GENEALOGY - PART X
Finding Deceased Relatives is Not Easy . . .
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. . . BUT don't let that deter you.
Are you perplexed in your search for the final resting place of a dearly departed relative? It's as though they vanished into mist. Not even a shadow remains. You have the last known residence, the name of next of kin, and yet there's no record of burial.
Fifty or a hundred years after the fact makes the search even more difficult. As time passes, history evolves. People move. Memories fade. All that lingers are a few mementos, a whispered story or two, and the nagging question . . . where is he, she or they buried?
Sometimes, it's important to reconstruct the history (both world and personal) at the time of death. If there was a pivotal event, such as a war or medical epidemic: the person may be buried near the field of battle, in an unmarked grave, or in a foreign land. Sometimes, checking military records or reading local papers from that time period will help you find them and bring you closer to the answers you seek.
Immigrants from the turn of the twentieth century who were destitute may have found themselves at the time of their demise dependent upon the state for burial. Most cities had designated space for pauper's graves. These were unmarked communal graves where bodies (from babies to the elderly) were transferred from the coroner's office to the cemetery once a month and buried unceremoniously; sometimes a priest, pastor or rabbi was present. There were no records kept to my knowledge. In smaller towns with churches that maintain a graveyard, the pastor may have made accommodations for an individual who was destitute. Even though there may be no stone to identify the grave, church records should offer more details.
Some immigrants as they aged, chose to spend eternity buried next to kin on the old sod. Check church and state records in European and Scandinavian countries of origin. They may be able to provide an avalanche of information. Ancestry.com has an extensive library of documents for foriegn records. Find-A-Grave.com (North America) is another excellent site for information.
One thing that's a challenge is this: burial grounds are confined and scarce in some foreign communities, therefore, they are reusing burial plots (after a respectable period of time) and adding new tenants. If you've seen a cemetery with weathered headstones piled against a wall or fence, this may be the reason why.
There are many unknown graves dotting the pioneer trails from the east to the west as settlers made their way across our beautiful country. If you have any idea where your loved one may have been headed, the local historical society may be able to help you find more information. If your relative owned a tract of land, it's possible there's a family plot nearby. If the burial took place on private property, the local library, newspaper office, historical society, county records building may offer you some clues or names of townspeople whose descendants live in the area.
Fifty or a hundred years after the fact makes the search even more difficult. As time passes, history evolves. People move. Memories fade. All that lingers are a few mementos, a whispered story or two, and the nagging question . . . where is he, she or they buried?
Sometimes, it's important to reconstruct the history (both world and personal) at the time of death. If there was a pivotal event, such as a war or medical epidemic: the person may be buried near the field of battle, in an unmarked grave, or in a foreign land. Sometimes, checking military records or reading local papers from that time period will help you find them and bring you closer to the answers you seek.
Immigrants from the turn of the twentieth century who were destitute may have found themselves at the time of their demise dependent upon the state for burial. Most cities had designated space for pauper's graves. These were unmarked communal graves where bodies (from babies to the elderly) were transferred from the coroner's office to the cemetery once a month and buried unceremoniously; sometimes a priest, pastor or rabbi was present. There were no records kept to my knowledge. In smaller towns with churches that maintain a graveyard, the pastor may have made accommodations for an individual who was destitute. Even though there may be no stone to identify the grave, church records should offer more details.
Some immigrants as they aged, chose to spend eternity buried next to kin on the old sod. Check church and state records in European and Scandinavian countries of origin. They may be able to provide an avalanche of information. Ancestry.com has an extensive library of documents for foriegn records. Find-A-Grave.com (North America) is another excellent site for information.
One thing that's a challenge is this: burial grounds are confined and scarce in some foreign communities, therefore, they are reusing burial plots (after a respectable period of time) and adding new tenants. If you've seen a cemetery with weathered headstones piled against a wall or fence, this may be the reason why.
There are many unknown graves dotting the pioneer trails from the east to the west as settlers made their way across our beautiful country. If you have any idea where your loved one may have been headed, the local historical society may be able to help you find more information. If your relative owned a tract of land, it's possible there's a family plot nearby. If the burial took place on private property, the local library, newspaper office, historical society, county records building may offer you some clues or names of townspeople whose descendants live in the area.
Looking for a missing grave is truly a mystery worth pursuing. We all deserve our place in the family tree. Our life, our talents, even our foibles add richness and color. After all, every family has its story.
Jo Ann V. Glim is a seasoned veteran of freelance writing and author of the book "Begotten With Love." To learn more:
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