Wilbourn Vines - Nashville National Cemetery

To the left is a picture of the grave stone of Wilbourn Vines.  He died on February 19, 1864 while serving in the state of Tennessee during the Civil War.

Wilbourn Vines (Also known as William Wilbourn Vines) and is my great-great-great grandfather.  He is the father of Edna Jane Vines and the husband of Melvina Dugger.

He lived in eastern Tennessee in Johnson County.  He was born about 1835.


Wilborurn Vines is buried in the Nashville National Cemetery in Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee.  He is in plot E.1528

Note: This picture was taken by Kathy Bilbrey, a FindAGrave.com volunteer.  It is because of people like her that I am able to see the graves of my ancestors that are buried very far away from me.  I am always grateful to the wonderful, helpful, and knowledgeable volunteers.

Tombstone Tuesday: Daniel Weston and Elizabeth Coombe Weston

To the left is a picture of my great-great grandfather's tombstone.  His name was Daniel Weston.  He was a Welsh mining immigrant who came to this country with his family in 1889.  He settled with his family in the small mining town of Black Diamond in King County, Washington.

The family bible is currently on display at the Black Diamond Museum.

To the left is a picture of Daniel's wife, Elizabeth Francis (Coombe) Weston.  Elizabeth and Daniel were the parents of 12 children, including two sets of twins.

As you can tell, Elizabeth's stone is deteriorating.






The couple is buried in Black Diamond Cemetery, which is located in Black Diamond, King County, Washington.

Note: The pictures above can be found at FindAGrave.com


Further Reading:

• Your Guide To Cemetery Research by Sharon Debartolo Carmack
• A Cemetery Should be Forever by John F. Llewellyn
• Stories in Stone: The Complete Guide To Cemetery Symbolism by Douglas Keister

5 Tasks You Can Complete in 30 Minutes Or Less

We all lead busy lives and the time we have to dedicate to our genealogy is often very limited. It is important that we spend the time wisely and efficiently to get the most from it.

With that in mind, I created this list of 5 things you can do in 30 minutes or less that involves cemetery-related research. Here are 5 cemetery-related things you can do in 30 minutes or less.

1.) Search FindAGrave.com for your ancestor. Enter as much detail into the search boxes to see if you get anything. If you aren't getting any results, then begin entering less and less information into the search boxes until you get more results.

2.) Request a photo on FindAGrave.com for an ancestor when you know the cemetery.

3.) Upload 5 cemetery photos that you've taken to FindAGrave.com so that other people can have access to them.

4.) Read about cemeteries. Pick a cemetery related topic and do a Google search on it. You will most likely find lots of blog posts about preservation, different types of stones used in different time periods or geographic locations, what the symbols on grave stones means, etc. The point here is to learn something new.

5.) Plan a cemetery trip. You can make a list of the cemeteries you want to visit. You can pack the bag you are planning on taking with you. You can look up directions and/or print out maps that tell you how to get to the cemetery. You can email local historical/genealogy societies in the area of the cemetery to see if a volunteer would be interested in showing you around or sharing information.

I hope these quick and easy activities show you that with just a little bit of time, you can still get a lot of cemetery related activities done.

Where is Adolf Doerflinger?

Note: Before I let you read this article, I just want to apologize for letting this blog go. It was wrong of me to ignore this blog as if it doesn't exist. But it is a new year and I am going to give this blog life again. I got discouraged because I don't have many cemetery photos...but that is okay. I've decided to post about the pictures I wish I had and my theories about where my ancestors are buried. So....a new year and a new start for this blog. I will probably be redesigning the blog so look for that in the coming days.

Adolph Doerflinger is my great great grandfather and I don't have a picture of his tombstone.

Adolph has always been one of my most interesting ancestors. He is the man who left his first wife, Augusta Baumeister (whom I am descended from) for his mistress. He then married his mistress and moved to California where he raised his new family, leaving his wife all alone. His son from his first marriage is rumored to have harbored a lot of anger toward his father's new family.

Luckily I've recently met a new Doerflinger cousin who is Adolph's granddaughter from his second marriage. She was nice enough to share the information that she knows about the family - including where she says Adolph is buried.

However I have yet been able to drive out to the cemetery to figure out if he really is buried there.

I checked FindAGrave.com and there is only one "Adolph Doerflinger" in their database who is buried in Missouri and the dates just don't match.

So until I have the time, gas money, and someone willing to drive me since I do not have my license - I will not be able to go exploring the cemetery.