Volunteer Headstone Cleaning

[Suzanneiom]

Hi everyone, I hope this post is okay.


I’ve been researching my family tree for many years, but I’ve really immersed myself in it over the last 18 months. Through that journey, I started volunteering with Find a Grave, where I’ve spent the past year and a half photographing and documenting graves to help families preserve the memory of their loved ones.


One day, someone asked if I could clean a headstone so the inscription could be read more easily. That sparked a whole new passion. Since then, I’ve been trained by someone who runs their own professional headstone cleaning business, and I’ve been voluntarily cleaning headstones ever since.


With permission from the church I attend (which I actually started attending through my interest in family history), I’ve been able to help restore a number of memorials. I mainly clean granite and marble headstones, particularly those that have become heavily stained or blackened over time. I generally avoid limestone and sandstone memorials, as they can be much more fragile and require specialist conservation.


At the moment I do this entirely voluntarily because I genuinely enjoy giving something back. I’ve cleaned several of my own family headstones, as well as memorials for other families, and in the future I hope to turn it into a small business.


If anyone here has a family headstone that is in need of a clean, please feel free to send me a message. I’d be more than happy to help, completely free of charge. The only thing I ask is that you’re happy for me to share before-and-after photos on my Instagram page to show the work (always respectfully, of course).


I hope this post is okay, and I’ll add a few examples of my work below.

 

[poker_pete82]

Hi everyone, I hope this post is okay.


I’ve been researching my family tree for many years, but I’ve really immersed myself in it over the last 18 months. Through that journey, I started volunteering with Find a Grave, where I’ve spent the past year and a half photographing and documenting graves to help families preserve the memory of their loved ones.


One day, someone asked if I could clean a headstone so the inscription could be read more easily. That sparked a whole new passion. Since then, I’ve been trained by someone who runs their own professional headstone cleaning business, and I’ve been voluntarily cleaning headstones ever since.


With permission from the church I attend (which I actually started attending through my interest in family history), I’ve been able to help restore a number of memorials. I mainly clean granite and marble headstones, particularly those that have become heavily stained or blackened over time. I generally avoid limestone and sandstone memorials, as they can be much more fragile and require specialist conservation.


At the moment I do this entirely voluntarily because I genuinely enjoy giving something back. I’ve cleaned several of my own family headstones, as well as memorials for other families, and in the future I hope to turn it into a small business.


If anyone here has a family headstone that is in need of a clean, please feel free to send me a message. I’d be more than happy to help, completely free of charge. The only thing I ask is that you’re happy for me to share before-and-after photos on my Instagram page to show the work (always respectfully, of course).


I hope this post is okay, and I’ll add a few examples of my work below.

I'm amazed at how well they've cleaned up. Great work!

 

[Suzanneiom]

I'm amazed at how well they've cleaned up. Great work!

Me too, thanks

 

[Astoness]

hi suzanne i notice that the headstone for george and alexandra miles are the parents of ivy miles who we are discussing on your iommi thread..what a wonderful job you are doing and what a great offer from you to clean other members family headstones...wish i was up the task myself but alas not now...sadly headstones for my ancestors are few and far between the one i can think of could be of sandstone/limestone however i will check my research and maybe get back to you...good luck with the business venture

lyn

 

[Suzanneiom]

hi suzanne i notice that the headstone for george and alexandra miles are the parents of ivy miles who we are discussing on your iommi thread..what a wonderful job you are doing and what a great offer from you to clean other members family headstones...wish i was up the task myself but alas not now...sadly headstones for my ancestors are few and far between the one i can think of could be of sandstone/limestone however i will check my research and maybe get back to you...good luck with the business venture

lyn

Hi Lyn, yes you’re right both parents of Ivy ) that headstone was so black I didn’t even realise it was marble till I was half way through …

Yes do let me know.
I have done 2 limestone ones, they don’t come up as well, but I don’t mind giving it a go, and thankyou

 

[Keith R]

The type most of our descendants have are the ones with "stick on " letters and I think they are not suitable for cleaning.

 

[Suzanneiom]

The type most of our descendants have are the ones with "stick on " letters and I think they are not suitable for cleaning.

Do you mean lead lettering? If so they’re absolutely fine to clean I also have a specialised tool to make sure they’re in place properly.

 

[Astoness]

hi suzanne..not that i am asking you to have a go at cleaning it but thought i would share the photos as its such a lovely headstone but i think would take a lot of time and patience to clean..janice took the photos for me some time ago..all of the deceased died so young as well

lyn

 

[Suzanneiom]

hi suzanne..not that i am asking you to have a go at cleaning it but thought i would share the photos as its such a lovely headstone but i think would take a lot of time and patience to clean..janice took the photos for me some time ago..all of the deceased died so young as wellView attachment 227425View attachment 227427

lyn

Hi Lyn wow now that is a beautiful headstone.
I could clean that up for you if you would like me too. I’d probably finish it over three visits.
What cemetery is it?

