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.
What can you find in these records? How about birth, marriage, and death information and clues to military service, religion, and organization memberships? Location of the burial plot, tombstone inscriptions, cemetery maps, sexton registers, and headstone photos are also generally available.
Here are a few good primers on the benefits of searching cemetery records:
- FamilySearch – United States Cemeteries
- A Gravesite Can Reveal Remarkable Details About Your Ancestor IF You Can Find It: Here’s How
- Rootsweb – Cemetery Records
Note: Some of the links listed take you to a FamilySearch Collection of digital images. Near the bottom of the page under Film/Digital Notes is the name of each sub-collection. If there is a camera icon at the right of the name (in the Format column) then the collections’ images are browsable. If there is a camera with a key icon, it is only available at a Family History Center or affiliated library. If there is a film reel icon, then it is only available in microfilm format, not digital. To take full advantage, please make sure that you are logged in to FamilySearch. The results may be different if you are signed in, rather than not.
Below are links to cemetery, burial, and interment records as well as indexes and tombstone inscriptions that are available for free online.
(Updated July 2023)
South Dakota Cemetery Records
General U.S.
- African American Cemeteries.com
- Billion Graves Index
- Find A Grave Index
- Names in Stone Cemetery Maps
- United States, Cemetery Abstracts, 1949-1969
- US GenWeb Tombstone Transcription Project
- Veteran’s Nationwide Gravesite Locator
South Dakota
- Aberdeen, Riverside Cemetery – Billion Graves
- Aberdeen, Riverside Memorial Cemetery, Burial Search
- Aberdeen, Sacred Heart Cemetery – Billion Graves
- Aberdeen, Saint Marys Cemetery – Billion Graves
- Aurora County Cemeteries
- Aurora County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Aurora County Cemeteries and Records
- Aurora County Cemetery Records
- Beadle County Cemeteries
- Beadle County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Beadle County Cemeteries and Records
- Beadle County Cemetery Records
- Belle Fourche, Cemetery Search
- Belle Fourche, Pine Slope Cemetery – Billion Graves
- Bennett County Cemeteries
- Bennett County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Bennett County Cemetery Records
- Bon Homme County Cemeteries
- Bon Homme County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Bon Homme County Cemeteries and Records
- Bon Homme County Cemetery Records
- Brookings County and Deuel County, Known Burials in 2005
- Brookings County Cemeteries
- Brookings County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Brookings County Cemetery Records
- Brookings, First Lutheran Cemetery – Billion Graves
- Brookings, Greenwood Cemetery – Billion Graves
- Brown County Cemeteries
- Brown County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Brown County Cemeteries – Interment.net
- Brown County Cemeteries and Records
- Brule County Cemeteries
- Brule County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Brule County Cemeteries and Records
- Brule County Cemetery Records
- Buffalo County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Butte County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Butte County Cemeteries – Interment.net
- Butte County Cemeteries and Records
- Butte County Cemetery Records
- Campbell County Cemeteries
- Campbell County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Canistota, Canistota Cemetery – Billion Graves
- Charles Mix County Cemeteries
- Charles Mix County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Charles Mix County Cemeteries and Records
- Clark County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Clark County Cemetery Records
- Clay County Cemeteries
- Clay County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Clay County Cemeteries – Interment.net
- Clay County Cemeteries and Records
- Clay County Cemetery Records
- Codington County Cemeteries
- Codington County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Codington County Cemeteries and Records
- Codington County Cemetery Records
- Corson County Cemeteries
- Corson County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Corson County Cemetery Records
- Custer County Cemeteries
- Custer County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Custer County Cemeteries and Records
- Davison County Cemeteries
- Davison County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Davison County Cemetery, Cemetery Plot Cards
- Day County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Day County Cemeteries – Interment.net
- Day County Cemeteries and Records
- Day County Cemetery Records
- Deadwood Cemetery, Burial Search
- Deadwood, Oak Ridge Cemetery – Billion Graves
- Deuel County Cemeteries
- Deuel County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Deuel County Cemeteries – Interment.net
- Deuel County Cemetery Records
- Deuel County Register of Deeds
- Deuel County, Cemeteries and locations
- Deuel County, Hamlin County and Brookings County Cemeteries, Known Burials, for Year 2006
- Dewey County Cemeteries
- Dewey County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Douglas County Cemeteries
