Exploring Funeral Home Record, Obits and Memorial Cards

Funeral home record example
from Rootsweb/Ancestry.com

Funeral home records, also known as mortuary records, are yet another overlooked resource for the genealogy researcher.  These records contain the same basic information about the deceased as the death certificate, but with more detailed family information, a copy of the obituary, possible insurance data, and financial records involving the costs relating to the funeral and burial.   Mortuary records can also assist you in locating the cemetery and the burial records held there.

Funeral home records began to be kept during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.  Before that the church was the repository for death records.  Funerals, wakes or remembrance events would have taken place at the home of the deceased or the village church.  Cities are more likely to have funeral home records for the late 1800’s, as rural residents continued the practice of burying their own without formal assistance until a few decades into the 20^th century.

American Blue Book
of Funeral Directors

Mortuary records are considered to be private records.  These records belong to the funeral home and do not have to be made available to the public.  If you have a copy of the death certificate, it should list the name of the funeral home that handled the arrangements.  If you do not know the name, the American Blue Book of Funeral Directors may be helpful.  If you are planning to research funeral home records at the mortuary, start by contacting the funeral home to make sure the records are still in that location. 

 

Schedule an appointment at the funeral home and let them know whose records you would like to review, dates of deaths and any other information they may need to locate the files.  If a funeral home is no longer in business, check with other mortuaries in the area to see if the records were transferred.  If not, visit the local or county genealogical or historical libraries and societies to see if the records have been moved there or if someone knows what became of them.  Many times when a funeral home closed, the director took the records home for safe keeping.

My maternal grandfather's obituary

My paternal great-grandfather's obit

When we explored death certificates and death records on Tuesday, I failed to mention that the funeral director is the person responsible for getting this certificate filled out and filed.  He or she is the person who will talk with the informant of the deceased in order to gather the required data for the certificate.  The funeral director is also the person who writes and places the obituaries with the media.  Parts of an obit may include a listing of surviving relatives consisting of the spouse, children by name and their spouses, grandchildren and their spouses and great-grandchildren, along with siblings. Those who have already passed may also be mentioned. The deceased’s age, address, occupation, religious affiliation, military service, memberships, education, accomplishments and hobbies may also be written up in an obit.  Those residents with more community prominence will usually have obits that contain more information.  Details regarding the funeral service, where it is being held and the burial location are also included in an obit.

Memorial card for
Harry 'Hap" Fleming

Information inside Hap's memorial card

Another genealogical resource associated with mortuary records is memorial cards.  Also known as prayer cards, funeral cards and holy cards, they contain information about the funeral service and burial, including the deceased’s name, birth and death dates, location of services, clergy, pallbearers, music, location of burial and usually a poem or prayer.  Memorial cards are given out at visitations, wakes and funerals.  They may also be sent after the fact to those who did not attend.   Be sure to check family bibles, photo albums and scrapbooks for them.

Next Tuesday is the Ides of March and we’ll take a look at some of the superstitions that surround death.  Please let me know of any superstitions you were taught or remember.

~ Joy 

Cemetery Records – And the Plot Thickens……

There are several records that genealogists search for in regard to a death.  These include cemetery records (and grave inscriptions,) church records, sexton’s records, funeral home records, death records, and mortality records.  We will take a look at each, in turn.  Today, let’s investigate records from the cemetery.

Permit for Disposition of Human Remains

Even if you already know the date of death for your ancestor, cemetery records can offer you much more information about them.  For example, burial permits can be a wealth of information.  The boards of health of a state have been granting these permits for over 90 years. A burial permit gave a funeral director or undertaker authorization for the burial to take place. The information on a burial permit includes the name of the deceased, date of death, city of death, date of burial, and plot number and section where the grave is located, along with the name of informant and their relationship to the deceased.  That’s a lot of information!  But keep in mind it was supplied by an informant and is subject to errors. Burial permits are now known as Permits for Disposition of Human Remains. This form also allows for the cremation of remains.

Burial plat map

A burial plot (plat) map shows the ownership and the specific location of the plot.  It may also include additional details concerning the individuals buried there; depending on what that particular cemetery collects as information.

Burial or Interment Register for a National Cemetery

The burial or interment register is a record of burial for the deceased.  It includes the name of the deceased, age, address, marital status, date of death, date of burial, burial lot number and section where the lot is located for each individual.  When dealing with cemetery records, remember that the date of death and the date of burial are usually different. It is easy to confuse the two when you are involved in the thrill of finding that elusive information.

Private cemetery

Remember, cemeteries may be public or private.  A public cemetery is funded by taxpayers dollars and is under the jurisdiction of a governmental entity, be it local, county, state or federal.  A private cemetery is just that - private.  Private monies and contributions fund it.  You must have the permission of the governing organization in order to view their records. Privacy laws may limit what can be shared with the public.  Private cemeteries can include those with religious affiliations, organizational ties, fraternal groups and family cemeteries.

Friday we’ll take a look at grave inscriptions, discover what to search for, and decipher how to read them to learn more rare information about an ancestor.

~ Joy