Maps 'n' More
Created By Sharon McAllister

Help for CCs -- Cemeteries

The Cemetery Pages provide a resource for CCs who have taken over a county site that has little or no information about its cemeteries. 

First, each provides a list of cemeteries that were in the GNIS database for each county when it was set up.  These show the location in terms of the USGS Quadrangle and Geodetic Coordinates.  Because these worksheets serve as a good starting point , they have been left online.  If you are a new CC, just now starting a cemetery page, you may prefer to conduct your own search.  If so, just go to GNIS and use its form with "cemetery" as the category and the name of the county as the delimiter.  By comparing the resultant page with your county's worksheet, you can immediately tell whether your predecessor worked with me on this project to add more cemetery information.

Second, the maps in the DoT Section have been color-coded to show cemeteries.   These show the Section, Township, and Range, but don't provide geodetic coordinates.  There are cemeteries on the GNIS list that aren't on the DoT maps and vice versa -- but every match that can be found will make the rest of the puzzle easier to solve.

Third, you may get submissions of cemetery information that include only directions like "five miles west of Kellyville on Rt. 66, turn north..." -- but neither geodetic coordinates nor S-T-R.  

Don't despair.  Ultimately, of course, the goal is to have geodetic coordinates, S-T-R, and directions to each cemetery in the county.   I have chosen Oklahoma Co. as the example, because it has the highest percentage of cemeteries with complete information -- but the following procedure should help you make the information on your own county site just as good.

So let's assume you've taken over a county that still has many unmatched cemeteries. In most cases, the detailed maps provided by Topozone provide the answers.  

• If you have only the geodetic coordinates from GNIS, input them to Topozone and select the highest resolution presentation.  This will show the cemetery location and name, as well as its location within the section.  If you are familiar with the area, you already know the Township and Range.  If not, look for a landmark on the topographical map (like a nearby town).  When you find that landmark on the 1972 USGS map for your county, you can read the Township and Range.  In either case, you'll have enough information to provide directions.
• If you have only the Section/Township/Range from the DoT maps, find a nearby town and use its name as the starting point of the Topozone search.  Then, when you locate the cemetery, just designate it as the target and choose geodetic coordinates for the display.  This will also give you enough information to provide directions. 
• If you have only driving instructions, input the name of the closest town.  You may have to change from a small display to medium or large, but you should be able to spot the location and read the Section Number.  Designate the cemetery location as "target" and use geodetic coordinates for the display.

Obviously, this is an iterative approach and  I realize that I have probably over-simplified it. If you need additional help just write to Sharon McAllister.

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