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Cemetery records and cemeteries in general are a very large part of our family history and are a significant pursuit for many genealogists. Sometimes, the information on a headstone is the only information available for certain ancestors.
There are different types of cemeteries. Just being buried in a specific cemetery may provide a clue to ethnicity, religion, military status, or lodge association.
- Family Cemetery – Usually located on land owned by a family; may have multiple generations of family members interred.
- Church Cemetery – Owned and managed by a church. May be on church grounds or nearby.
- Ethnic Cemetery – Provided to support a specific religion or ethnicity.
- Military Cemetery – Reserved for veterans and possibly their spouse.
- Public Cemetery – Typically owned and operated by a city or county.
- Mass Grave – A common grave for multiple people; generally, the indigent or those who perished in a disaster.
- Commercial Cemetery – For profit cemeteries. May be owned or affiliated with a funeral home or mortuary.
The tombstone often provides more information than just the name of the deceased, the birth date and/or year, and the death date and/or year. Also, there is a lot of information “behind the scenes” that can be very valuable in your research.
What might we find in cemetery records?
- Full name, including maiden name for women
- Prior residence address of the deceased
- Full birth and/or death dates, including locations
- Cause of death
- Age at death
- Marital status
- Who else is buried in the plot
- Location of the plot in Plot map
- Plot deed
- Cost of the plot and/or burial
- Burial Permit
- Copy of the obituary
- Copy of the death certificate
- Names of others involved (e.g., mortuary, headstone company)
- Where deceased died, if different from residence
- Name of doctor and/or hospital
- Name of officiating minister or clergyman
- Military affiliation
- Transfer to or from that cemetery
- Names of other persons related to the deceased,
- Military service, religion, occupation, or membership in an organization.
- Plot Maps – includes grave locations and plot ownership
- Tombstone Inscriptions – birth and death dates. May contain relationships to parents, spouses, and children.
- Tombstone decorations – sometimes include symbols or words about occupations, membership in fraternal organizations or churches.
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