January 2015 Cemetery Challenge Week 4 - January 22 right to the 31st! - Post your updates here!

Question

It's time for the home stretch of the January 2015 Free For All Challenge! I'm calling this the final week, so week 4 is really more like a week and a half! Let's finish this challenge with a bang!

Sara Rice remains in the lead, with Star Kline not far behind, but it's still anyone's challenge, and I'm looking forward to some friendly competition in the final days. :)

On a more cooperative note, here's what we've achieved together so far this month:

• Tombstones photographed: 634
• Names transcribed: 9331
• Profiles created: 2129
• Profiles with tombstones added to them: 1571
• Profiles connected to the global family tree: 196

I can't wait to see the numbers at the end of the month! Share your updates here.

Comments

I created about 15 profiles with photo which I did not get added last week. I'm not good on keeping the exact count, just plodding away. It's a big cemetery

Answer 1

I  knew I should never have entered a month long challenge …  When I dreamed that I had been recalled to active duty to Iceland and realized after I arrived that I had left my laptop at home; I freaked thinking how am I going to add those profiles! 

Profile Hi-Lites For the Moth

Added One Centenarian Grubbs-396 (Ella Grubbs Jones)

Added First Surname for Boleware-1 Coquat-1 Geriner-1

This month I added nine cemeteries, completed seven of them. Then I completed two cemeteries that I started on in December. I also bounced back and forth to seven other cemeteries.

Most of the profile that I connected to the global family tree were made by connecting them to the Sullivans which were already in the system, thanks to Cuzzn’ Lisa Franklin.

This week I have been adding profiles and photos for Poplar Springs Cemetery

 

Comments

I love it, Myrtis!  I've been so focused on transcriptions during this challenge because I just want to get this off my to do list.  I love taking photos, but what good is it if I never get them transcribed and uploaded? Thanks to Lianne for this Challenge, I'm one giant step closer to getting this done.

---

Thanks Star for your "star".  Yes I have been so focused on adding cemeteries, profiles, and photos but I am ready for a sweet rest.  I know you are also!

Answer 2

I'm actually not as competitive as it may appear - I just want to use this Challenge to get caught up on all my tombstone photos.  In the spirit of cooperation (which is what I truly love about WikiTree!), I would like to offer an opportunity to anyone who is interested in creating profiles to earn more than 1,000 points.  If you are interested, please go to my list of transcribed cemeteries on the January Challenge page and create profiles for the residents of the cemeteries that I have already transcribed.  All profiles have been created for the first four cemeteries listed, and Kirsty Ward is working on the fifth one, but the other nine cemeteries all need profiles. Each cemetery page also includes a link to the Find A Grave site for that cemetery, in case you are interested in getting more information for each person and possibly creating additional profiles for their family members.

Comments

Hi.  I'de be interesting in helping you out once I finish transcribing the photos that I took on a recent trip to the states - regardless of whether that occurs before the end of this challenge.

 

I live outside the US so have limited opportunities to contribute as much as I would like.  I look forward to working with you, if possible.

 

DK Clews

---

That would be great!  I truly apreciate your assistance.

---

DK, we're interested in all cemeteries everywhere, not just in the US! :) If there isn't already a subproject set up for your locality, one of us project leaders would be happy to help you get one started, if you like. (Though of course if you prefer working remotely on the US Cemeteries Project, that's fine too!)

---

Um, that would require being able to speak/read/type(?) Chinese (I can install Chinese character keyboards or pinyin, etc. keyboards but that still requires knowledge of writing or reading Chinese, which I cannot).  In addition, cemeteries are not neceessarily organized in the same way - it is feng shui and fortune-telling that often deteremines where it is best to be buried.  Also, tombs are more common and names are not always inscribed on the outer door.  

I might be willing to tackle the project if anyone is willing to cooperate with me in the transcription process.  I might be able to figure out family names (as there are only about 100) but the rest would be beyond my ken.

---

Oh, fair enough! I came across some entirely Chinese tombstones in a cemetery in Vernon, British Columbia, and decided to just do a different section. :) I'm having enough trouble with the Ukrainian tombstones in Manitoba!

Answer 3

I'm still working away on the Berea Cemetery, Berea, Kentucky. There are about 6000 tombstones, and I've only photgraphed 1000 of them. Tthis is taking forever! The smaller cemeteries are more fun!

Comments

You've "only" photographed 1,000?  It may not seem like a lot when you look at such a large cemetery, but that's a huge dent in a very large project!  I've mostly worked on smaller cemeteries, so I'm curious - how will you transcribe and list them?  Do you plan on having a multi-page alphabetical list?  Or will you list them by defined sections?  I transcribed one cemetery that had over 200 burials, and the listing continued over two pages.  Before I take on a larger cemetery like you're doing, I'd like to get ideas from you and others who've already done this.

