DTKC Cemeteries
Kenosha, Wisconsin
Project Details
Cemetery Type
Catholic
# of Burials
25,000
Location
Kenosha, WI
Services
Mapping, Record Digitization, Memorial Photography
Types of Records
Index cards, deed books, ledger books, paper maps, binders
The Challenge
Downtown Kenosha Catholic has been around forever. They have three cemeteries, compiling over 25,000 burials. With their history, comes decades of historical paper records. Over the years, some of these records had become damaged, and they even lost some in a fire. Because the cemeteries are so historical, they have had many different cemetery managers over the years. This resulted in records of all kinds: index cards, ledger books, binders, paper maps, loose leaf paper, notebooks, and more. DTKC needed all of these records, scanned, transcribed, and organized into a digital database. They were tired of digging through years of paper, and they also wanted to make sure their records were safe for the future. They also wanted these new digital records to be tied to a digital map. Along with that, DTKC wanted a picture of every headstone to be attached to their map for public viewing.
Our Process
Because of the magnitude of this project, it was rather expensive. We worked with DTKC to complete this project in phases. This gave them time to recoup some funds as we were working through the phases, and allowed them to not have to spend so much up front. We broke the project down into 5 phases:
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- Data Capture
- Cemetery 1
- Cemetery 2
- Cemetery 3
- Memorial Photography
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To limit our travel, we scheduled a date with DTKC for us to go on-site and scan all of their paper records. This took our 4 man scanning team 2.5 days on-site. We ended up scanning over 70,000 pieces of paper. While on-site, we also gathered our ground data. This consisted of us walking each cemetery, headstone for headstone, and documenting every one of their locations. We also flew our cinematic quality drone to capture a high resolution drone image for mapping purposes. Lastly, we captured a photograph of every single memorial in the cemetery.
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Back at our offices, our transcription team began sorting through the data. All of the data was organized into labeled digital folders to be transcribed. The transcription and mapping process then began for Cemetery 1. Fields such as Owner Name, Burial Name, Dates, Plot Location, Burial Location, Veteran Status, and more were transcribed from all of the paper records. Our drone image, newly digital records, paper maps, and on-site data allowed us to accurately create a digital map. A lot of cemeteries do not realize they have several mistakes on their paper records. Hiring a company such as Lazarus who comes on-site to verify burial location ensures these mistakes are caught. Once we repeated the process for the next two cemeteries, we attached all of the pictures to each burial in the system.
The Result
Downtown Kenosha Catholic is now able to search over 100+ years of history in a matter of seconds. They are able to update burial records, sell plots, and manage their cemetery with incredible efficiency. The public is also able to check and see what plots are available to purchase. They can also search for burial locations to see where their loved ones are buried within the cemetery. The location, information, and a picture of their memorial comes up with every burial search.
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All of their records are now secure for the future. They have also ensured the longevity of their cemetery as whoever is next in line to take the cemetery manager position, has no more mess left for them.