Saving Graves attempts to establish contacts with groups and individuals that are local to your cemetery and may be in a position to offer some sort of assistance. In many cases we will turn your request over to a local or regional cemetery protection association who will be in a much better position to assist and advise on what steps may be taken to save your cemetery.  What you can do to help us is to make sure that you include as much information as possible on the cemetery  and the current situation. For example, the following information should be included in your email:

(1) Where is cemetery located? (What county and state?)

(2) How large is this cemetery?

(3) How old is it?

(4) Have you obtained a copy of the current and prior Deeds to this property? (This is public record.) Even if the current Deed does not list the cemetery as an "EXCEPTION", a prior deed might very well indicate the excepted presence of the cemetery. Finding a reference to the site on a deed is an essential step in trying to protect it.

(5) Do you have any photographs of the cemetery? (Current or past condition.)

(6) Is the cemetery being maintained at present or has the cemetery been maintained in the past?

(7)) What is the present condition of the cemetery? Is it being mowed? Are any of the stones still standing?

(8) Do you know the name of the current property owner?

2  Is not my cemetery protected under state or Federal Law?

While most states do have laws pertaining to cemetery protection, we have found that they vary widely from state to state and there is no way of knowing exactly what may be the law in your state without researching the current state code. Generally, unless your cemetery is located on government land, there will be few federal laws that will apply to it.

3  Locating Friends and Relatives

We're very sorry to say that we cannot help you research the burial location of your friends and relatives.

4  I am trying to research my family tree. Can you email me back with some info on were I can start?

While we have a strong interest in genealogy and family history, Saving Graves cannot assist in this area. There are numerous resources that can assist in this area, and we recommend Cyndi's List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet as a starting point

5  How can I get a list of every cemetery in (insert location)?

Saving Graves maintains information on those cemeteries that readers have submitted to us in the form of either links or Endangered Cemetery Reports. We have no additional information outside of what is found on the website. There are several good resources on the web that will assist with this request. For more information, please visit our Cemetery Listings page.