You’re Invited! Transcribe 1 headstone today to help with Evan’s Eagle project

Geoff Rasmussen

03 Jul 2015

Hi my name is Evan Rasmussen. Some of you might know my dad, Geoff. I am working on my Eagle project which is to help preserve a cemetery by photographing the gravestones and uploading the images to a website called billiongraves.com.

On Wednesday I and a group of people (20 of us) went to one of my local cemeteries and completed the photographing stage of the project. We took 687 pictures. The next thing I need to get done is to transcribe the images we took. This makes it so anyone who is looking for a relative in this cemetery can find them. If you want to help me out by transcribing ONE gravestone click here. Just zoom in, click on one of the green pins and transcribe away. (You'll have to first create a free account if you haven't already.) Thanks!

Here's what the cemetery looked like before we started:

Here's what it looks like now:

Here's what it looks like when you click on one of the yellow bubbles:

And here's what it looks like when you click on one of the green bubbles:

UPDATE:

A few hours later…

…and the entire cemetery has been indexed! Thanks everybody for helping. It went really quickly. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed your help! There's just a few pictures that I need to go back out and retake (some were blurry or cut off).

Here's a link to the follow-up article, "Cemetery Preserved, and Just In Time".

What you can do now…

1) Take pictures. Using the free BillionGraves app on your smart phone, you can click on the Cemeteries button to see which cemeteries are nearby where you are. Some will have lots of pictures taken, others won't have any yet. Just click on the Take Picture button and have fun!

2) At BillionGraves.com, click on the Transcribe tab at the top. Looks like there are more than 700,000 pictures from other cemeteries that still need to be indexed.

Thanks again everyone for your help!

Here's what it looks like now:

Now I'd better go finish my project's paperwork.

Note from Geoff…

Not bad for Evan's first-ever blog post, eh? And not a bad choice for a worthwhile Eagle project. It's been really difficult for me, as a genealogist and as a father, to not step in and just do this whole project for him. 🙂 Evan has done all the planning, obtained permission from the cemetery district (they're really excited about this), and organized the group's efforts the other night. The root beer floats afterwards were pretty good too! Another of our local cemeteries was vandalized a couple of years back. Had it been digitized previously they would have had a permanent record without the damage. This experience has helped Evan learn how to be a leader which is one of the purposes of the Eagle project.

I wrote about BillionGraves a few years back. You can read about it here. It is a worldwide project with the intent to digitize, geocode, and thus preserve cemeteries. It's come a long ways since I first wrote about it. Its index is also now searchable at FamilySearch.

Thanks for your help with Evan's project. And give BillionGraves a try too, maybe you'll find one of your ancestors today.

Comments (49)

Evan…What a GREAT Project! My hope and faith is restored in the youth of the future with your BRILLANT efforts! Thank You!
I would LOVE to find a way to “inspire” a Eagle group here in Bridgeport, CT to work on an old none working cemetery. Can you suggest an Eagle Scout contact in my area?
~Carol~

Done!

Great work, Evan and everybody. And Geoff, you must be so proud. Smiling for you both

Thanks Jeremiah! Wish you were coming to the reunion next week. Did you get your Eagle yet cousin?

Nice project Evan.
I did the same thing, except I trancribed all of the headstones on-site. I should have done what you did! Good luck at your board of review!
-Jeremiah 😉

Good to know Bob. We’ll look into it.

This cemetery is also transcribed at Find a grave, but not all the Memories there have pictures of the headstones or footstones. A nice follow-on project might be to see where the Eagle Scout project has pictures to contribute to the Find a Grave Memorials.

Thanks Vickie!

5 done. Nice project

Thanks Jamie!

Done! Great project

Thanks Beth! We’ll go back to the cemetery to rephoto the ones that got cut off.

Thanks azjoannie!

Thanks Richard!

I did a few. Some of the photos part of the name is cut off on the right or left. I’m not sure if that’s when they were uploaded or how it happened. I’ve contributed a lot to Findagrave. One of our local cemeteries has a directory because of an Eagle Scout project. Good luck!

Done – nice project

Glad to help. This is the third Billiongraves Eagle project I have been involved with.

Thanks Rosemary!

What an awesome idea..I did a few for you..good job, Evan!!

Thanks Christine!

Done! Very cool project!

Thanks Mary!

Thanks Magda!

Done!
Mary, New Zealand

I am trying to stop from doing too many (-: The easiest transcription set-up ever ! Good luck, Evan. Worthwhile project, no doubt.

Thanks Bonnie!

Thanks Rose!

Thanks Ros! Wow, the UK is helping.

Thanks, Evan, for doing this! I had a huge brick wall regarding the burial place of my great-great grandmother until my husband found an old Eagle Scout project in the library in Romney, WV. It was organized by plot location, not alphabetical and led us directly to her grave, which had been totally obscured by a large, untrimmed bush. So many people may benefit from your work! I’ll be back to transcribe a few headstones in a couple of days when my company is gone.
B Kershaw

Done

1/687th done from the UK.

Thanks so much ccr! Yes, it has been a fun project.

Couldn’t stop with just one. : ) Nice project!

Thanks Cathy!

Done. That was kind of fun!

Thanks so much Kris!

Thanks Ruth! We’re making awesome progress together!

3 Done here, good on yer Evan

I’ve done one, also!

Crystal – thanks, and thanks for letting me know.

Jana – thanks so much!

Thanks Sue!

Hi Evan and Geoff – I have transcribed a few today. FYI – Some of the tombstone photos were missing the family names (I think they may have been cut off.)

Done! And also shared on Facebook, Twitter, and in my weekly Fab Finds post on my blog at http://janasgenealogyandfamilyhistory.blogspot.com/2015/07/follow-friday-fab-finds-for-july-3-2015.html
Great Eagle Scout project, by the way!

