Tombstone Tuesday~Vanishing Tombstones

They say a picture is worth a thousand words and the two photos in this posting speaks volumes about the future of our ancestors grave markers. 

The two photos are of the same marker taken approximately 25 years apart by the same individual. The photo on the left was taken with an 35mm camera using color film. The photo on the right was taken in 2008 with a digital camera. 

Photo Courtesy of Julious Burr ca 1983

Photo Courtesy of Julious Burr ca 2008

The Rev. Joel Gulledge died in December 1861, his tombstone survived through the early 1980’s when the first photo was taken. What happen to cause the deterioration shown in photo #2 between 1980 and 2008 is unknown. But, the fact remains that tombstone are not forever making the old adage “If it’s written in Granite, it’s forever”, a cliché. Yes, I know the above tombstone is not granite; but, it has deteriorated significantly in the past 25 years.

In addition to the malicious destruction by vandals, theft, plowed over family cemeteries by farmers, the modernization of vast open lands and now just plain deterioration over time and many “old cemeteries and tombstone” are becoming ruble on the ground or hauled away to dumps. 

Is this a prelude to the future of your Ancestor’s monuments? Maybe a forewarning that we need to get involved to protect and preserve these monuments for future generations. 

I can think of several ways that you can get involved and help preserve these monuments for future generation.

• Become a member of FindAGrave. and/or BillionGraves. 
• Become a photo volunteer for FindAGrave. and/or BillionGraves. 
• Be an advocate of protecting all cemeteries, the old “Family Plot” as well of the modern day Memorial or Memory Parks.
• Get you local societies involved. Perform cemetery surveys and documents these surveys with pictorial books created by the Society.
• Does you state have a Cemetery Preservation Program. If not campaign to establish one.
• Are Historic Cemeteries preserved? If not, why not. Cemeteries and tombstones are historical resources that shows patterns in our economic and social lifestyle. Get you older cemetery preserved by adding them to the local Historical Register.

Today photos may be all that left of your ancestor's monuments  25, 50 or 100 years from today.