Family research is aided when family burials include a stone with information. The people of long ago, added invaluable bits of info that will be missed by the researchers in a hundred years, who are trying to make links to their own families. For example, a very old stone may not only give the name and life dates of an individual, but it might also have the name of their spouse or parents. This in turn leads to other information. In family grave sites, multiple members of a family will be found, and if the gravestones or recorder are able to tell you who is related, you can make multiple links from just this information. Occasionally, I go back and revisit the documents that record these graves, and take a second look at who may have been added into my family tree since my last visit either to the cemetery itself or study of just the list and it's info. In my case, I have been able to connect families on the second and third return to the documents or cemeteries. My husband and I have found it beneficial to take pictures of all the stones in a cemetery which includes family members. It saves gas and driving time back to the ones that don't have prensent online records.
I wish to thank Gwen Bodford of Yancey Co., NC for the hours of work she has put into documenting the cemeteries there, and for the accessibility of those transcripts, especially when they are updates of old records. It is her work and that of her informants and helpers, which have given me the directions and adequate information to find so many of my ancestors graves. She further gives relationships when she is able to determine that on something other than the stone. Even the speculation of possible occupants of graves where only stones are markers, is helpful when filling a family tree. Thanks Gwen!!!
This will be an ongoing listing, to which I have not totally added a certain structure. My present game plan is to use pages for the larger of the cemeteries or the ones which have the most relatives, or must stand alone. I may have to group some of the smaller locations, or group them by family names. Looking at the dozen or so books where I have hard copies and knowing I don't even have that many stones pictured, I am realizing what a massive task this may turn out to be. But If I can get the ones up that go with the stories of the people at THEY CAME TO THE MOUNTAIN, I will be happy.
