Madison
County Genealogical Society
Minutes of the Meeting – September 8, 2022
On September 8, 2022, the
Madison County Genealogical Society held a meeting at the Edwardsville Public
Library.
President, Robert Ridenour, called the
meeting to order.
GIFT
MEMBERSHIPS AVAILABLE
Do you have a family member that is
interested in (or even obsessed with) genealogy? A membership in the Madison
County Genealogical Society would be a very thoughtful gift. A gift card will
be sent to the recipient of any gift membership.
The following memberships are available:
Individual/Family Annual Membership $25.00
Patron Annual Membership $35.00
Institutional Membership $25.00
Contact our Secretary, Petie Hunter, at petie8135@att.net, about a gift membership.
September
Meeting
On
September 8, 2022, Tom Pearson, Retired Subject Specialist in the Genealogy
Room of the St. Louis Public Library presented a program titled Speaks With the
Dead: Getting to Know Your Living-Impaired Relatives or The Basics of Cemetery
Research. The following is a summary of that presentation, as a
detailed report of the presentation would be too long for this newsletter. Tom discussed several pertinent topics
such as:
How to find the cemetery where your relative is buried.
He gave several suggestions
for finding this information and several online resources for finding the name
of the cemetery and where it is located.
Once you find the cemetery, how do you
find their grave?
Several methods of
locating a grave were covered: dowsing for it, walking the cemetery, ask the
sexton or a local undertaker, check at the local genealogical society, check
local city or county records, or if someone in your family knows where the
grave is, take them with you.
What should you take with you to the
cemetery?
Mr. Pearson
presented a list of many things you might need on your cemetery trip.
What is the best time to visit a
cemetery?
Spring or Fall is the best time to go. It is easier to avoid tripping
hazards, snakes, poison ivy, poison sumac, and poison oak. If you are looking
for a small family cemetery, in summer crops can block the view.
How should I record the info I find in
the cemetery?
Tom discussed
several ways to record the data and discussed several things you should not do
without asking or should not do at all.
What if a grave is not marked?
If you cannot find
the grave and you KNOW it is supposed to be, there are several things to look
for. These were discussed by Mr. Pearson.
How do I stay safe in a cemetery?
Tom discussed
personal safety in the graveyard and gave reasons for some of the items he
suggested you take along.
Grave Markers
Mr. Pearson
discussed the evolution of grave markers from stones to protect the corpse from
scavengers, or to keep the dead from rising from their graves. He also
discussed the different materials used to make gravestones and the many shapes,
forms, and iconography used on gravestones through the years.
What should I know about cemetery laws?
Tom briefly
discussed the cemetery laws of Missouri and Illinois.
Mr. Pearson had a
handout that listed internet addresses for web sites
useful in cemetery research. If you send an email to Tom at 89ilguy@gmail.com, he will send you an electronic
version of that handout, with links to those websites. However, some of the links
may be outdated and inactive.