Grave Location Resources

"For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and the living."  Romans 14:9


Hi everyone!

Welcome to this week's installment of the Welby 2nd Ward Family History Moment!  Spend just a moment and check out this tip to help with your family history.

Did you get a chance to check out billiongraves.com this past week?  If not, look it up, and get the app installed on your phone!  That way you can photograph the graves of the ancestors you visit this upcoming Memorial Day holiday! 

This week I have compiled a list of additional resources for finding the burial locations of your ancestors.  As billiongraves.com is relatively new, there are many other resources that will likely have much more information.  They are all very easy to search. I have had GREAT SUCCESS in finding relatives buried in many locations throughout Utah, and many throughout the United States.

Many of these sites contain pictures of the headstones and/or pictures of the cemeteries themselves.  It is fun to see the headstones, and much easier (and cheaper) than trekking across the country!  In addition to doing their temple work, I find that visiting grave sites is a particularly personal way to pay tribute to the lives and sacrifices of those who have made you who you are.


United States Burial Resources:

1.  Findagrave.com
2.  Namesinstone.com
3.  Billiongraves.com
4.  userdb.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cemeteries (Rootsweb)
5.  Interment.net
6.  usgwtombstones.org
7.  gpp.jlconsulting.com (Gravestone Photo Project)
8.  gravelocator.cem.va.gov/j2ee/servlet/NGL_v1  (Veteren Nationwide Gravesite Locator)
9.  Gravematter.com (focuses mainly on colonial gravestones and cemeteries of New England)
10.  Cyndislist.com (not a searchable datatabase, but list of many other useful links regarding cemeteries)


Additional Utah Specific Burial Resources:

1.  Namesinstone.com  (mentioned above, but MANY Utah cemeteries submit to this site directly)
2.  history.utah.gov/research_and_collections/cemeteries/index.html  (One of the BEST from the Utah State History Section
     of the Utah Department of Community and Culture)  Also has cemetery lookup for Utah cemeteries.
3.  Utahgravestones.org
4.  Utahcemeteries.org
5.  www.accessgenealogy.com/cemetery/utah.htm  (Great listing of smaller cemeteries around Utah)


After locating where your ancestors are buried, consider compiling this information in a quick and easy form for others in your family to benefit from your research!  Consider a listing including:

1.  Name
2.  Birth/Death date
3.  Cemetery with address
4.  Plot
5.  Map of that cemetery (as well as portion of the cemetery if it is large)
6.  Photo of the ancestor (makes it so personal when you can visit their grave and see a picture of them!)
7.  A short biography of the ancestor (if you get ambitious! Many times someone you go with can tell you a story that you can jot down for the future.)

I have done a compilation in the past, and it has become such a treasure for myself as well as many in my extended family.  It can help direct you to other graves that you many not normally visit, or provide a fun day trip for your family!  Remember to share your hard work - others will appreciate it!  Please contact me if you want some tips on how to organize your burials information and I can share with you what I've done.  You may come up with a plan that works for you on your own!  Even consider the easiest outcome of just making a list of those you have found which will keep you from having to re-find the information in the future (speaking from personal experience....!)


Next week's topic:  A Few Great Flicks!

Happy grave hunting and have a great week!!