Keep up the great work!  And thanks for sharing your experience.

---

Star, I've thought about that quite a bit! I was going to do it by sections, but family members are scattered all over, so I decided to to go alphabetically instead to keep families together. I believe 2000 is the highest number possible on a space page, but I don't want to go to the limit because that doesn't leave room for additional family members who die later. So I will have 4 different space pages but link them all together somehow. Another reason I didn't go by section in this particular cemetery is that the old parts were not designed to be in sections and it is impossible to tell where the seemingly arbitrary division are. If I could make a link to it in this message (ha ha) you could see how I've been experimenting with dividing my interments alphabetically as my spreadsheet grows. [Space:Berea Cemetery, Berea, Kentucky]

---

Martha, you make me laugh!  I looked at your Berea Cemetery - nice work!  I see the way you divided it into alphabetical groups, which corresponds to the category page for Berea Cemetery.  The category page seems to automatically divide when it reaches 200 entries.

I've started work on the Garden of Remembrance Cemetery, which also is large.  It's a newer cemetery, well-divided into clearly marked sections, so I started listing the secion numbers in the Notes field.  Since the category page will list everyone alphabetically, I'm thinking of grouping by sections on the Cemetery Space page, like you grouped letters.  That would enable people to locate people by name on the category page or by section on the cemetery space page, in case they want to see who else is buried nearby.  I'm keeping my original spreadsheets, so resorting the data into new tables later won't be a problem.  I haven't separated them yet because I've only photographed a fraction of that cemetery.

---

This issue has come up before, but I'm not sure the project has ever reached any kind of consensus. I'd say it probably depends on the layout of the cemetery.

I haven't done anything bigger than a couple of thousands graves in one cemetery yet (and the ones that are that size, I'm still working on). Once you get into the really big ones, even the categories will have to be split up. There are a couple in my city with tens of thousands of graves, and that's too many for a category to comfortably hold!

---

I don't think I'll be doing any cemeteries that are that large, Lianne, but I think these issues certainly deserve continuing discussion.  Most of the ones I've done are less than 200, so I was surprised te first time I had a category page that split at 200!  I know we've gotten into discussions that are larger than the purpose of this challenge, but I've really appreciated the discussion and the exerience of the other participants.  Thanks, everyone!

Answer 4

Hello everyone, I was not as active this week but hope to try and make up for it during this final week! I actually have a question and hope someone can help me out! In the cemetery that I am transcribing right now, there is a marker for twin infants. It simply reads as follows: Hadwin, Twins April 11 April 11 1935 1935 No other names are there. My question is should there be 2 profiles created for them or just one? As the daughter of a twin, I know that they are each their own person, but seeing as they are buried together and don't have names present on the stone, should they be together or separate? So please, Help!!!! Thanks!

Comments

I certainly don't have the definitive answer, and would be interested in what others have to say on this topic.  I would suggest a separate profile for each twin.  Even though you don't know much information about them, and it appears they were not named, this would enable someone who is writing the bio for the parents to list all the children individually.  Since they were born in 1935 it's likely that there are death certificates, and someone could differentiate between them based on gender and time of birth or death.  Just my opinion.

---

Thanks Star! Kinda what I was thinking also! I will make a note to just do little bit more research on them after I finish transcribing this cemetery!

---

I agree. Create an entry for each.  Find a grave also states an entry for each.  At least they had dates!  I found several infant graves with the parents' name  but no dates.

Answer 5

Finished transcribing my photos for the Garden of Remembrance Cemetery, Clarksburg, Maryland.  Worked on one family in Pine Hill Cemetery, adding 5 profiles and connecting them to the tree.

Answer 6

Finished transcribing 54 photos for the Sugar Loaf Mountain Chapel Cemetery, and started creating profiles and adding photos. The cemetery is in sad shape, with many broken and toppled stones.  Some are face down, so I was unable to record them.  I left one person off the list because the stone lists his name as "Jas W" - is W his middle initial, or the first initial of his last name?  I don't think creating a profile for him with no last name will help anyone to locate him, or differentiate him in a search.

Comments

Jas W - that's a weird one! "Jas" probably means James, if that helps.

Maybe at one point there was a stone nearby with a surname? I often find a stone with just a last name, and then stones around it with just first names. (I don't like that. I find it hard to photograph!)

---

I agree - I assume "Jas" is James.  I looked for a nearby stone with just a family name, or stones that had last names beginning with "W", but no luck.  Unfortunately, some of the toppled stones have been moved (I hate that!) and several are face down.  There's a date of death on the stone, but no date of birth or age, so I'm going to try the local historical society to see if they have the burial or church records. If I find some additional information later, I'll add him then.

