About Stone Orchard Software

In the days of the Pioneers in Canada, as in Australia and the United States, settlers were often far from each other. It may have been many miles to a community with a Church and Cemetery. When family members died, they were frequently buried in a corner of the family farm, which became known in some places as the ‘Stone Orchard’.

The system that eventually became Stone Orchard Software began as an accident! Back in the early days of Cemetery Software, Ken Sr. was a professor of Computer Studies. Neighbours, who ran a cemetery, asked for help to purchase a computer and software to help with their records. An extensive search turned up no reasonable solutions that considered the unique needs of Cemetery Management. Ken Sr. wrote a program for them to use.

As other cemeterians came to visit, they saw the software in action. Frequently they asked for copies of the software. After a year or so, it became clear that there was a genuine need for such a package. Over a hundred cemeterians were surveyed, and had input into the design of the first commercial version. Stone Orchard was first released in 1996 for Windows 3.1.

Since then, Stone Orchard has developed systems based on the needs of cemeteries of different sizes, to fit their budgets and meet their needs effectively. Now, with the release of Windows 7, Stone Orchard is releasing new software, completely redesigned and rewritten, using the latest Data techniques, and taking advantage of the latest computer hardware.  Stone Orchard is now providing record management solutions to Canadian cemeteries and crematoria, with funeral home functionality coming soon.  Over 550 cemeteries around the world now trust Stone Orchard Software to maintain their records.

From a hobby for one person, Stone Orchard has developed into an organization with hundreds of cemeteries utilizing Stone Orchard around the world, and a permanent and growing staff of professional developers, engineers, and accountants.

We are proud of our Software, and passionate about the preservation of Cemetery and Crematorium Records along with the efficient and effective management of Cemeteries and Crematoria world wide.

Many of these old family burial plots still exist, and the name ‘Stone Orchard Software’ was chosen to pay tribute to these early pioneers who built our world.