Cemetery Records: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 15:01, 31 May 2024

Guide to locating cemetery records for ancestry, family history, and genealogy research.

Online Resources[edit | edit source]

International Collections

About the Records[edit | edit source]

Cemeteries are regarded as the location where people are buried after they die. They are often known by various terms such as graveyards, burying grounds, burial grounds, burial plots, 'churchyards', and several other terms. A cemetery may be operated by a municipality, or it may be operated by a church or religion, a funeral home or other private company, or a fraternal order.

Record Types and Content[edit | edit source]

Headstone Inscriptions[edit | edit source]

Information recorded on headstones (also known as tombstones or gravestones) may include multiple family members are buried in the same vault and the inscription will give information on all that are buried there. Often, this information has been transcribed, indexed, and published and is found online and in manuscripts and books in libraries and archives.

Published Headstone Inscriptions[edit | edit source]

Published transcriptions of cemeteries, when available, may include additional information. They often are more complete because tombstones can be lost over time or difficult to read because of weathering and aging of headstones.

Written Records[edit | edit source]

are information recorded by cemetery officials or caretakers, included in parish and cemetery records recorded by the civil authority. Written records include:

Cemetery sextons' records
Municipal cemetery records
Church yard records
Grave books
Plot books
Maps

Cemetery records may provide information such as:

the deceased’s name
date and place of birth and death
age of the deceased at death
place of origin
names of other persons related to the deceased
maiden surname
sometimes marriage information.
clues about military service, religion, occupation
place of residence at time of death
membership in an organization.

Records by Location[edit | edit source]

Search by country:

Category:Cemeteries

Research Strategies[edit | edit source]

How to Find the Cemetery[edit | edit source]

Not all cemetery tombstones have been transcribed and published online or in book form.
Some cemeteries are located next to a church. If the church name is known, search there first.
Individuals may die in another part of the country. but brought back to their home parish for burial.
Burial places may be mentioned in church records, newspaper announcements, or family histories.
Search directories for possible cemeteries.
Search in atlases, gazetteers, or other maps listing cemeteries.
Google Maps has a large number of English-speaking areas, coverage is incomplete in most other languages.
Many cemeteries maintain a website which will often list operating hours, and some will post burial lists online for those sites.