Answer 7

Finally finished transcribing all my photos for the Emmanuel United Church of Christ Cemetery in Dorrance Township, Pennsylvania.  It includes 330 people, but that's only about 1/3 of the cemetery.  About 20 of these are my relatives, so I'm looking forward to creating some profiles - later.

Answer 8

Last report I had 12 transcriptions and 8 photos - I'm moving slowly, but now up to 41 transcriptions and 23 photos at Washington Park East Cemetery.

I also have profiles at Nellie Davis Cemetery, Equality Cemetery, and Beaver Dam Cemetery.Not sure of the counts.

Comments

Your name was not listed on the January Challenge page, so I added you and your cemeteries so you can record your counts.

Answer 9

I created profiles and uploaded photos for another 10 people from St Boniface Oblate Fathers' Cemetery! Plus I uploaded a photo to one existing profile. Only 12 more to go to meet my main goal of finishing this cemetery!

Comments

Way to go, Lianne!  I know you started work on this cemetery months ago, so I'm sure it will be very rewarding to meet your goal.  here are some beautiful headstones in this cemetery.

Answer 10

So I've been busy photoing in Memorial Oaks Cemetery in Houston, TX
 

Tombstones photographed: 8000
Names Transcribed: 2400

I've been a little lazy on the number of photos taken this month.

Comments

8000?! I wouldn't call that lazy!!

Be sure to update your numbers on the challenge page!

---

Considering in December I did 16,000, I guess I wasn't lazy, but the weather made me lazy.  Hard to photo tombstones when they are under water from rain.

---

So where are your transcriptions?  I thought they had to be in a space table someplace.  Wanting to see how the table displays as I have not entered a table that large.

---

I haven't put them in a space table yet because I know that there are issues with large tables.  If it requires them to be in a space table, I'll withdraw those from my total.

---

Are they in an excel spreadsheet? If so I can create a wiki table for you.

---

That's impressive, Chris!  I wish I'd been as disciplined as you and started transcriptions right away when I took my photos last year.

If your transcriptions are in Excel, you can use the converter at http://excel2wiki.net/index.php to create your interment table.

---

I saw that you had not yet created a free space for Memorial Oaks Cemetery, so I created one for you.  It's bare bones - no cemetery description, address, GPS coordinates, etc. - but it follows the standard template and links to the correct categories and Find A Grave site. 

I plan to look at that space sometime in the future, because I'm interested in how you'll list a large cemetery.  I have one large cemetery that I've only begun to photograph (<400 photos so far), and I'm looking for others' experience before I continue in the Spring.  Should I separate the interments by section on the Space page, since the Category page will list everyone alphabetically?  That would provide two different ways for people to locate someone.  Or is there another way that would be more useful?

Answer 11

Finished transcribing 114 photos from the Germantown Baptist Church Cemetery, Germantown, Maryland.  I have one last set of photos to transcribe.

Answer 12

Following Myrtis's lead, one of the highlights for me this month was transcribing the photos for six stones memorializing Holocaust Survivors.  This is a large cemetery, and I've photographed only a small part of it.  Now that I'm (almost) caught up with transcriptions, I look forward to returning to tat cemetery to photograph more memorials.

By the way, I have one stone where the date of death is listed as "3 Av 5764", so I listed it in the notes column for now.  Does anyone know how to translate Jewish calendar dates?

Comments

my photos from the Garden of Remembrance Cemetery, and reviewling

---

When I see a Holocaust Survivor’s grave I get chills just thinking about the horror they must have experienced.

The first Jewish cemetery I photographed I noticed these small stones on top of the headstones.  So me being without a clue, I knocked them off before I took the photo.  Then I saw some with more than one stone that’s when I wondered if the stones meant something.  So I put back the stones I had removed.  Later I learned it was tradition to leave a stone so others knew that the grave had been visited.

Jewish cemeteries are great. Usually well ordered in rows with numbers. Most headstones have the Hebrew name of the deceased and the father's name, as well as the Hebrew date.  Fun trying to figure out.

---

Your assessment of Jewish cemeteries exactly matches this cemetery, Myrtis.  Well-labeled sections, staight rows, very easy to photograph. There's what looks like a bird bath in each section that contains smooth stones for placement on the memorials.  Most of the memorials had information in both Hebrew and English, except for the one I mentioned that listed the date only in Hebrew.  And there's lots of information on the memorials, including several that listed place of birth and even occupation. One sad note was "Holocaust Survivor, Beloved wife of Akiva, Daughter of Aharon Tzvi and Chana Blima, Perished in Auschwitz."

---

According to this date converter I found, 3 Av 5764 is 21 July 2004.

---

Thanks for the Jewish date converter page,  Will add to my tool chest!

---

Thanks so much, Lianne!  I'll keep this link bookmarked for future use.