- Douglas County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Douglas County Cemeteries and Records
- Douglas County Cemetery Records
- East Sully, Onida Cemetery – Billion Graves
- East Walworth, Selby Union Cemetery – Billion Graves
- Edmunds County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Edmunds County Cemeteries and Records
- Elk Point, Elk Point Cemetery – Billion Graves
- Fall River County Cemeteries
- Fall River County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Fall River County Cemeteries and Records
- Fall River County Cemetery Records
- Faulk County Cemeteries
- Faulk County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Faulk County Cemeteries – Interment.net
- Forte Meade,, Record of Burials in Post Cemetery
- Grant County Cemeteries
- Grant County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Grant County Cemeteries – Interment.net
- Grant County Cemetery Records
- Gregory County Cemeteries
- Gregory County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Gregory County Cemeteries – Interment.net
- Gregory County Cemeteries and Records
- Groton, Groton Cemetery – Billion Graves
- Haakon County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Haakon County Cemeteries – Interment.net
- Haakon County Cemetery Records
- Hamlin County Cemeteries
- Hamlin County Cemeteries
- Hamlin County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Hamlin County Cemeteries and Records
- Hamlin County Cemetery Records
- Hamlin County, Burial Records 2010
- Hand County Cemeteries
- Hand County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Hand County Cemeteries and Records
- Hand County Cemetery Records
- Hanson County Cemeteries
- Hanson County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Hanson County Cemeteries – Interment.net
- Hanson County Cemeteries and Records
- Harding County Cemeteries
- Harding County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Harding County Cemeteries – Interment.net
- Harding County Cemeteries and Records
- Hot Springs, Cemetery Record Search
- Hot Springs, Evergreen Cemetery – Billion Graves
- Hot Springs, Hot Springs National Cemetery – Billion Graves
- Hot Springs, South Dakota Veterans Home Cemetery – Billion Graves
- Hughes County Cemeteries
- Hughes County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Hughes County Cemeteries – Interment.net
- Hughes County Cemetery Records
- Hurley, Hurley Cemetery – Billion Graves
- Hutchinson County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Hutchinson County Cemeteries and Records
- Hutchinson County Cemetery Records
- Hyde County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Ipswich, Holy Cross Cemetery – Billion Graves
- Jackson County Cemeteries
- Jackson County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Jackson County Cemeteries – Interment.net
- Jackson County Cemeteries and Records
- Jackson County Cemetery Records
- Jefferson, St. Peter’s Cemetery – Billion Graves
- Jerauld County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Jerauld County Cemeteries and Records
- Jones County Cemeteries
- Jones County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Jones County Cemeteries – Interment.net
- Keystone, Keystone Cemetery – Billion Graves
- Kingsbury County Cemeteries
- Kingsbury County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Kingsbury County Cemeteries and Records
- Kingsbury County Cemetery Records
- Lake County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Lake County Cemeteries – Interment.net
- Lake County Cemeteries and Records
- Lake County Cemetery Records
- Lawrence County Cemeteries
- Lawrence County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Lawrence County Cemeteries – Interment.net
- Lawrence County Cemeteries and Records
- Lawrence County Cemetery Records
- Lawrence County, Cemetery Inscriptions
- Lemmon, Green Hill Cemetery – Billion Graves
- Lennox, Lennox Cemetery – Billion Graves
- Lincoln County Cemeteries
- Lincoln County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Lincoln County Cemeteries – Interment.net
- Lincoln County Cemetery Records
- Lyman County Cemeteries
- Lyman County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Lyman County Cemeteries and Records
- Lyman County Cemetery Records
- Marshall County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Marshall County Cemeteries – Interment.net
- Marshall County Cemetery Records
- McCook County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- McCook County Cemetery Records
- McPherson County Cemeteries
- McPherson County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- McPherson County Cemeteries – Interment.net
- McPherson County Cemeteries and Records
- Meade County Cemeteries
- Meade County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Meade County Cemeteries – Interment.net
- Meade County Cemeteries and Records
- Meade County Cemetery Records
- Mellette County Cemeteries
- Mellette County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Mellette County Cemeteries – Interment.net
- Miner County Cemeteries
- Miner County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Miner County Cemeteries – Interment.net
- Miner County Cemetery Records
- Minnehaha County Cemeteries
- Minnehaha County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Minnehaha County Cemeteries – Interment.net
