This book is much more than a guide to researching in Cemeteries. It includes detailed information about researching all kinds of death records.

For instance in Chapter 1 - "Records of Death"
Sharon mentions no less than 18 sources for locating a death or burial record for an ancestor. Some of the sources are quite unique. She also provides examples of the documentation you will find with each kind of record. Besides the usual sources of wills, death certificates, obituaries, and mortality schedules, some of the unusual sources she mentions are funeral home records, autopsy records, coroners' records, burial permits, and city directories.

Sharon includes an illustration of a page from an Ohio city directory titled "Deaths in Columbus". To research these directories, she says you must order a film from a Family History Library of the Latter-day Saint Church for $3.25 per film. There are also many City Directories posted online. You can use a search engine to find the one of interest to you. I also found a place on the internet from which you can pay to have a search of a City Directory done for you. It costs $15 plus $6.95 shipping and handling. The site is Genealogical Research Associates. Click the banner that appears and it will take you to their homepage. Then click the "What's New" on their homepage to select the City Directory you want them to search.

Chapter 2 - "Locating Graves, Cemeteries, and Their Records"
What a wealth of information this chapter is. Immediately you learn that before the Civil War, dead bodies could not be shipped other places for burial due to the inability to preserve the body in transit. This fact just about guarantees that the place in which your ancestor died was where he or she was buried. Sharon shares numerous resources for finding that illusive graveyard and tombstone inscription. Many of the resources she sites are internet websites with free access. One feature of this book that makes it so interesting to read are the fascinating stories about graveyards and death that she shares. While some of the stories are strange and others informative, some are just plain funny.

Chapter 3 -"Searching a Cemetery"
It never occurred to me that it might be dangerous to go into a graveyard, but Sharon gives several very good reasons why. She also gives many tips about graveyard safety that should not be forgotten. The information I found to be most helpful in this chapter was when Sharon discusses different types of grave markers and especially the time periods in which each was used. For instance she sites this fact: "By identifying the composition of the stone, you can tell if it is a replacement marker. A granite stone with a death date prior to 1880 is not the original marker"(97).

There is also an hilarious story about "Zombies in the Cemetery" in this chapter.

Chapter 4 - "Bringing Home a Tombstone - Legally!"
I have never been able to photograph a tombstone so it was legible, and I have always wanted to know how to do a tombstone rubbing the right way. This chapter covers both of these activities, and it was worth buying the book just to get the benefit of her experience in these areas. There were so many really good tips, that I will need to take the book with me next time I attempt to capture the image of those grave markers of my ancestors.

Chapter 5 - "Cryptic Clues in the Bone Yard"
Ever wondered what the artistic decoration (funerary art) on the top of the grave marker meant? This chapter can answer that question. One fascinating example was her explanation of what an inverted torch represented. Her research had shown that "an inverted torch represented the end of a family line, that is, that there were no more male heirs to carry on the surname."

Chapter 6 - "American Burial Customs and Folkways"
What an interesting chapter this was. It contains explanations about numerous death rituals, superstitions, and customs as well as a very colorful section on "Body Snatchers." If you have ever wondered about the custom of photographing the dead or why your ancestor was buried on a north-south axis while the rest of the family is buried on an east-west axis you will want to read this chapter carefully.

Chapter 7 - "Ethnic and Religious funeral and Burial Customs"
While the previous chapter explored most traditional American burial customs and traditions, this chapter expounds on the burial rituals of certain ethnic groups and religious organizations. Though Sharon gives a brief description of each of the group's traditions, the real bonus for the reader is the suggestions for further reading at the end of each description.

Chapter 8 - "Cemetery Projects and Preservation"
The information in the chapter will help to get you organized, if you are planning to transcribe your ancestors' cemetery. If your ancestors were buried in a small rural church cemetery like mine were, you may want to consider taking the lead in a transcription project for their cemetery. You never know when their grave markers will disappear or become unreadable.

Chapter 9 - "Making Cemeteries a Family Affair"
Among the suggestions in his chapter was an interesting tip for contacting unknown relatives. Write a note saying you are interested in contacting relatives of the person buried in this grave. Put the note in an envelop with the words, "The Relatives of. . ." written on the outside. Attach the envelop to an inexpensive plant and leave it at the grave site. There are other great stories in this chapter.

If you couldn't already tell, I found this book exceptionally interesting and informative. Other unexpected bonuses were the Appendixes which included

• A. Illustrations and interpretations of Gravestone Art,
• B. Historical Time line of Epidemics and Disasters 1516-1981,
• C. Historical Medical Glossary for Causes of Death,
• D. A Case Study Using Obituaries as Family Histories.

This is an excellent book that is well researched and written. The amount and quality of information you get for $13.99 makes it an exceptional buy. Your Guide to Cemetery Research by Sharon DeBartolo Carmack.