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Promoting awareness is the first step to preservation

 

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About Louisiana Cemetery Preservation

This wiki is set as a public space for community members, genealogists, geochachers, concerned citizens and organizations who would like to locate and support the preservation of unknown, abandoned, historical or endangered cemeteries in Louisiana. It is a place for public contribution for the following information topics:

· * The State of Louisiana laws pertaining to the creation, upkeep, and preservation of both local cemeteries and historical cemeteries.

· * The Louisiana Cemetery Board is an organization in charge of certain cemeteries, certain cemetery laws, trusts and liscening pertaining to cemeteries in Louisiana. (See their webpage for further information. Changes "amended" in 2006).

· * Each parish in Louisiana has (or should have) its own set of laws governing the care of our cemeteries.

· * Louisiana Saving Graves Yahoo Group was created by Saving Graves in an effort to promote Cemetery Preservation in Louisiana. (note: It is no longer active. - Nov. 2008)

· * This wiki is in support of Saving Graves, Historic Preservation, USGeoGen, USGenWeb and LAGenWeb.

How to participate in Louisiana Cemetery Preservation

 

Documentation of your selected cemetery includes not only a transcript of those interred, but also photographs. Taking photographs will assist future generations and provide documentation of the condition of the cemetery currently, which is very important as cited by Save Our Cemeteries, "Artifact Documentation". The LAGenWeb Gravestone Photograph Project discusses deteriorating headstones, and illegible inscriptions and epitaphs. Over a period of time this information is lost. Lost too, is the original state of the cemetery before some form of neglect, vandalism, or abandonment has taken place. To this end the Louisiana Gravestone Photograph Project has provided an area to submit a photograph of headstones and cemeteries. In addition to this project is the Louisiana Tombstone Transcription Project that provides links also to a few photographs of either particular headstones or cemeteries and additional transcripts of those interred. It is strongly suggested to provide photographs and transcripts to both of these projects in addition to providing the same to your local library or historical association. There are many cemeteries that are documented on various photo sharing websites on the internet. The wikispace offers a centralized location for all of this information to be accessed via the internet. In many of the transcripts from LAGenWeb it is noted of the cemeteries condition. Not only should these cemeteries be identified by local parish government officials, but the cemetery should also be reported to the Louisiana Cemetery Preservation mailing lists, Ancestry message board for Louisiana Cemetery Preservation, identified by Louisiana Cemetery Preservation wiki and blog, and local news media. In this manner, the cemeteries can be identified so that a project to restore, preserve and document can be achieved.

 

Creating volunteer opportunities

 

Creating volunteer opportunities in your local community is as simple as gathering a group of friends or family members and taking on the task yourselves. Church groups, clubs, and various organizations can also be contacted to spark an interest in a cemetery project. Here are a few other suggestions: involve local history commissions, organizations, genealogy groups, church groups, notify mailing lists, transcribers, genealogy societies, history societies, newspapers, LA Dept. of Culture Recreation and Tourism, Louisiana Cemetery Preservation, Save Our Cemeteries, and consult with the Louisiana Cemetery Board to see if this cemetery is under its jurisdiction or within a particular cemetery district. When you have created a cemetery project please update the wiki with your contact information, the specific cemetery, parish location and begin to blog about your cemetery project at the Louisiana Cemetery Preservation blog. Once you have joined the Louisiana Cemetery Preservation wiki, send an email to louisianacemeteries@yahoo.com to be included as a contributor to the Louisiana Cemetery Preservation blog.

 

There are many volunteer opportunities in Louisiana Cemetery Preservation

1. Create and Share Photos
2. Create and Share Plot maps
3. Historical surveys
4. Transcriptions
5. Getting GIS coordinates for unknown cemeteries
6. Reporting abandoned or neglected cemeteries to the mailing list
7. Organizing a clean up
8. Organizing a preservation group
9. Documenting your cemetery visit through the Louisiana Cemetery Preservation blog
10. Create a wiki page for your parish or chosen cemetery

 

The following pages do not have a "Wiki Page"

*Reported to Saving Graves