FAMILY PLOTS
Margaret Phinney has brought to our attention that most of the larger cemeteries have more than
one family plot for a given surname. Unless we do something to identify which family members
are in which plot, we will be losing valuable information. She is right, of course. So here is the
procedure to follow in the future.
[Do not worry about those you have already submitted, Jerry, Margaret, and I have agreed to go
through and "fix" them unless, of course, you would like to do your own. However, if you are in
the process of entering data and can make these modifications, please do.]
1. Add a new field called "family plot" immediately following "surname." If your database requires a field limit, use 15.
2. When you find different plots for the same surname, arbitrarily assign number "(1)" to the first
one, "(2)" to the second one and so on. For example, the first three fields might be:
Schmidt (1) Arthur
Schmidt (1) Frances
Schmidt (2) Mary A.
Schmidt (2) George Jay
This shows that Arthur and Frances are buried in one plot and Mary A. and George Jay are buried in a different
plot.
3. Record burial information that has been going into the comments column in this new column.
For example, the first three fields might be:
Miller Schmidt (1) Elizabeth
Miller Schmidt (1) Jacob K.
McCurday Schmidt (2) Charlotte (Mrs.)
This shows that Elizabeth and Jacob K. Miller are buried in the same plot as Arthur and Frances
Schmidt and Charlotte McCurday is buried in the same plot as Mary A. and George Jay Schmidt.
See
Guerneville Cemetery and Bloomfield as examples of how this looks.
ADDENDA
DATES
By now, I assume all of you who are actively entering data have discovered inconsistencies and
downright errors in the data. We have been working with the DAR towards an agreement of
how much "fixing" we can do. They are definite in their opinion that we should not change any
dates in the body of the tables that we are producing, however, it is all right to add an addenda.
Depending on the nature of the error, we may be able to find "better" data elsewhere (death
records, birth records, funeral home records). Ray Owen has agreed to help with these kinds of
problems. From preliminary efforts it is obvious that no other records may exist. If this happens,
we still want to point out that we recognize a problem exists. This can be done with an addenda
which will appear as a separate entry below the main table.
1. To set up an addenda, prepare a four field database as follows:
| cemetery name | 40 |
| surname | 30 | first & middle name | 30 |
| comments | 100 |
2. In the main table place an asterisk (*) by the data that is being questioned. For example, and
placing a space before asterisk:
HABSEB, Marie M., 2/6/1890 *; 4/24/1889 *
BOGGS, J.B.L., 4/5/1831 *; 2/19/1839 *, 37 yrs., 11 mos., 15 d *
MILLS, Mary E., 2/2/1843; 2/29/1889, *
ALBINI, Marie * J.
3. In the Addenda, fill in the reason for questioning the information or data from another source
which seems more reasonable. Include record source or date verification made by reading stone if
that applies. For example:
HANSEN, Marie M. died before she was born
BOGGS, J.B.L. death date 4/19/1869, Sonoma County death records xxxxxx (where xxxxx=film, book, or whatever)
MILLS, Mary E. 1889 not a leap year
ALBINI, Marie J. Stone shows MARIA J. (Feb. 1998)
See Spring Hill , Guerneville and Bloomfield cemeteries as examples of how this looks.
4. Because of the limited space for comments in the addenda, please use the following conventions to indicate dates and relationships:
3 Mar. 1905
age 74y, 9m, 27d
b.=born
b/o=brother of
bur.=buried
d.=died
d/o=daughter of
m.=married
m/o=mother of
s/o=son of
NAMES
You have also probably found inconsistencies in the spelling of names. For example, J.M. Hous
and John T. Houx are buried in the same plot. Clement Colombo and Jennie Columbo, husband
and wife. We really have no "authority" against which to check. Enter them as they appear.
TYPOS
On the other hand, DAR will let us fix typos. Some examples of this are "Ayg." for "Aug.",
"Bodeag" for "Bodega", "Janmes" for "James", recoreded" for "recorded" and the like.
You will need to use some judgment as to just what is a typo. If it seem reasonable, fix it. If you
just can't tell, leave it as is.