Dying tradition? Technology used to connect instead of visiting graves

May 26, 2012 at 5:59 a.m. | Updated May 26, 2012 at 5:59 a.m.

Griffin McCurren, left, stands with his cousins, Forrest McCurren and Quinn McCurren, and their friend, Olivia Wilbers. Forrest, his brother Quinn and their older brother, Mathias, lost their father at a young age. Forrest says he visits the cemetery a few times a year, but also remembers family members at places around town that remind him of them.
Griffin McCurren, left, stands with his cousins, Forrest McCurren and Quinn McCurren, and their friend, Olivia Wilbers. Forrest, his brother Quinn and their older brother, Mathias, lost their father at a young age. Forrest says he visits the cemetery a few times a year, but also remembers family members at places around town that remind him of them.

The tradition of gravesite visitation is alive and well in our community, according to Jefferson City area observers. But, they quickly add, younger generations seem to be adopting some new methods of honoring deceased loved ones.

Samantha Renner of Riverview Cemetery has noticed younger generations have a different method of paying homage to the deceased. "It's mostly older generations - the baby boomers and generations prior to that - who visit graves."

But Renner has observed younger generations seem to have a hunger for their overall family heritage and that they are taking advantage of modern-day genealogy resources to learn their origins.

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