City officials are beginning to use technology to help keep track of gravesites.
“The cemetery has been a flagship for us. This is a project we started two or three years ago, said William Barrett, the city’s 911 and geographic information system coordinator.
Barrett and the city’s Information Technology Director Terance Henry have worked to make gravesites in the city owned Rose Hill, Maplewood and Oddfellows cemeteries off Illinois 37 at the Illinois 13 intersection, traceable by way of computer technology.
A final phase of marking global positioning system coordinates for about 35,000 gravesites is underway now and should be completed in a year, Barrett said, noting he has completed amassing data for about 350 gravesites.
In addition to locating gravesites by way of satellite coordinates, the GPS installation will have precise information on each gravesite. In addition to helping families of buried loved ones, the information can be utilized for potential incidents of vandalism, disaster or other occurrences, Henry said.
“This preserves family integrity,” Henry said.
Phases that have been completed include scanning all gravesite maps into digital format and tabulation of all names, lots and information that can be accessed through the city’s cemetery website.
The project has required a thorough overhaul of the city’s cemetery with graves being uncovered and overgrown vegetation being removed, Henry said.
People who visit the cemetery now have readily accessible signs and maps to guide them to the gravesites. Information can be gathered beforehand through the city cemetery website.
All information will soon be managed through the cemetery office, Barrett said.
“This (project) allows us to show better transparency to the public,” Barrett said.
Henry said word has gotten out about what Marion is accomplishing with its cemetery. He said he has received inquiries from municipalities in Pennsylvania about the project.
Also assisting with the project is Clarida & Zeigler Engineering of Marion and Horner & Shifrin engineering of St. Louis.
(Extracted from Southern Illinoisan article by Scott Fitzgerald, 07/01/2013)