First published on the American Observer Web site Oct. 20, 2009.

The cabinet is a regular wood grain- a homemade piece of furniture specially made to house a brand-new server without drawing too much attention. But it does anyway, since it is Glenwood Cemetery’s first foray into a more digital world.

Manager Terrance Adkins made it himself, and he hopes that the server is just the first step toward an easier way of doing business. Once the 46,000 names, dates and locations have been put into the system, it will change the way his cemetery in Northeast D.C. operates and helps people discover lost members of their family tree.