A group of dedicated, local volunteers in Huron County is hoping to document and preserve every grave marker in Huron County, with the hope to help people connect with their roots in the region’s history.
The group, known as Cemetery Enthusiasts of Huron County Ontario, was founded by Lori Carter. Her journey documenting graves began about five years ago when she started exploring her family tree.
Using findagrave.com, Carter has personally added over 3,000 memorials to a publicly accessible database of gravestones across various cemeteries in Seaforth, Hensall, Goderich, Brussels, Egmondville, and more. Volunteers can upload photos of stones and GPS coordinates to these online memorials, making them accessible to anyone researching their family history.
Every person has a story worth remembering, and Carter says the group continues to document graves to honor those who may have been forgotten but had important stories.
In addition to documenting graves, the group connects memorials with obituaries from Huron County Library’s extensive digital newspaper collection dating back to 1848. This effort has brought together local hobbyists interested in genealogy and history through a dedicated Facebook group.
Beyond documenting graves, the group also cleans and maintains stones with permission, using safe cleaners to preserve them for future generations. They recently gained recognition in the community, leading to an offer from Memorial Restorations to host a free workshop in October at Brussels Cemetery. The workshop will teach volunteers how to repair and clean stones, aiming to further their preservation efforts.
Carter hopes that many will join the workshop so the group can continue working towards their end goal.
Carter invites anyone interested in genealogy and history to join their Facebook group cemeteryenthusiastsofhuroncounty. There, she shares tips on using findagrave.com, cleaning stones, finding obituaries, and more.
Written By: K. Milhomens
