Memorial Day is just around the corner, and my latest project is ready to be put to use. I started a new RootsMagic 10 database where I’m researching the people buried in several nearby family cemeteries. My family has lived in this area since before the Revolution; if we aren’t blood-related, we’re probably connected by marriage. The goal is to link everyone together in one family tree.
When I checked the File Properties on the Home page, I saw that I have 843 people in this new RootsMagic database. Using the Count Trees tool under the Tools menu on the People page, I identified 346 individuals related to me in the main tree so far. My next step is to find out which direct-line ancestors are buried in each cemetery. Ideally, I want to print out a list to take with me so I can visit each grave.
Creating the Harrisena Cemetery Search
The first step is to identify which ancestors are buried in which cemetery. To do that, I navigated to the Search Page, specifically Person Search—Advanced.
One of my favorite new features in RootsMagic 10 is the ability to create, save, and reuse a set of search rules.
To do this, I clicked on Find and entered two search rules:
- Ancestors – starting with myself, going back 10 generations, and including only direct ancestors.
- Criteria – ensuring “Unselect” is checked. Under Edit Criteria, I chose the following filter:
- Burial → Place details → Does not contain → Harrisena
Clicked OK once all rules have been added and RootsMagic displays a list of people who match the sequence of rules I entered.
This search removes all ancestors not buried in Harrisena Cemetery, leaving me with a list of just those who are. Surprisingly, I only have two direct-line ancestors buried there, including my Revolutionary War ancestor who first settled the area.
Before moving on to the next search, I saved this one. This allows me to run it anytime without re-entering the search rules. I clicked Saved Searches, chose New, and saw the search filter still intact. I named it Harrisena Cemetery – Ancestors, clicked Do Search, and it re-ran successfully. Now I could safely click Clear Criteria and Clear Results to start fresh.
Creating the Seelye Cemetery Search
This time, knowing I’d want to save the search again, I clicked Saved Searches first, selected New, and named it Seelye Cemetery – Ancestors. I entered two similar search rules:
- Ancestors – starting with myself, going back 10 generations, and including only direct ancestors.
- Criteria – ensuring “Unselect” is checked. Under Edit Criteria, I chose:
- Burial → Place details → Does not contain → Seelye
Clicked OK once all rules have been added.
This search generated 10 direct-line ancestors in the results, including the son of my Revolutionary War ancestor and his descendants. Interesting—why the split between cemeteries? More questions to explore another day. With the search saved, I could now focus on generating reports.
Generating Cemetery Reports
To create the reports, I used an existing report called Individual List. I generated two separate reports from each of the Saved Searches. Under Report Settings, Include?, I chose “Select from list.” Next, I clicked Mark and selected Saved Searches. First, I selected Harrisena Cemetery – Ancestors, clicked Do Search, then Select, and OK. Once I ensured the report options were set correctly, I clicked Generate Report.
I could have printed the report directly using the print icon, but I decided to save it as a PDF instead. I’m sure I won’t be the only family member interested in this list. Now, I can save it to my phone and share it as needed.
I have more preparations to make for my cemetery visits, but I’ll save that for another day…