To: sallypavia2001(a)yahoo.com (Genealogy Tips)
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.
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.
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 Daughters of the American
Revolution Library or your local Family History Library of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for more information about their
collections of gravestone transcriptions. The Library of Congress 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 Virtual Cemetery, 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 purchase selected cemetery records on CD-ROM 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.
written by
Genealogy.com staff
Sally Rolls Pavia
Beej