When I saw the stone of John H. Ufkes, I noticed that the name and dates appeared to be a newer, “cleaner” cut than the rest of the stone–particularly the verse on the bottom that I could not read because it was nearly weathered away.
When asking someone about it, I was told that his grandchildren had “gone in together” and had the name and vital dates “recut” into the stone. It almost looked like the name area of the stone had been “cut away” slightly so that the name could be reinscribed.
While I’m not certain of just how it was done, I should make a note that part of the inscription has been “redone.” If it appears that a stone has been some how modified or improved some time after the inscription, make a note of that. It may not be obvious from the pictures you take.
John H. Ufkes stone, Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery, Carthage, Hancock County, Illinois
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3 Responses
What would you record if you believe that a stone has been placed to memorize an ancestor that is not contemporary with the individual. For example, a family places a monument to an emigrant ancestor in 2017 who died around 1786 and posted an entry to find-a-grave?
If you know when the item was placed, then do that. In most cases one does not. In the case of the item in the illustration, I have a notation that indicates the inscription looks like it has been recut or updated some time after the stone was originally placed.
Hi Michael – you might consider blogging some tips on photographing headstones. A recent trip of over 700 miles to cemeteries in KY yielded some disappointing headstone photos. Some I can acquire from Find A Grave but I kinda wanted my own. In that blog you might also mention tombstone rubbings. I forgot to prepare for that opportunity.