Tips For Reading Damaged Tombstones

Tips For Reading Damaged Tombstones

At some point in your genealogical research, you will be faced with the problem of going to a cemetery, finding the plot of your ancestor, and attempting to interpret unreadable writing. This can be caused by a variety of factors. Moss, mud, algae, direct sunlight, or vandalism have faded the tombstone. The tombstone may have been located in an area where a once small twig or bush has grown into a giant tree or shrub, thus it is now partially or totally covered and the darkness makes reading very difficult.

The following tips will hopefully allow you to have a fighting chance of overcoming these problems.

1) Remove grass, dirt, and weeds from the area, so you can, if necessary, add one of several elements to the stone to make it readable. You might need water, dirt, or chalk on the depressed lettering, or re-directed sunlight. Under no circumstances should you use a weed whacker or other mechanical tool. This could damage the stone, and make you liable for prosecution by local authorities. The cemetery caretaker may assume you are defacing the stone rather than trying to fix a problem. Cemeteries have been increasing targets for vandals. Some cemeteries maintain tight security.

2) To read depressed lettering, wait for a fairly hot sunny, day. If the stone is a fairly smooth slate type, try throwing a pail of water on it. The surface will dry much faster than the lettering. In most cases, the indented lettering will stay moist and dark which will enhance the image. In many cases, this will allow you to read the lettering fairly easily regardless of any fading that has occurred. Many people will have a camera on these cemetery inspections. Carefully focus on the tombstone, so you won't miss the important details. The best results are with cameras mounted on a tripod.

3) Try rubbing dirt into the lettering. Brush off all excess dirt from the face of the stone; then apply chalk to the surface, holding the stick of chalk vertically.

4) On raised lettering, usually apply one, two, or sometimes three layers of chalk will be adequate to make the writing readable. The chalk will eventually washed away by rain, but it is far better to use a pail of water to clean the stone after your research is completed. Making this effort will create a much better relationship between the custodians of the cemetery and genealogists. Under no circumstances should you ever use any of the following materials on a tombstone: paint, crayon, ink, or pencil lead. These substances are extremely difficult to remove and more than likely the cemetery will be forced to prohibit all persons from putting anything on the stones for genealogical purposes. Use of these materials could also leave you open for prosecution by the local authorities.

5) Use a spray can of shaving cream on the indented lettering, then use a windshield wiper blade to wipe off the surface of the stone. This method is more useful on darker stones.

6) If the cemetery seems well maintained, and you see evidence that somebody still visits the
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gravesite, you could leave a business card or a brief letter on the stone requesting the people contact you. Before doing this, consult with the cemetery custodian. Until the mid-1980's, it was not uncommon for genealogists to leave laminated letters (brief) or business cards on the tombstone itself. The increasing amount of fraud and vandalism makes this a very risky proposition. The cemetery custodian might have some sort of notification system whereby he/she will pass your request on to the family or friend. If they are interested, they will contact you at their convenience.

7) Before doing any of the steps listed above, be sure to ask the cemetery custodians for permission to do your research, and inform them of the possibility of having to implement one or more of the steps discussed in this information sheet. By taking the extra time to be courteous, it not only will make for a much more friendly relationship, you may find they will assist you in performing some of these steps. At the very least, they might help you clean the area around the stone for you. Every little bit can help.

Compiled by Bryan L. Mulcahy, Reference Librarian, Fort Myers-Lee County Library, 11/18/98