Spring Cemetery Field Trips for Genealogists

Watch Out for Things That Go Bite in the Weeds

Feb 20, 2009

Here's a bit of caution for spring cemetery sleuths. When looking for that missing bit of info on a gravestone, watch out for things that go bite in the weeds.

Some genealogists start planning in the winter for spring cemetery searches that may yield a bit of vital information on a newly-discovered ancestor. One hopes these final resting places are like a well-manicured lawn and located in a town. But what if they instead are on a run-down farm, buried in the woods, overgrown with briar patches, on a vacant lot or in the middle of nowhere?

Snakes, Spiders and Bugs

Be on the lookout not only for ancestors' tombstones, but also for rattlesnakes, poisonous spiders, disease-carrying ticks, stinging fire ants, chiggers, killer bees, water moccasins and similar nasties. Unless used to tramping around in the woods, most folks don’t know what poison ivy, poison oak and other noxious weeds look like. Try to find out in advance.

In addition, we may not know anything about this particular ancestral territory in another state. It may seem unusual and uncalled for to remind adults that there are bad people out there, but the excitement of the ancestral hunt in a remote or undesirable location may unknowingly lead to trouble.

Don’t Invite Trouble

Vehicles have been ransacked while researchers were in a far corner of a field or taking a trail back into the woods. Purses, belongings, radios and even the car can be stolen.

A person who is alone—especially a woman—could unintentionally invite serious unwanted attention from the local troublemakers. Be careful of personal safety and belongings.

Watch where feet are placed. Stepping in a gopher hole and breaking an ankle while in some farmer’s field a half mile from any houses can sure ruin a research trip. It's most apt to happen far from home in unfamiliar territory.

When headed off the road onto private property, always ask permission to search. Nobody wants to come face to barrel with the farmer’s shotgun, or encounter his prize-winning, but cantankerous, bull. Always make sure that farmer knows the destination of the field trip. This enhances safety and, if this is a family cemetery, the farmer may be familiar with the lives of people buried there.

Best Not to Explore Alone

Try not to explore alone. If that’s not possible, advise local police on the location, the return time and when they will be notified of the field trip’s conclusion. This also gives police a chance to issue any necessary warnings about potential problems.

Pay attention at all times to who and what is around. If something doesn’t look or feel right, leave immediately, not after copying just one more gravestone inscription.

Things just aren’t as safe as they were in great-great-grandma’s time. No amount of precious genealogical information is worth flirting with danger.

The copyright of the article Spring Cemetery Field Trips for Genealogists in Genealogy is owned by Rosemary E. Bachelor. Permission to republish Spring Cemetery Field Trips for Genealogists in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.