 

[Astoness]

hi suzanne that is so very kind of you but are you sure about this as said it looks a massive task to me...its at yardley

lyn

 

[Suzanneiom]

Ahh yardley is not too far for me so as long as I have your permission
Plus I have another task to do there too.

So I can see it’s on the edge somewhere by some houses. But yardley is HUGE, so if you have any idea where abouts it is )

 

[Astonb6]

Great and impressive work, Suzanne. Well done and thank you.

 

[Suzanneiom]

Great and impressive work, Suzanne. Well done and thank you.

Thankyou

 

[pjmburns]

I didn't have probllems finding the grave. I think it was on the path leading from the side of the office along the edge of the cemetery (it was a while ago though). . It is easy to spot as it is large and distinctive.

 

[Suzanneiom]

I didn't have probllems finding the grave. I think it was on the path leading from the side of the office along the edge of the cemetery (it was a while ago though). . It is easy to spot as it is large and distinctive.

Yes I thought it was that way! I recognise the path & houses. I’ll find it

 

[Astoness]

hi suzanne i have sent you a small private message...well its not that small lol

lyn

 

[lmr3103]

Hi everyone, I hope this post is okay.


I’ve been researching my family tree for many years, but I’ve really immersed myself in it over the last 18 months. Through that journey, I started volunteering with Find a Grave, where I’ve spent the past year and a half photographing and documenting graves to help families preserve the memory of their loved ones.


One day, someone asked if I could clean a headstone so the inscription could be read more easily. That sparked a whole new passion. Since then, I’ve been trained by someone who runs their own professional headstone cleaning business, and I’ve been voluntarily cleaning headstones ever since.


With permission from the church I attend (which I actually started attending through my interest in family history), I’ve been able to help restore a number of memorials. I mainly clean granite and marble headstones, particularly those that have become heavily stained or blackened over time. I generally avoid limestone and sandstone memorials, as they can be much more fragile and require specialist conservation.


At the moment I do this entirely voluntarily because I genuinely enjoy giving something back. I’ve cleaned several of my own family headstones, as well as memorials for other families, and in the future I hope to turn it into a small business.


If anyone here has a family headstone that is in need of a clean, please feel free to send me a message. I’d be more than happy to help, completely free of charge. The only thing I ask is that you’re happy for me to share before-and-after photos on my Instagram page to show the work (always respectfully, of course).


I hope this post is okay, and I’ll add a few examples of my work below.

Good for you Suzanne. Well done for tackling a job like that. The difference is incredible.

 

[Suzanneiom]

Good for you Suzanne. Well done for tackling a job like that. The difference

Thank you! I really enjoy doing it. Every headstone has a story, and I love learning about the people buried there.

 

[lmr3103]

Yes I’ve always been interested in reading headstones, without sounding morbid.
And the cleaning you’re doing might help someone find a stone they’re searching for.
A lot can barely be made out. Good on you Suzanne.

 

[Suzanneiom]

Yes I’ve always been interested in reading headstones, without sounding morbid.
And the cleaning you’re doing might help someone find a stone they’re searching for.
A lot can barely be made out. Good

Yes, definitely not in a morbid way! I completely agree. It’s great to be able to make the inscriptions readable again

 

[Morturn]

Yes, definitely not in a morbid way! I completely agree. It’s great to be able to make the inscriptions readable again

I, too, have a fascination with gravemarkers and have been recording them for years. I also present a roadshow for historical groups and other organizations—more details here: https://publichistoryblog.wordpress.com/guest-speakers/

In addition to using digital photographic images for recording gravemarkers, I have been working with Nottingham Trent University to develop low-cost techniques for capturing historic objects—including gravemarkers—as 3D images. Here is a collection from some local cemeteries: https://skfb.ly/oRpt7

We can also plot the positions of these gravemarkers on digital maps, making them easier to find and revisit.

For gravemarkers with unclear inscriptions, there are digital imaging enhancements we can apply to improve readability. You can see this in the descriptions of these two examples:
https://skfb.ly/p6vrE
https://skfb.ly/pIqp8

This is a non-destructive technique: you can see a clear improvement without any adverse impact on the original surface.

 

[Suzanneiom]

I, too, have a fascination with gravemarkers and have been recording them for years. I also present a roadshow for historical groups and other organizations—more details here: https://publichistoryblog.wordpress.com/guest-speakers/

In addition to using digital photographic images for recording gravemarkers, I have been working with Nottingham Trent University to develop low-cost techniques for capturing historic objects—including gravemarkers—as 3D images. Here is a collection from some local cemeteries: https://skfb.ly/oRpt7

We can also plot the positions of these gravemarkers on digital maps, making them easier to find and revisit.

For gravemarkers with unclear inscriptions, there are digital imaging enhancements we can apply to improve readability. You can see this in the descriptions of these two examples:
https://skfb.ly/p6vrE
https://skfb.ly/pIqp8

This is a non-destructive technique: you can see a clear improvement without any adverse impact on the original surface.

Thanks for your reply and for sharing those links. It’s certainly an interesting area. I love the 3D images – I didn’t know anything like that existed! I’d love to attend one of your roadshows sometime.