubbing wax—For making a
rubbing
18. Masking Tape—For holding the fabric on to the
Headstone to make a rubbing
19. Scissors—For cutting the fabric
20. Sun Reflector—the silver kind for your car
windshield
21. Garbage Bags
Starr Hailey Campbell is a
past director for the Federation
of Genealogical Societies,
Administrative Assistant for the
Utah Genealogical Association
2001-2005, Program Chair for the
UGA 2003 Conference, Chair of
UGA 2004 Conference, Assistant
Director of Salt Lake Institute of
Genealogy 2003 & 2004, National Publication Chair
for FGS 2004 & 2005 conferences, Program Chair
FGS 2005, and a speaker at national, regional, and
local conferences and family history fairs. Chair of
FGS’s youth committee, founder of FGS’s Youth award,
Recipient of FGS’s George E Williams award 2004
and the FGS President’s Citation 2005. She has been
instrumental in the creation of 2001-2005 Resolution
from the Salt Lake County Council in support of
October has Family History month, Director of the
Magna, Utah East Stake Family History Center,
member of the Magna Town Council, President
of the Magna Arts Council and Board Member of
the Oquirrh Hills Performing Arts Alliance. She is
the author of Youth in Family History, and the
children’s genealogy series “The Adventures of
James.” A two-time breast cancer survivor, she is
also the mother of three and grandmother of four.
68 © Ev e r t o n’s Ge n e a l o g i c a l He l p e r Ja n ua ry/Fe b r u a r y 2009