Headstones and Cemetery Indexes 

Your ancestor’s headstone can indicate both their date of birth and death. However, this information is only as accurate as the person providing the information to the stone carver. Always locate other sources to confirm the dates carved into the stone.  

If you have a death certificate and it states the name of a cemetery, Google the cemetery name. Then add the word “Index” to your search. Sometimes you will find that someone has transcribed a cemetery and uploade

While working to preserve my own family history, I realized how rare records were kept of our loved ones burials.  How markers became faded, obituaries lost, the footprint we leave on this world vanished.  My great great Grandfathers records were completely missing, and hours on the phone with the Catholic Church finally resulted in answers. There was no exact location outside of an old photograph my grandma kept of her, with her father, and brother standing by his copper marker. This helped the

As I was driving past Mount Sumach Cemetery this weekend, I happened to notice a headstone with my last name. I almost didn’t stop, because I could tell from the road that it was a relatively modern stone. However, it was Saturday afternoon and I had time, so I turned around. The stone in question turned . . . → : CONTINUE READING