For many years, the Centre County Genealogical Society has been engaged in a project to inventory all of
the burials in the county. Its effort is to update the records (now accessible at the Centre County Library
in Bellefonte) which were compiled by Adelle Fink Spangler back in the 1920s and 1930s. What you will
find below is a description of just how society members go about documenting the cemeteries. For a list of
cemeteries which have been documented and published by the CCGS see its publication list.
Inventorying a Cemetery
- The cemetery is laid out - a map is drawn indicating the relationship of the public road, inner cemetery cartways and paths, and the layout of the rows. Sections are numbered on the map and the row layout is indicated.
- The actual inventory is then taken, noting the section number, row number and stone number (stones are numbered, not burials). Information of genealogical interest is copied from the stone. No assumptions of name, spelling or relationship are made. The data is copied as seen. This step may take anywhere from an hour or two to weeks, depending on the size of the cemetery and the conditions of the stones. Language can also be a barrier that greatly increases the time needed.
- The cemetery field notes are passed on to a typist, who puts the information into the computer, rearranging the format if needed. A printout is made.
- The printout is compared to any existing records - cemetery records, Mrs. Spangler's material, etc. Discrepancies are noted directly on the printout in a contrasting ink.
- The printout is taken back to the cemetery by someone other than the one who completed the original work and each stone is compared to the printed copy. Special care is taken to ensure that the discrepancies noted are analyzed for accuracy as to what is on the stone. If the stone is too badly worn to make a decision, both versions of the data will appear in the cemetery book. If it is not possible to make a firm decision on the inscription, only one version will appear in the book. At this time, the map is checked for accuracy and any necessary changes are made.
- Directions to locate the cemetery are written, often at the time of the proofreading. Accurate distances and road names/numbers are used whenever possible, starting from a nearby known landmark (the courthouse, a major crossroads in a town, etc.)
- People are interviewed and reference books checked so that a brief history of the cemetery can be compiled.
- The computer record of the cemetery is updated, and the directions, history and map are included.
So, as you can see, the first reading of the cemetery is only the beginning of a complex job. CCGS still needs your help. There are many smaller cemeteries with records in need of typing, and just as many that need the final rearrangement and corrections. Please, if you have computer skills, a word processing program, and some free time, volunteer to help with this project. The word processor that you use is unimportant since files can be shared in ASCII format. Help is needed to complete this project.