This article was originally published in the King City California Cemetery Newsletter.
With the
click of her mouse, Dayna Jacobs can tell you everything you want to know about
the King City California Cemetery. Where is Uncle Billy buried? She’s got the lot and grave number, along with
a nicely printed map so you can find the grave. Who owns the empty lot in the far west corner?
She can tell you that, too. But what
about when somebody calls from across the country looking for cemetery information?
Dayna just sends them to the internet, where they can see exactly what she’s
talking about.
Does it sound
too good to be true? Ten years ago it would have been.
But today,
the King City Cemetery has gone global—and it’s all thanks to Dayna Jacobs, The
Cemetery Lady.
Several years
ago, Dayna decided she wanted to contribute her time and efforts to the
genealogy community, and especially to her adopted hometown of King City,
California. She began by contacting the
town’s cemetery. Could they use her help in digitizing the cemetery’s
records? The answer was a resounding,
“Yes!”
You see, the
King City Cemetery’s records were like those of many cemeteries across the
country—all on paper. Dayna found stacks and stacks of 3x5 cards containing the
burial records, along with several ancient ledgers, some hand-drawn maps, and even
old receipt books.
Dayna says, “The
various record-keepers did a very good job through the years. But there were a
variety of individuals recording purchases and burials, several different types
of records kept, and there had been many physical changes in the cemetery.”
The current
sexton’s greatest fear throughout his eighteen years at the cemetery was that
he would make a mistake and sell a plot twice―or that he would bury someone in
the wrong plot. And searching for a grave in the cemetery was very
time-consuming.
All of these
challenges made it difficult to create a new digital record that was consistent
and correct. Dayna began by creating an Excel database and entering all the information
from the 3x5 cards into the computer.
She then added the information from the ledgers and the maps. When
everything had been entered, she had entered nearly 5,000 records, and was able
to create a printed database with an index by alphabet and grave number.
But it just
wasn’t enough. The printout could not be kept current without great expense,
and the cemetery did not own a computer to maintain the database. It fell to
Dayna to keep the file current from her home.
Then came the
day when the Cemetery District Secretary moved and the Cemetery Board of
Trustees decided to hire her as their new secretary. “That’s when I began to
talk to them about the possibility of buying a computer for the office, and
cemetery software to keep track of things,” says Dayna. “I knew there must be cemetery software out
there somewhere that could make this easier.”
After much
research, Dayna and the Cemetery Board decided on a cemetery management system
called Spatial GENERATIONS by Gateway Mapping, Inc. She liked it because they
were able to use all the information she had already entered into the Excel
database; the technology integrated a computer-based map with the records; and
the system was flexible and could be designed to fit their unique needs. But most of all, the program was uncomplicated
and easy to use.
That’s when
Dayna really got busy. She and Jose Galindo, the cemetery manager, walked
through the entire cemetery, from headstone to headstone, checking the
information there against her map. There had been many physical changes in the
cemetery throughout its hundred years―the graves had been re-subdivided,
acreage and roads had been added, trees had grown larger, and large monuments
had been erected. They redrew the plots as they actually exist, and then
submitted both the database and the map to Gateway Mapping.
“I wish we
would have done this years ago! They produced an accurate digital map and
management system for us that has made record-keeping at our cemetery so much
easier,” says Dayna.
“In the past,
when someone came in wanting to buy a plot, we had to hunt through the cards
and records to find what was available, and we were always worried about the
accuracy of our records. Now when someone comes in, the manager can go to the
computer and click on the color-coded map to see what plots and graves are
available. He quickly knows which plots have already been purchased and who
owns them.”
“We now have
a consistent, easy-to-manage system,” she continues. “It is simple to record each new burial and
purchase, and we can keep our maps and records current at the same time. We are able to search our database in seconds and
even create detailed reports.”
Dayna is delighted
with the reaction from visitors to the cemetery. “Our little cemetery is in a
remote rural area. I think they come in to ask for information thinking we’ll
produce our old card system. Aren’t they amazed when they see that it’s all
computerized?” She smiles. “They love that we can just click on a grave and access
all the burial information about their loved ones, and we can print out a map to
help them find their family graves. And the people in our town are very
appreciative―very proud of our ‘high-tech’ cemetery!”
Jose Galindo agrees.
“I feel good knowing our records are more accurate―I can give much better
service to the public now.”
The most
exciting thing for Dayna and the others at the King City Cemetery has been
putting their cemetery records on the internet.
“Our cemetery
has had to deal with a difficult and time-consuming problem―as I’m sure all
other cemeteries do. That is the inquiries from people visiting the cemetery
regarding where family members are buried.
In the past, Jose spent a lot of time helping these people find family
members’ graves. Often we would have to
coordinate over the phone when he saw potential discrepancies, and he would
need me to look up records on the computer.
Now that part of our job is so much easier because of Spatial GENERATIONS’
compatibility with the new website ‘Names in Stone.’ (www.namesinstone.com.)
We just direct people to that website and they can look up the maps and information
for themselves.”
Everyone at
the King City Cemetery is thrilled to have a presence on this website that
hosts multiple cemeteries. “I had submitted our database to several online
cemetery sites and created a simple little site of our own, but it was a hassle
to update the data, and not all of the sites even have the capability of
updating or making corrections. Now I
don't have to worry about that with ‘Names in Stone.’ Jose just clicks on the ‘update’ icon on his
desktop every week and all of the new burials are uploaded.”
“Jose is also very pleased with the new map of
the cemetery, with the names of every burial printed on the graves. He built a special display case outside of
the office for visitors who come when the office is closed, and we have the ‘Names
in Stone’ website address there so they know how they can access our cemetery
map and records.” Dayna adds, “That is
something that really amazes our visitors.”
And what
about Dayna Jacobs? After years of being a permanent fixture around the
cemetery, she is no longer a paid employee. She just doesn’t have the time.
“But I am not
worried now because I know the records will be easily maintained by others and
preserved digitally and online. It has
been very satisfying to know that 100 years of our town history is now safe,
and the management of the cemetery has been made easier for future employees.”
But she still
helps out as a volunteer at the cemetery. She laughs, “I didn't set out to be
the ‘Cemetery Lady,’ but I guess that's what I have become!”