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-Soldiers and veterans were often buried in private, public, church, national, and military post cemeteries. Others were buried on the battlefield or in prison or hospital cemeteries. The first national military cemeteries were created in 1862 during the <span id="__firefox-findbar-search-id">Civil War</span>.
+Guide to locating cemetery records for ancestry, family history, and genealogy research.
-The National Cemetery System has a card index that identifies nearly all soldiers who were buried in national cemeteries and other cemeteries under federal jurisdiction from 1861 to the present. The address is:
+==Online Resources==
+'''International Collections'''<br>
+*[http://www.findagrave.com Find a Grave]
+*[http://www.interment.net Interment.net]
+*[http://www.billiongraves.com BillionGraves]
+*[http://www.waymarking.com/cat/details.aspx?f=1&guid=205c956b-25b3-47fe-9fb1-2c758098e5cb&st=2 Waymarking.com Worldwide Cemeteries]
-[http://www.cem.va.gov/cem/cems/listcem.asp '''National Cemetery System''']<br>Department of Veteran Affairs<br>810 Vermont Avenue, N.W.<br>Washington, D.C. 20422<br>Internet: [http://www.cem.va.gov/ www.cem.va.gov]
+==About the Records==
+Cemeteries are regarded as the location where people are buried after they die. They are often known by various terms such as graveyards, burying grounds, burial grounds, burial plots, 'churchyards', and several other terms. A cemetery may be operated by a municipality, or it may be operated by a church or religion, a funeral home or other private company, or a fraternal order.
-<br>This web site has administration news; national veterans cemetery addresses; information about burial, headstones, state veterans cemetery grant programs, and links to other sites for locating veterans; and military records.
+===Record Types and Content===
+====Headstone Inscriptions====
+Information recorded on headstones (also known as tombstones or gravestones) may include multiple family members are buried in the same vault and the inscription will give information on all that are buried there. Often, this information has been transcribed, indexed, and published and is found online and in manuscripts and books in libraries and archives.
+<br>
+====Published Headstone Inscriptions====
+Published transcriptions of cemeteries, when available, may include additional information. They often are more complete because tombstones can be lost over time or difficult to read because of weathering and aging of headstones.
-To find microfilm numbers of cemetery records in the Family History Library Catalog, look in the Place Search under:
+====Written Records====
+are information recorded by cemetery officials or caretakers, included in parish and cemetery records recorded by the civil authority. Written records include:
+*Cemetery sextons' records
+*Municipal cemetery records
+*Church yard records
+*Grave books
+*Plot books
+*Maps
-[STATE] ‑ CEMETERIES<br>[STATE], [COUNTY], [CITY] ‑CEMETERIES
-The National Archives also has applications for headstones for soldiers and veterans buried in private cemeteries between 1879–1964.
+'''Cemetery records may provide information such as: '''
+*the deceased’s name
+*date and place of birth and death
+*age of the deceased at death
+*place of origin
+*names of other persons related to the deceased
+*maiden surname
+*sometimes marriage information.
+*clues about military service, religion, occupation
+*place of residence at time of death
+*membership in an organization.
-The following book provides descriptions of national cemeteries, state veterans’ cemeteries, soldiers’ lots, and abandoned military cemeteries:
+==Records by Location==
+Search by country:
+*[[:Category:Cemeteries]]
-Holt, Dean W. ''[http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=572792&disp=American+military+cemeteries%20%20&columns=*,0,0 American Military Cemeteries: A Comprehensive Illustrated Guide to the Hallowed Grounds of the United States, including Cemeteries Overseas]''. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland &amp; Company, Incorporated, 1992. (FHL book 973 V3ho.)
-Some states and counties have grave registration records that identify the graves of soldiers buried in local cemeteries. You can usually find these by contacting the state archives or state library or historical society. The Family History Library has statewide veteran grave registrations for the following states:
-*Florida
+[[Category:Cemeteries]]
-*Illinois
-*Kentucky
-*Maine
-*Ohio
-*Rhode Island
-*South Dakota
-*Utah
-The American Battle Monuments Commission was created in 1923 to maintain memorials in the U.S. and foreign countries where American forces have served. They have the names of 124,913 World War I and II war dead and the names of 94,093 soldiers listed as missing in action or buried at sea from the World Wars, Korean War, and Vietnam War. For information you can contact:
+==Research Strategies==
-'''American Battle Monuments Commission'''<br>Casimir Pulaski Building<br>20 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W.<br>Washington, D.C. 20314‑0300<br>Telephone: 202-272-0533<br>Internet: [http://www.usabmc.com/ www.usabmc.com]
+===How to Find the Cemetery===
+*Not all cemetery tombstones have been transcribed and published online or in book form.
-This web site includes information about the purpose, composition, and history of the commission; details about individual ABMC overseas cemeteries; and the names of persons buried at many of their cemeteries.
+*Some cemeteries are located next to a church. If the church name is known, search there first.
+*Individuals may die in another part of the country. but brought back to their home parish for burial.
-The following publications can help you find overseas cemeteries:
+*Burial places may be mentioned in church records, newspaper announcements, or family histories.
+*Search directories for possible cemeteries.
-''[http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=592051&disp=American+memorials+and+overseas+military%20%20&columns=*,0,0 American Memorials and Overseas Military Cemeteries]''. Washington, D.C.: American Battle Monuments Commission, 1970. (FHL book 973 Al no. 58; FHL film 928257.) Contains descriptions of cemeteries in Europe where Americans are buried who died in World Wars I and II.
+*Search in atlases, gazetteers, or other maps listing cemeteries.
+*Google Maps has a large number of English-speaking areas, coverage is incomplete in most other languages.
-Nishiura, Elizabeth, editor.[http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=430887&disp=American+battle+monuments%20%20&columns=*,0,0 ''American Battle Monuments: A Guide to Military Cemeteries and Monuments Maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission'']. Detroit, Michigan: Omnigraphics, Incorporated, 1989. (FHL book 973 V3am.) Lists the public services offered by the commission plus a directory to their offices. It serves as a guide to cemeteries and memorials for the World Wars.
+*Many cemeteries maintain a website which will often list operating hours, and some will post burial lists online for those sites.