Cemetery Spreadsheet
I've been receiving a lot of cemetery transcriptions lately. They are greatly appreciated. Unfortunately, it can take a long time to format them, so there is a considerable delay in getting them uploaded. Also, when I have to retype the information, there's the possibility of errors. Since I'm falling further and further behind in getting this information posted, I thought maybe this would help.
I've uploaded a spreadsheet form in Open Document format that you can save to your computer and use if you would like to. You do not have to use this form to submit your cemeteries. It's provided as a convenience. If it isn't convenient for you, don't use it. :-) If you have a transcription in another format, you are welcome to submit it.
The indexes are generated from these spreadsheets, so please don't deviate from the guidelines that follow. Please do not use colons ( : ) or double quotes ( " ) in your entries, which will cause an error when I try to import the spreadsheet. You can use commas ( , ), semicolons ( ; ) and single quotes ( ' ). You can also use an underscore ( __ ) to reflect missing or illegible information in all except the date fields.
Don't worry if your listing is not in alphabetical order. The entries are alphabetized automatically when they are imported.
If you have questions, please don't hesitate to let me know.
The fields should be self-explanatory, but there are a few things to keep in mind:
Date Fields: Please use numbers to enter the month of birth or death, i.e., "1" for January, "2" for February, etc. The import will not accept letters. Please don't use underscores ( __ ) in these fields to note missing or illegible information. The database will only accept numbers.
Plot: You can put the section and plot information in this field, and you can use commas to separate them.
Inscription: Use this field to record verbatim transcriptions of the stone, such as "Mother" or "Our Little Darling." Please do not use quotation marks, and please do not record "Aged" information in this field. Use the "Notes" field for this.
Notes: Use this field for additional information about the stone, such as the fact that it is broken, or difficult to read. This field is also used for the "Aged" information from the older stones. Please use the following format to record this: "Aged XXy XXm XXd" to maintain consistency. If you have more than one piece of information to record in this field, you can use a semicolon ( ; ) to separate them, such as: "Aged 12y 4m 3d; metal marker."
Gender: Please enter "Male" or "Female" in this field, not "M" or "F."
SSFirst, SSMiddle, SSLast: The "SS" indicates "same stone." If you have a stone that is shared by more than two people, you can put the first names in the "SSFirst" field, and the last name in the "SSLast" field, and you can use commas to separate the first names. If you have a stone that is shared with several last names, please bring that to my attention when you submit the sheet.
SPFirst, SPMiddle, SPLast: These fields are for the spouse's name, if known. If the stone is shared with the spouse, please complete only the "SS" fields. Older single stones sometimes indicate "Wife of John Doe" or "Husband or Jane Doe." This field is for recording that information.
FFirst, FMiddle, FLast: These fields are for recording the father's name.
MFirst, MMiddle, MLast: These fields are for recording the mother's name. Please do not record the mother's married name in the "MLast" field. Only her maiden name should be recorded there (usually determined from the death certificate). If the stone reads, "Daughter of B. F. and M. E. Franklin," only "M. E." should be recorded for the mother.