- Minnehaha County Cemeteries and Records
- Minnehaha County, Grave Registration Project
- Minnehaha County, Grave Records
- Mobridge, Greenwood Cemetery – Billion Graves
- Moody County Cemeteries
- Moody County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Moody County Cemeteries and Records
- Moody County Cemeteries, Burial Listing
- Moody County Cemetery Records
- New Underwood, Pennington County, Underwood Cemetery, Burials
- Oglala Lakota County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Pennington County Cemeteries
- Pennington County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Pennington County Cemeteries – Interment.net
- Pennington County Cemeteries and Records
- Pennington County Cemetery Records
- Pennington County, Cemetery Lot Plats Card File, 1870–1997
- Pennington County, Cemetery Records, 1889–1978
- Pennington County, Funeral Registers, 1886–1971
- Perkins County Cemeteries
- Perkins County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Perkins County Cemetery Records
- Philip, Masonic Cemetery – Billion Graves
- Pierre, Riverside Cemetery – Billion Graves
- Potter County Cemeteries
- Potter County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Potter County Cemeteries – Interment.net
- Potter County Cemeteries and Records
- Potter County Cemetery Records
- Rapid City, Cemetery Search
- Rapid City, Mount Calvary Cemetery – Billion Graves
- Rapid City, Mountain View Cemetery – Billion Graves
- Roberts County Cemeteries
- Roberts County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Roberts County Cemeteries – Interment.net
- Roberts County Cemetery Records
- Sanborn County Cemeteries
- Sanborn County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Sanborn County Cemetery Records
- Shannon County Cemeteries
- Shannon County Cemeteries and Records
- Shannon County Cemetery Records
- Sioux Falls, Index to Burial Permits
- Sioux Falls, Mount Pleasant Cemetery – Billion Graves
- Sioux Falls, Woodlawn Cemetery – Billion Graves
- Sioux Falls, Woodlawn Cemetery, Burial Search
- South Dakota, Cemetery Record Search
- South Dakota, Jewish Cemeteries
- South Dakota, Veteran Graves Registration Records, 1940-1941
- South Dakota, Miscellaneous Church and Cemetery Records
- South Lead City Cemetery, Card Index of Deaths, 1912-1966
- Spearfish, Rose Hill – Billion Graves
- Spink County Cemeteries
- Spink County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Spink County Cemeteries – Interment.net
- Spink County Cemeteries and Records
- Spink County Cemetery Records
- Stanley County Cemeteries
- Stanley County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Stanley County Cemeteries – Interment.net
- Stanley County Cemetery Records
- Sturgis, Bear Butte Cemetery – Billion Graves
- Sturgis, Black Hills National Cemetery – Billion Graves
- Sully County Cemeteries
- Sully County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Sully County Cemeteries and Records
- Todd County Cemeteries
- Todd County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Todd County Cemeteries and Records
- Tripp County Cemeteries
- Tripp County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Tripp County Cemeteries and Records
- Tripp County Cemetery Records
- Turner County Cemeteries
- Turner County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Turner County Cemeteries and Records
- Turner County Cemetery Records
- Tyndall, Saint Leo Cemetery – Billion Graves
- Union County Cemeteries
- Union County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Union County Cemeteries – Interment.net
- Union County Cemeteries and Records
- Vermillion, Bluff View Cemetery – Billion Graves
- Wall, Wall Cemetery – Billion Graves
- Walworth County Cemeteries
- Walworth County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Walworth County Cemeteries and Records
- Walworth County Cemetery Records
- Watertown, Individual Burials and Abandoned Cemeteries
- West Custer, Custer Cemetery – Billion Graves
- West Pennington, Hill City Cemetery – Billion Graves
- Yankton County Cemeteries
- Yankton County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
- Yankton County Cemeteries – Interment.net
- Yankton County Cemeteries and Records
- Yankton, Garden of Memories Cemetery – Billion Graves
- Yankton, Sacred Heart Cemetery – Billion Graves
- Yankton, Yankton City Cemetery – Billion Graves
- Ziebach County Cemeteries
- Ziebach County Cemeteries – Find a Grave
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
For all Free South Dakota Links, click on the category of interest:
Newspapers
Yearbooks
Births
Marriages
Deaths
BMD Records
Alumni Records
Cemetery Records
Church Records
Coroner Records
Criminal Records
Digital Archives
Directories
Divorce Records
Immigration Records
Institutional Records
Military Records
Mortuary Records
Naturalizations
Obituaries
Photos
Probate and Wills
School Records
Tax Records
Voter Records
For all Free South Dakota Links, click on the category of interest:
Newspapers
Yearbooks
Births
Marriages
Deaths
BMD Records
Alumni Records
Cemetery Records
Church Records
Coroner Records
Criminal Records
Digital Archives
Directories
Divorce Records
Immigration Records
Institutional Records
Military Records
Mortuary Records
Naturalizations
Obituaries
Photos
Probate and Wills
School Records
Tax Records
Voter Records
