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Genealogy & Gravestones - Why Was He
Buried - There?
By Celia Lewis
Gravestones and cemeteries are extremely interesting
areas of research for your family tree. There is much to
discover from searching through a cemetery which
contains several ancestors' over time. Sometimes
families had all family members interred at one specific
cemetery, and deceased individuals from other
towns/states were transported to that cemetery for final
burial. However, you may find that one individual is
buried many miles away from other family members,
perhaps in a different state or country. How interesting
- I wonder why? Good question, interesting clue. Here
are some tips to help you search on burial information
of your ancestors.
Online: Many gravestones and burials are online now and
available to search, mainly for free: FindAGrave is one
example to search. In addition, there are volunteers or
members of local genealogy societies or of "Graveyard
Rabbits" groups who have taken the time to go through
cemeteries methodically, listing every stone and detail,
often including a photo as well.
Start off by identifying the town or village your
ancestor may have died in, and then identify a likely
cemetery. Remember that some families had gravesites on
their property, particularly if they lived on a farm, or
in a very sparsely populated area. Histories of the area
may give you more information on this possibility.
Search on a town website for the names of cemeteries in
the area, or search at FindAGrave also. Once you find a
likely cemetery, begin searching using the surname, then
search using first names. Finally, go through the
cemetery listings name by name. It won't take as long as
you think it might, and the results are well worth the
search. For instance, you may well find married women
with their maiden name listed as well - how helpful!
Also, the search function online for a cemetery may not
pick up all your ancestors if their name is spelled
slightly differently, or if only an initial is shown, or
any number of reasons. Therefore, search by surname,
then search by first name, then go looking name by name
by name.
Examine the year(s) in which your misplaced ancestor
died. Was there a war or skirmish on? An epidemic? Did a
frontier area in the next county or state open up and
everyone moved away except this one? How can you find
out this information? Local newspapers, perhaps? A lone
interment (burial) can give you great clues to follow.
Multiple interments by one family could give you
different clues. For instance you may find that there
were more James Terwilliger or Grover Buell burials than
you knew, in one area. Which one is 'yours'? How can you
tell? Think carefully about the kinds of details which
will help you identify your ancestor.
Here's another tip: Look for first wives being buried in
the same gravesite or area as subsequent wives; it would
be misleading to think they are children, but an easy
error to make. Search for the details of birth and
death, and remember that some women died in childbirth
in the 1800s, so a death within 4 months of a birth may
be another clue.
After doing some searching and identifying a very likely
grave, you can write to the cemetery office to request
more information about your ancestor. Remember that the
staff may be quite busy and may need proof of your
relationship in order to comply with your request.
Provide details of why you believe this is in fact your
greatgrandfather, and ask if there is a fee for the
service. There may be nothing but the dates and names of
the ancestors. However, for example, my grandfather's
burial gave the cause of his death (massive heart
attack), which I hadn't known previously.
Look at newspapers in the area where your lone ancestor
died: there may be an article or mention of his death,
such as an accident, illness, or the like. Also look in
the newspapers where his other relatives lived: they may
have picked up the information and provided it to local
papers as well. This is particularly true in the later
1880s and into the 1900s. For example, details of the
education as well as death of one of my
greatgrandfather's sons were printed in the Port
Townsend WA newspaper as well as in the East Berlin News
PA, and noting that he died in New York city, NY. If I
had only looked in the New York City newspapers I would
have missed the rich details reported in the other
papers.
While we would like to think that gravestone carvings
are "accurate", errors can creep into gravestones
carvings, as well as irregular spellings. Be prepared to
think creatively as you search for gravestones. Also,
find an additional source to confirm the details on a
stone, before you conclude this grave is definitely of
your ancestor. Some sources might be newspaper
obituaries, articles, city/county histories, church
notices and records, and the like.
While you are online at a cemetery, check the
information provided, and see if there is a possibility
of a volunteer taking a photograph of the headstone in
question. You may find that the volunteer is a long-time
resident of the area, and is quite knowledgeable about
history, perhaps even has more details about your
ancestor at the local museum or archives. Unless you
ask, you'll never know. For example, I requested a photo
of the headstones of my greatgreatgrandparents in a CT
cemetery where they were listed on FindAGrave. In less
than 3 hours, I had 3 wonderful photos, plus information
on the house in the background, and details of exactly
where in the cemetery these individuals are buried. How
exciting!
As more and more clues are found, use every bit of
information, and ask yourself more questions. Is there a
symbol etched onto the gravestone? What does it
represent? Find out! Write to the local genealogy
society and ask questions. Perhaps someone living in the
town has the exact information you are searching about
your ancestor - and may actually be a cousin. Enjoy your
searches! |
