New Hampshire Cemetery Association
Presentation Material
Links:
General-Purpose Software (for the do-it-yourself inclined)
At the Spring 2002 meeting of the association, Alton Ryder talked about cemetery management software using Mont Vernon's implementation as an example. The handout consisted of the overhead slides with some terse notes. What follows here facillitates reading the handouts and some additional text in parallel.
Slide 1, Title
Slide 2, Objectives
These seem to be the core objectives for the cemetery of a small town.
Slide 3, Alternatives
Slide 4, Benefits
Computerization of a working cemetery is an enormous task, but the benefits make it very much worthwhile.
An example
The real example inserted here demonstrates the use of computerized software. The occasion was the burial of Ed Walter's widow.
Slide 5, finding Ed Walter's lot
This and the next two slides are screen images of our primary file, permanent residents. For each interment there is a record containing identifying information, interment place/date/method, and lots of other stuff. Although the file can be sorted many ways, the normal condition is alphabetical by name. In this example we have scrolled down to Ed Walter's record; his name is circled on the left. On the right his lot is identified as section 3, plot 50, grave unknown. [We also slip up sometimes. The grave and date of interment were known in the spring of 2001. We forgot to enter it in the file.]
Slide 6, filtering for 3-50
Now the question is Who else is there? Here we are preparing Excel to search the file for other entries in 3-50.
Slide 7, occupants of lot 3-50
The result of the search shows two people named Morgan there.
Slide 8, deed & lot data
A similar search of another prime file shows the lot to have been owned by Ralph Morgan, who happens to be the father of the recently deceased.
Slide 9, section 3
This schematic diagram of section 3, like other active sections, is maintained on the computer. We would use it to locate section 3, plot 50.
Slide 10, Drawbacks
Slide 11, When Appropriate
Slide 12, Requirements
Slide 13, Adequate Hardware
Slide 14, Adequate Software
Slide 15, Preferred Software
Slide 16, Training Requirements
Slide 17, Fringe Benefit
Slide 18, Help
Slide 19, Getting there
The process for computerizing informal maps can be trivial or a lot of work. It depends on how much you want to accomplish. At the very least, scan the map in pieces that will later be individual pages. If you stop here, you will still have to maintain the maps the old way, but you will have the other benefits of computerization in terms of work copies, protection of the original, back-up, and emailing maps to your constituency.
Mont Vernon uses a drawing program, Canvas, and had the benefit of someone with experience using it. The result gives us diagrams that are neat, clean, and easy to change. The text shows the lot owner and the lot number. Slide 9 is an example.
For more information, contact Mary
Shaw at Forest Glade Cemetery, 1 Government Way, Somersworth, NH, 03878-3192,
692-4266, 
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Last changed 2002
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