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(This page's most recent update is February 2026)
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Funeral home records often pick up where obituaries and death certificates stop. They can provide personal details, informant names, addresses, burial locations, and clues about religion and finances.
Why Funeral Records Are Valuable
- Often list next of kin and their addresses.
- May include birthplace, age, occupation, and marital status.
- Identify cemetery and plot, even when no stone survives.
- Show who paid for the service or burial.
- Can reveal relatives acting as informants or guarantors.
What You Might Find in These Records
- Full name of the deceased (and sometimes nicknames).
- Date and place of death and burial.
- Cause of death and attending physician.
- Name, address, and relationship of informant.
- Religious affiliation and officiating clergy.
- Funeral service details and attendees.
- Itemized charges for services, coffin, transport, etc.
How to Locate Funeral Home Records
- Identify funeral homes mentioned in obituaries or death notices.
- Search online for the current version of that business (many were bought out or merged).
- Contact local historical societies and libraries to ask if any funeral home records were donated.
- Check regional archives, university special collections, and state archives.
- Look for digitized collections in local digital archives, state libraries, or historical society websites.
Tips for Contacting Funeral Homes
- Be polite and specific: give name, date of death, and location if possible.
- Ask if historic records exist and whether they’ve been donated to an archive.
- Understand they may be limited by privacy policies or incomplete records.
- If they can’t share copies, ask if they can confirm details verbally.
Other Records to Use Alongside Funeral Files
- Death certificates and burial permits.
- Cemetery records and plot books.
- Obituaries and death notices.
- Church records (funeral masses, memorial services).
Example Starting Point
FamilySearch Research Wiki – United States Cemeteries and Funeral Records (often within state or county pages):
https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/United_States_Online_Genealogy_Records
If you’d like this information in a clean, printable, and well-organized reference format, this topic is also included in the Quicksheet Vault. The Vault is designed for researchers who prefer working tools they can save, print, and reuse—whether that means building a personal binder of key resources or keeping reliable references close at hand. You can learn more about the Quicksheet Vault HERE