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Subject: [ohgenealogy] Cemeteries — Not Just for Halloween Anymore
Cemeteries — Not Just for Halloween Anymore
Death records are one of the three cornerstones of genealogical research.
Along with birth and marriage records, they help create the outline of a
family's relationships to each other. They are often also the records that
are easiest to obtain for documentation of your family. But what if there is
no death certificate available for an ancestor you're seeking? Or what if you
want an extra sense of history and context in which to place him or her?
Cemetery Records and Gravestones Are Great Genealogical Allies
Whether you're trying to find a source for death information or supplement
information you already have, cemetery records and gravestones are excellent
resources. In addition to birth and death dates, which most gravestones have,
many also contain information about military service, cause of death, and
other relevant genealogical information. Sometimes you will discover epitaphs
that give you insight into the individual's sense of humor, ideas about
death, or even the way other people felt about him or her.If you are having
trouble locating an individual's parents, children, or spouse, you can often
find information about them, too. Some gravestones have inscriptions such as
"Beloved child of..." or "Beloved parent of...," which give you clues
to the
names of other ancestors. An even better find is a family plot. By locating
the burial place of one relative, you may also find the graves of several
other relatives. All in all, if you are unable to locate vital records for
some of your ancestors, a cemetery may be a good second place to check.
Getting Started with Cemetery Records
There are several types of cemeteries in America. First, there are
church-owned cemeteries, which include churchyards located right around the
church, and cemeteries run by the church, but not adjacent to the church.
There are also national, state, and local cemeteries that are owned by the
government and maintained by tax dollars. Privately-owned, non-church
cemeteries are also abundant. This type of cemetery is usually operated for
profit. Finally, you can sometimes find small family burial plots on private
property.
There are several ways to find out where your ancestor is buried. If you
don't know the name of the cemetery in which your ancestor was buried, look
in obituaries, wills, and on death certificates — they often list burial
information or the name of a funeral home that you can contact. Make sure
that you also ask other family members if they are aware of any family plots.
Also check the records of the church that your ancestor attended. Their
records may have the name of the cemetery.If you can't find the exact name of
a cemetery, but are fairly certain that your ancestor was buried in a
specific area, you can check your local public and genealogy libraries for
the American Blue Book of Funeral Directors, published in New York by the
National Funeral Directors Association. This book contains the names of
cemeteries, organized by location, and will at least give you a target list
of cemeteries to check out. With this target list, try to call the cemetery
and ask them to check their records. If there doesn't seem to be an office,
ask local genealogical societies, libraries, funeral homes, and churches if
they are aware of any records for the cemetery. If that fails, you may need
to visit the cemetery itself and walk up and down the rows of gravestones in
search of your ancestor.
The American Blue Book of Funeral Directors can help you make a target list
of cemeteries to research.
When you have the name of the cemetery, you may or may not know the location.
If you don't know the location, you can find it in several ways. First look
in telephone books for the area, or ask at the local courthouse, library,
genealogical society, or even local churches. Second, look at U.S. Government
Geological Survey maps of the area, available in larger libraries and often
in sporting goods stores. These maps show all of the roads, houses, and even
the small graveyards. Finally, check your local public and genealogy
libraries for the American Blue Book of Funeral Directors, published in New
York by the National Funeral Directors Association. It lists cemeteries by
location. Once you have a target list of cemeteries, try calling before you
visit. This could save you a fruitless trip because staff members may be able
to search their records for you and tell you whether or not your ancestor is
buried there. If there doesn't seem to be an office at the cemetery, try
calling churches and funeral directors in the area. They may know where any
cemetery records are located, if they exist. You may want to look at cemetery
records even if you know that your ancestor is buried in the cemetery. These
records usually include at least names and death dates, but you may also find
information such as birth dates and spouse's and parents' names. If your
ancestor is buried in the cemetery and you plan to visit the grave site, you
should also find out when the cemetery office is open so that you can stop in
and find out exactly where the plot is. This will save you the trouble of
having to search the entire cemetery for your ancestor. If you do have to
walk up and down among the gravestones, bring the whole family — several
pairs of legs and eyes are better than one.
Bring the whole family — several pairs of legs and eyes can find your
ancestor better than one.
Other Sources of Cemetery Records
You may not actually need to visit a cemetery in order to look at cemetery
records and gravestones. Many of these records have been transcribed and are
available in the archives of various organizations and societies. For
example, the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Works Project
Administration, the Idaho Genealogical Society, and the Daughters of the Utah
Pioneers have all transcribed selected gravestone inscriptions from
throughout the United States. Contact the <A
HREF="http://www.genealogy.com/00000118.html">Daughters of the American
Revolution Library</A> or your local <A
HREF="http://www.genealogy.com/00000116.html">Family History Library of the
Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints</A> for more information about their
collections of gravestone transcriptions. The <A
HREF="http://www.genealogy.com/00000117.html">Library of Congress</A>
and other
large libraries throughout the United States also have transcript
collections. Another new development in cemetery records research is the
creation of online transcription archives. Some contain electronic versions
of transcribed inscriptions, and some, like <A
HREF="http://www.genealogy.com/vcem_welcome.html">Virtual Cemetery</A>,
also provide a
photo of the gravestone and contact information for the person who submitted
it. Many people use computerized cemetery records indexes to help them find
the record that they need. Some libraries have computerized cemetery records
indexes and you can also <A
HREF="http://www.familytreemaker.com/cemetery.html">purchase selected
cemetery records on CD-ROM</A> from
Genealogy.com. Do keep in mind that it's best to try and verify any
gravestone or cemetery information you find through these types of sources —
there is always the possibility of error in a transcription you find as a
secondary source. Plus, it is often a moment of real connection when you
finally do find the grave site of a long-sought ancestor; that sense of
family place is well worth the trouble.
About the Author
This article was written by
Genealogy.com staff.