As executive director of a small community museum, the author is always seeking new and innovative ways to link the museum and its collection with the local community. The museum is located in Southern Ontario, on the shore of Lake Ontario, and comprises three restored homes dating from the period 1835-1849. Located in close proximity to the museum is an early cemetery containing the remains of some of the first settlers in the community. Museum staff felt the proximity of the cemetery to the museum provided an exciting opportunity to introduce the study of thanatology, the study of everything that has to do with death and dying, including cemeteries and gravestones, to high school students. In this article, the author describes a program that introduces students to the importance of gravestones and how they can be utilized in the study of history, on a local as well as national scale. The author also provides some suggestions for areas of instruction, inquiry, and research. (Contains 10 notes.)