Cemetery 'investigators' connecting families with forgotten gravestones

Five years ago, Lori Carter was on a journey to find out about her family history.

"I was trying to find out where I came from, ultimately find out who my ancestors were," said the Huron County mother.

That search took her to cemeteries across Huron County, and what she found were thousands of forgotten gravestones with a story to tell.

She was quickly joined by Debi Bryans, and the pair started documenting and researching gravestones and uploading that information, along with GPS co-ordinates [for] a worldwide database for ancestral discovery.

"We have been going from cemetery to cemetery. We have been picturing every single stone. We have been creating a find a grave memorial for every single person," said Carter.

The duo have documented and researched more than 3,000 Huron County gravestones since 2020.

They say they take great pride in connecting families, with their lost loved ones.

"It's fascinating, but it's really about the history [and] where we came from. Sometimes you just need to figure out who you are and where you came from. We all are made up of DNA," said Carter.

Debi Bryans cleans a gravestone at Ball's Cemetery near Auburn, Ont. on July16, 2024. (Scott Miller/CTV News London)

The pair of cemetery investigators are also cleaning and preserving as many gravestones they have permission to work on, as they conduct their research. They've found hundreds of gravestones left in total disrepair.

"My immediate thought is you haven't been forgotten, because so many of them have been. The family has moved from the area or died off, and nobody is around to appreciate or to care for that monument anymore," said Bryans.

A Facebook group they created called Cemetery Enthusiasts of Huron County has brought in more people to help with documentation and research.

The pair are now seeking official cemetery records to help with their project to try and document all 90,000 gravestones in Huron County, and possibly beyond.

"We'll probably finish Huron County maybe someday. From there, then I guess we might start working our way through other counties. One grave at a time," said Bryans.