Visiting Cemeteries

I recently met a newly found cousin online. Hi Pittsburgh!

I promised her some cemetery photos but when I went to upload them I realized that they were not mine. Some Kind Soul (SKS) had taken pictures of every headstone in the Oaks Corners Cemetery and put them online. The genealogy community is amazing. This man took the time to do this simply because it might help someone else out.

I have always enjoyed walking cemeteries and taking pictures. I once met a cemetery caretaker that was able to put me in touch with cousins I didn't know I had. I was able to find a headstone in a local cemetery for a man who was living in another country, the cemetery had been indexed but somehow his ancestor had been overlooked. Headstones can sometimes give you an idea of how well off or how well liked an ancestor was. The carving on some can be amazingly beautiful. Occasionally an epitaph will make me laugh out loud.

With the leaves changing and cool temperatures fall is the perfect time to take a walk through your local cemetery.