What Gravestones Can Tell You

By Karen Frisch

No matter what secrets our ancestors took to their graves, they often leave others behind in unlikely places. The cemeteries where your ancestors were laid to rest are often filled with clues to their lives, long after their deaths.

If you're visiting the cemetery early in your research, you can learn a great deal of value. Gravestones can confirm relationships of family members whose names are listed together in granite. You'll know relatives' names before you spend unnecessary time searching in public records offices. 

Not only can a headstone tell you who is buried in a plot, but it can contain the dates of birth and death for those interred there. The cemetery records office has more extensive details regarding the deceased. Information varies by cemetery, but you might learn the cause of death and other facts for which vital statistics offices generally charge a fee. [ Read More ]