(Author's note: reposted for editing)
Last Wednesday evening was perfect for a genealogy field trip. The Fountaindale (Bolingbrook, Illinois) Public Library Genealogy Club met at historic Naperville Cemetery for a little history, a little headstone bingo, and a little grave dowsing.
Dowsing, you say?
Dowsing (witching? divining?) is an old custom meant to locate objects in the earth using metal or wooden rods. Supposedly, anomalies in the surface layers can be detected by the actions the rods take over the earth. But whether you're finding water, oil, or a long-lost burial location - or anything - is open to interpretation.
We met in the oldest part of the cemetery where there are suspected burials because of the unmarked spaces. I made rods out of straightened hangers, and pen caps were added at the handles to let the rods "float". I gave my rods a try, and boy, if they didn't start spinning over the graves! Am I a believer? Maybe or maybe not, but it sure was fun.
That's me - what a pro!
