From backyard burials to digitally mapped legacies, this session explores how GIS is reshaping the way we document, manage, and honor the spaces of the dead. Through three distinct but interconnected projects, presenters will share how modern tools like Survey123, Experience Builder, and municipal GIS systems are bringing new visibility and structure to cemeteries, private burial sites, and veterans’ graves.
But this work isn’t just technical - it’s deeply human. Attendees will hear how unexpected challenges, community partnerships, and evolving policies shaped each project, revealing the sometimes messy, emotional, and surprising realities behind the data. Whether it’s navigating the complexities of private land burials, mobilizing volunteers to honor veterans, or helping towns bring order to aging cemetery records, this session highlights how GIS professionals act as stewards of both data and memory.
Expect practical lessons, candid reflections, and a reminder that even in the most grounded datasets… there are stories waiting to surface.
Keywords: Cemetery Management, Commemoration, Community Engagement, Digital Stewardship, GIS Applications or GIS Databases
Modernization and Mishaps in Private Burials
Monique Hassman, MS, PhD., GIS Coordinator/Land Information Officer, Vernon County Land Information Office, Viroqua, WI – USA
Using Community Engagement and GIS to Honor Washington County Veterans
Michael Vander Sanden, GISP, GIS Coordinator, Washington County, West Bend, WI – USA
Cemeteries: Helping towns manage and provide access
Rosemary Mosher, GIS Specialist, VIEWSHED, Yarmouth, ME – USA
Judy Colby-George, GISP, Principal, VIEWSHED, Yarmouth, ME - USA
Speakers 
GIS Coordinator/Land Information Officer, Vernon County Land Information Office
Monique Hassman serves as the GIS Coordinator and Land Information Officer for Vernon County’s Land Information Office. Trained as an anthropologist, she completed her graduate studies and earned a GIS certificate from UW–Milwaukee. Her work is driven by a deep interest in human...
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GIS Coordinator, Washington County
Michael is the GIS Coordinator at Washington County. With nearly 25 years at the county, he's been involved in developing the program from its infancy. Current primary responsibilities include ArcGIS Enterprise and database management, application development and overseeing the drone...
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Owner/Principal, VIEWSHED
Judy is the owner of Viewshed, a Landscape Architecture, GIS, and Planning firm. She has worked with all levels of governments, regional planning agencies, and various private clients for over 30 years. Judy has extensive experience with public participation GIS and working with...
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