Knowing how to find a grave in a cemetery can be a difficult task. Cemeteries are full of different roadways, twists and turns and it can be hard to find a specific gravesite even when you’ve been there before.
In this article we will explain what you need to know, what you should do and how to find a grave in just about any cemetery using the phone and the Internet. Sure there are some techniques that work quicker than others, but by the time you finish reading this you will be well equipped on where to start and finish your search.
Vital Information
To start your search for a specific gravesite you need to first know the full name, the birth date, the death date and the city in which the person was deceased. If you are sure that the person that you are looking for is buried at a specific cemetery, knowing the city the person passed in is not necessary.
Finding the death date can sometimes be difficult as well. To do so, start by searching the obituaries of local newspapers in area where the person lived. Most local libraries have databases that you can access and search for specific information that was listed in local newspapers. If you have a rough idea of when the person passed, you can narrow down your search to certain months and years.
By finding the obituary, you will be able to locate the cemetery that the person was laid to rest in. If the cemetery is not listed, many times family members and the funeral home will be listed which you can then use to find the cemetery location.
Funeral homes keep their own records of the deceased that pass through their venue. Contacting them by phone is a quick way to locate the cemetery of the deceased.
Census Records, State and City
If you are unable to find the person that you are looking for in local obituaries, you can also contact the county, state or city of the person to see if they have census records for residents in the area. Depending on the state you live in, these records can be found in one of these three levels of government. A great place to start is with the county records as they can normally point you in the right direction if they don’t have what you are looking for.
Contacting the county is rather simple. Do a quick search online, find their phone number and tell them what you are looking for. The purpose of the death certificate search is just to narrow down you search to a specific cemetery. Depending on the state that you are searching for the death certificate in, you may have to prove you are related to the family. Some states have an open public records policy while others do not.
Depending on the state, city and county you are contacting, there may be fees associated with accessing records.
Contacting Funeral Homes
As previously mentioned, contacting the funeral home of the deceased person you are looking for is a quick way to find the cemetery in question. If you know the area the person passed in, contact funeral homes in the immediate area and ask them if they worked on your persons funeral.
Start with the largest and most popular funeral homes and work your way down from there. Funeral homes keep records of their funerals and often times work closely with other local funeral homes. They may be able to point you to the right funeral home if they do not have the records you are looking for.
Do a search online for the term: “Funeral Home + (city, state)” and start from there. You can also comb through all of the funeral homes in a certain area by searching the online yellow pages (yellowpages.com) or searching through the actual yellow pages book as well.
FindAGrave.com
The most popular site online for finding specific grave information is FindAGrave.com
Find A Grave is a website that works like a virtual cemetery. You simply type in the person’s name, country and state and click search. Find A Grave will then attempt to link you to the cemetery of the person you are looking for. Essentially, it is a large database that administered to by thousands of people from around the world who enjoy the practice of updating the site with as much information as they can featuring their local cemeteries.
Evergreen Cemetery’s Find A Grave profile is up to date with photos, records and more historical information.
If you don’t know where to start your search, Find A Grave is a great and quick way to get your search started.
Once You’ve Found The Cemetery
Once you’ve found the cemetery of the person that you are looking for, the next step is to contact the cemetery directly.
The cemetery’s office keeps a record of every person laid to rest there and they will be able to physically direct you to the grave site you are looking for. Cemeteries depending on their size can be very confusing to navigate. You will most likely need them to show you exactly where the grave site you are looking for is located.
Using the record files and maps, they will be able to pinpoint the grave location even if there isn’t a grave stone or marker in place.
Calling the cemetery or contacting them through their website is the best way to reach them.
Often times when the cemetery is open for visitation, the administrative office may be closed. It is best to call and visit the administrative office during normal business hours if you would like someone to show you exactly where the grave you are looking for is located.
Knowing How to Find a Grave in a Cemetery is Just a Call Away
Here at Evergreen Cemetery in Hillside NJ, we are always happy to you find the grave of person’s buried here. When you visit us, we just need the full name, the birth date and the death date of the person you are looking for. We will then search our records and give you a map to the location on our grounds. If need be, we will even have someone escort you to the exact location in question.
We hope this article has been helpful, please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.