Your Quick Tips

Wet Stones
To get a good picture of a tombstone, I wet the face of the stone with regular water in a spray bottle. Most stones have a polished face which repels water and the cut letters and numbers hold water on the surface. This enhances contrast and adds a nice shine to the stone. I discovered this by accident when cleaning a grimy stone and taking a few pictures as it dried. Pictures of the dampened stone were much easier to read.
 
Guy Harrison
Minneapolis

Labeling and Organizing Genealogical Source Folders
I recently started using a Brother P-Touch labeler (Model PT-65) to create labels for my research folders. It’s easy to use and the font size can be easily changed. Labeling tape is also available in several colors. I organize my sources using an “accession number” (TMG-1 thru TMG-####) so that I can use a large font on folder labels. I also use these accession numbers in my genealogy software program. By arranging my sources numerically, I don’t have to shift them in file drawers as new sources are added. The file folder labels are very easy to read so this speeds up locating sources in my filing cabinets.

Irma (Salinas) Holtkamp

Flower Groups
I wanted to comment on Linda’s tip on Findagrave.com (http://www.findagrave.com). I use the site every day. I live in Georgia and I have family members buried in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Florida, etc. It’s a good place not only to list family, but also to place flowers and memorials on gravesites of loved ones. It’s a great way to show respect and remember loved ones. They also have flower groups (I belong to two) where we add flowers to graves that people request.

Sue Rae

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2 thoughts on “Your Quick Tips

  1. I’ve just finished a graveyard investigation where the gravestones were badly encrusted with lichen-I can send a copy of the report if you would like it. After removing the lichen we finally were able to read the inscriptions by using water as Guy Harrison suggests. We also used raking light by using white card to reflect the sunlight across the face of the stone and also liberally applying corn starch (biodegradable) to the stone with a 50 mm paint brush and then brushing it off again. The corn starch stays in the inscriptions. Hope this is of interest.
    Regards
    Nigel Amschwand

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