I did a couple for Evan. What a great project 🙂

Thanks Linda!

Done my 1/687th too!

Thanks Mary!

Done! (at least my 1/687th)

CL
Carol L J Young

9 years ago

Evan…What a GREAT Project! My hope and faith is restored in the youth of the future with your BRILLANT efforts! Thank You!
I would LOVE to find a way to “inspire” a Eagle group here in Bridgeport, CT to work on an old none working cemetery. Can you suggest an Eagle Scout contact in my area?
~Carol~
TC
Teri Chaffin

9 years ago

Done!
MH
Megan Hitchens

9 years ago

Great work, Evan and everybody. And Geoff, you must be so proud. Smiling for you both
ER
Evan Rasmussen

9 years ago

Thanks Jeremiah! Wish you were coming to the reunion next week. Did you get your Eagle yet cousin?
JS
Jeremiah Sanders

9 years ago

Nice project Evan.
I did the same thing, except I trancribed all of the headstones on-site. I should have done what you did! Good luck at your board of review!
-Jeremiah 😉
GR
Geoff Rasmussen

9 years ago

Good to know Bob. We’ll look into it.
BS
Bob Shalvoy

9 years ago

This cemetery is also transcribed at Find a grave, but not all the Memories there have pictures of the headstones or footstones. A nice follow-on project might be to see where the Eagle Scout project has pictures to contribute to the Find a Grave Memorials.
ER
Evan Rasmussen

9 years ago

Thanks Vickie!
VC
Vickie Claybaugh

9 years ago

5 done. Nice project
ER
Evan Rasmussen

9 years ago

Thanks Jamie!
JM
Jamie Mayhew

9 years ago

Done! Great project
ER
Evan Rasmussen

9 years ago

Thanks Beth! We’ll go back to the cemetery to rephoto the ones that got cut off.
ER
Evan Rasmussen

9 years ago

Thanks azjoannie!
ER
Evan Rasmussen

9 years ago

Thanks Richard!
BS
Beth Sparrow

9 years ago

I did a few. Some of the photos part of the name is cut off on the right or left. I’m not sure if that’s when they were uploaded or how it happened. I’ve contributed a lot to Findagrave. One of our local cemeteries has a directory because of an Eagle Scout project. Good luck!
A
azjoannie

9 years ago

Done – nice project
RY
Richard Young

9 years ago

Glad to help. This is the third Billiongraves Eagle project I have been involved with.
ER
Evan Rasmussen

9 years ago

Thanks Rosemary!
RS
Rosemary Stoll

9 years ago

What an awesome idea..I did a few for you..good job, Evan!!
ER
Evan Rasmussen

9 years ago

Thanks Christine!
CS
Christine Svircev

9 years ago

Done! Very cool project!
ER
Evan Rasmussen

9 years ago

Thanks Mary!
ER
Evan Rasmussen

9 years ago

Thanks Magda!
M
Mary

9 years ago

Done!
Mary, New Zealand
MN
Magda N

9 years ago

I am trying to stop from doing too many (-: The easiest transcription set-up ever ! Good luck, Evan. Worthwhile project, no doubt.
ER
Evan Rasmussen

9 years ago

Thanks Bonnie!
ER
Evan Rasmussen

9 years ago

Thanks Rose!
ER
Evan Rasmussen

9 years ago

Thanks Ros! Wow, the UK is helping.
BK
Bonnie Kershaw

9 years ago

Thanks, Evan, for doing this! I had a huge brick wall regarding the burial place of my great-great grandmother until my husband found an old Eagle Scout project in the library in Romney, WV. It was organized by plot location, not alphabetical and led us directly to her grave, which had been totally obscured by a large, untrimmed bush. So many people may benefit from your work! I’ll be back to transcribe a few headstones in a couple of days when my company is gone.
B Kershaw
R
Rose

9 years ago

Done
RH
Ros Haywood

9 years ago

1/687th done from the UK.
ER
Evan Rasmussen

9 years ago

Thanks so much ccr! Yes, it has been a fun project.
C
ccr

9 years ago

Couldn’t stop with just one. : ) Nice project!
ER
Evan Rasmussen

9 years ago

Thanks Cathy!
CN
Cathy Naborowski

9 years ago

Done. That was kind of fun!
ER
Evan Rasmussen

9 years ago

Thanks so much Kris!
ER
Evan Rasmussen

9 years ago

Thanks Ruth! We’re making awesome progress together!
KM
Kris Mercer

9 years ago

3 Done here, good on yer Evan
RS
Ruth Stangs

9 years ago

I’ve done one, also!
ER
Evan Rasmussen

9 years ago

Crystal – thanks, and thanks for letting me know.
ER
Evan Rasmussen

9 years ago

Jana – thanks so much!
ER
Evan Rasmussen

9 years ago

Thanks Sue!
CC
Crystal Cuelho

9 years ago

Hi Evan and Geoff – I have transcribed a few today. FYI – Some of the tombstone photos were missing the family names (I think they may have been cut off.)
JL
Jana Last

9 years ago

Done! And also shared on Facebook, Twitter, and in my weekly Fab Finds post on my blog at http://janasgenealogyandfamilyhistory.blogspot.com/2015/07/follow-friday-fab-finds-for-july-3-2015.html
Great Eagle Scout project, by the way!
S
Sue

9 years ago

I did a couple for Evan. What a great project 🙂
ER
Evan Rasmussen

9 years ago

Thanks Linda!
LJ
Linda J. Hauley

9 years ago

Done my 1/687th too!
ER
Evan Rasmussen

9 years ago

Thanks Mary!
MR
Mary Roddy

9 years ago

Done! (at least my 1/687th)