---

I found this today.  70th anniversary of the release of prisoners.  There are templates and categories you may wish to use for the Holocaust survivor graves you photograph.  

http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Project:Holocaust

---

Thanks, Myrtis.  I'm going to sart creating some minimal bios for the Holocaust survivors in my cemetery so I can link them to this project, and hope others have more sources so they can add more details.

 

---

Answer 13

I finished adding profiles to the Black Creek Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery! Only took me 2 months!  Now to upload those photos to the profiles and to make sure that they have been linked to the catagory page for that cemetery!  It has been slow going this month on this challenge but i have accomplished alot.  May not have too much time in the next few months to do much wikitreeing so glad I was able to get done what I have!

Comments

Liz - think we are all pooped and tired from this intensive challenge.  Now we can sit on our laurels  and catch our breath.  Know I am!  

---

What, no one wants to do a February Cemetery Challenge? Just kidding!

Answer 14

I finished two cemeteries!! :D I created the remaining dozen profiles for St Boniface Oblate Fathers' Cemetery, and the last one for Morris Grace Methodist Church Cemetery. As such, I'm officially happy with my accomplishments during this challenge! These are the first cemeteries to be completed by the Manitoba Cemeteries Project (which currently consists of me).

I might make some last-minute contributions later this evening, but I'll post some other highlights anyway:

• I added one new surname to WikiTree when I created Bonald-1.
• I worked on 4 cemeteries, bringing two of them to completion and finishing the transcription of another.
• The first one I completed was the first one I photographed when we created this project back in June!
• I spent MANY hours researching the Moody/Lewis/Bickford family, trying to piece them all together.

Final challenge results will be posted some time tomorrow afternoon, so everyone be sure to get your points tallied up!

Comments

Congrtulations, Lianne!  I recall that you've been working on St Boniface Oblate Fathers' Cemetery for a long time, and I suspect that was the cemetery that inspired you to create this Challenge.

---

Congratulations on your accomplishments.  Thank you for leading this challenge. 

 

---

And thank YOU for participating! I'm glad I did the weekly update threads this time around. I really enjoyed seeing what everyone is working on and cheering each other on. :)

---

I'm glad you did the weekly update threads, too.  I'm certain I would not have completed as much as I did without the constant feedback.

---

Answer 15

I added 97 transcriptions for Pine Grove Cemetery (Walnut Street annex), and 3 more profiles, which connected 9 more people to the larger tree.

Some additional highlights for me this month:

• I finally finished my parents' cemetery, thanks to the help I received from Kirsty Ward - another Challenge participant who created all the profiles. Like Lianne, this was the first cemetery I started working on last summer.
• I transcribed all the photos I've been meaning to get to for months.  Now the only ones I have to do are family memorials scattered across various cemeteries.
• I added three new names to WikiTree: Brzostowski-1, Cera-1, and Zolkiewicz-1.
• I met some great people who participated in this challenge and who were willing to share their experiences in the weekly feeds. My thanks to Myrtis and Martha, whose posts always made me laugh and kept me going this month; to Kirsty for creating hundreds of profiles as I transcribed my photos; to DK Clews for offering to create more profiles; to Lisa, Liz, Scott, and Andrea for their interesting posts, questions, and encouragement to keep plodding along; to Lianne for sharing the Jewish date converter and for leading this Challenge; and to everyone who made this Challenge so successful.  I look forward to seeing the final total of this Challenge's contributions.

Answer 16

My final contribution for the month:  I created six minimal profiles and added tombstone photos for the Holocaust survivors in the Garden of Remembrance Cemetery and connected them to the Holocaust Survivors page (thanks, Myrtis!).

Added two more new names to WikiTree:  Ilkovich-1 and Perec-1

Comments

Well done Star,  Challenges can be  teaching and reaching out moments.  I'm always looking for ways to make this process of adding profiles less labor intensive.  It helps to be able to connect to others who are willing to share their experiences and discoveries.

 

 The cemetery project is a vehicle for creating "living remembrance" for our global family.

 

Example.  Yesterday I was adding two boys' grave information and it dawned on me that they had the same death date.  So I went to my newspaper source, found a news article on their death.  They died together digging a tunnel in a sandy area near their home.  Next to their grave were two more for young girls with same last name.  More research I discovered that these four belonged to the same parents.  So I added to their profiles my discoveries in hope others will see and discover these young ones.  

 

We all matter and make a difference.  

 

Now that it is February and the challenge is over, I can take down my Christmas tree.

 

 

---

Save time - leave the red ornaments on the tree, add a few hearts, and celebrate Valentine's Day. 

---

"Now that it is February and the challenge is over, I can take down my Christmas tree." I identify very strongly with that statement! It was late January by the time I got around to mine, and I still haven't gotten all the decorations packed away! But at least this challenge was a fun distraction. :D