How to Find a Gravestone

Have you been studying your family ancestry or a specific period of history? It helps to seek out family or historical grave sites and read actual gravestones to learn new information about the deceased. You may know when an ancestor died but will finally come to realize that dozens more members of his community died during an influenza or smallpox outbreak when you visit the cemetery. It is a humbling and learning experience to stand at the grave of a well-known political leader or civil war officer that you have read about in history books. Visit the municipality where the burial took place and find the gravestone of someone who is of interest to you.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. View the military paperwork, death certificate, funeral home or interment record, if available, to learn in which municipality and cemetery the person was buried.

2. Call, write or visit the office of the municipality the burial took place in and ask for the location of the cemetery. Ask the clerk or sextant what the lot number is for the burial plot. The office should have a cemetery map, unless it is kept at an office at the cemetery, the historical or the genealogical society.

3. Visit the cemetery. Ask for the location of the lot number for the grave site if the information was unavailable at the municipal office.

4. Drive or walk through the cemetery to locate the row where the grave lot is.

5. Read the names on the gravestones in the area until you find the one you are looking for. Be sure to take photos of the gravestone to keep for your personal records.

Tips & Warnings

• Do a rubbing of the gravestone. Place a large sheet of paper over the stone and tape it in place. Rub the area with a dark, soft lead pencil to get an imprint of the engraving on the stone.

References

• Locating People in Cemeteries