Local Scout Records Cemetery Data for Genealogical Research

Featured Photo: Bluebonnet Hills Memorial Park in Colleyville, Texas. Photo courtesy of Juliette Qureshi.

Adam Qureshi, a fourteen-year-old Scout in Southlake, recently completed an important project using BillionGraves.com, “the world’s largest resource for searchable GPS cemetery data,” by organizing volunteers to collect headstone images from Bluebonnet Hills Memorial Park in Colleyville. As a result of the volunteers’ day of work, the information from almost 13,000 headstones can now be searched by researchers and family members anywhere in the world.

The project was the culmination of Adam’s experience in Scouts BSA, and resulted in his attaining the rank of Eagle Scout. “I had another project fall through and a second project ready to go, but when COVID hit, I had to rethink what would work under the new restrictions. It’s not enough to plan and execute a project all by myself. The goal of the Eagle Project is to enlist, organize, engage, and lead others, so I reached out to BillionGraves.com and realized the Bluebonnet Hills Cemetery that I pass on the way to the gym had thousands of graves that hadn’t been catalogued yet,” Adam explains. “I contacted John Halfmann, the general manager at Bluebonnet Hills and he was very encouraging, so I downloaded the BillionGraves app, tried it out and realized it would be perfect for my project!”

About forty Southlake citizens joined Adam for his project, held in July. “Everyone downloaded the BillionGraves app and got to work,” said Adam, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “I believe that families can be together forever,” he explains, “and that families are at the heart of the gospel of Jesus Christ, so this is super important work!”

“The project was perfect for this strange time, with all the restrictions,” Ahmed Qureshi, Adam’s dad says. “There was plenty of space for anyone who showed up to maintain social distancing and family groups could also choose to work together and coordinate sections.”

Family members across the country joined Adam and his group by participating in their hometowns. “The morning of the project, my aunt in Kentucky went to a historic graveyard in her county and captured pictures of a whole bunch of headstones there.

She had such a great experience she returned last week with the class of Young Women she advises for a Halloween activity that was actually more spiritual than spooky.”

“The weather that morning was overcast and mild, about 15 degrees cooler than we expected for a July day in Texas,” Adam’s mom, Juliette, explains. “It was breezy and pleasant, and so easy to stay out for hours like we needed to! What a blessing!” The funeral home brought out a shade tent for the group and lent them a few brooms so they could occasionally sweep the markers that were too dusty to read clearly.

“It was a busy but very satisfying project,” says Melissah Moore, of Westlake, one of the volunteers who came with her family to help. “I was grateful for the opportunity to work on this project with my family. We found it to be very rewarding knowing we had helped others preserve their family records.”

Adam explains that the experience was surprisingly emotional and unique. “Being at the memorial park made me aware of several lonely figures who were there to visit the graves of their loved ones that morning. I could tell they just wanted to spend time honoring their memories at the cemetery. It was a uniquely spiritual experience, and my heart went out to them.”

Juliette reflected, “It seems like everyone who helped and even those we talked to, who just observed, were all touched by the Spirit of Elijah—the turning of the hearts of the children to their fathers—as prophesied in the Old Testament. It was a powerful day for everyone!”

Adam recommends the BillionGraves.com website and app to anyone interested in helping out. “In one day, we were able to collect headstone data for almost 13,000 graves. All that is now part of the free database. I’m so glad I was able to help in this way!”

If you’d like help searching for your ancestors and learning about your family’s history, please reach out to us at ComeUntoChrist.org. We have a group of genealogy enthusiasts who would be happy to assist you. It’s free!

You can also check out https://www.familysearch.org/help/fhcenters/locations/

To search Bluebonnet Hills Memorial Park on BillionGraves, click here. (Registration required, but access is free.)