I doubt if many genealogists think about cemetery management software but cemetery associations and other cemetery owners certainly do. One of the leading packages is CIMS (Cemetery Information Management System). It is a custom-tailored, computer software application specifically designed for owners and managers of cemeteries.
CIMS integrates all of the cemetery information into one easy-to-use information store. Information might include names of the deceased, owners of the cemetery lots, next of kin, dates of last maintenance, and much more. An optional module also interfaces with QuickBooks to track expenses and even the sales of cemetery plots.
CIMS also links all of your cemetery data to computerized maps of your cemetery. This cemetery mapping allows access to data through map interaction and allows queries not possible with standard database tools. In fact, you can place the maps on the Internet where relatives of the deceased can access the maps directly, locating tombstones or even unmarked burial locations, all without interrupting cemetery workers. Families and genealogists can search for burials by names or locations, can find a burial on a map of the cemetery, and then print it out.
You can see one example of this in the North Cemetery of Lunenburg, Massachusetts at http://www.map.ramaker.com/tolnorth/.
Pricing is typical of commercial software. That is, it is not cheap when compared to typical software products aimed at the consumer marketplace. Each installation is customized to the customer's needs. Prices start at $1,295 for CIMS Light without any options for use on one computer. Other prices are quoted upon request.
You can learn more at http://www.cimscemeterysoftware.com/.
My thanks to newsletter reader Carol Purinton for telling me about a cemetery that uses this software.
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