{"id":78605,"date":"2021-06-07T12:51:48","date_gmt":"2021-06-07T16:51:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=78605"},"modified":"2021-10-21T13:57:32","modified_gmt":"2021-10-21T17:57:32","slug":"genealogy-dilemma-the-problem-with-cemeteries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/genealogy-dilemma-the-problem-with-cemeteries.html","title":{"rendered":"Genealogy Dilemma: The Problem with Cemeteries"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction:<\/em><\/strong> In this article, Gena Philibert-Ortega writes about problems trying to find your ancestor\u2019s burial site, and gives tips on how to proceed. Gena is a genealogist and author of the book \u201cFrom the Family Kitchen.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Many family historians are surprised when they can\u2019t find an ancestor\u2019s burial. Cemeteries are a favorite destination for family historians, and it can be quite disappointing not to find an ancestor\u2019s final resting place. Having written a book about cemeteries and having visited cemeteries in various states, it\u2019s obvious to me why burials sometimes don\u2019t exist. Unfortunately, there are ancestors whom you will never find burial information for. Why? To understand that answer you need to consider the problems with cemeteries and burials.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: damaged gravestone in Oakwood Cemetery, Denton, Texas. Credit: Gena Philibert-Ortega.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Problem with Cemeteries<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the United States, depending on the time period you are researching, a burial may not be in what we tend to think of as a cemetery, but rather a plot of land on what was then a family farm (our family\u2019s or a neighbor\u2019s). Over time that land may have been repurposed or forgotten.<\/p>\n

In addition, not everyone was deemed \u201cworthy\u201d of burial in a local cemetery. Various ethnic and religious groups may have not been welcome in the \u201ccity\u201d cemetery and thus were buried in a separate cemetery that has been forgotten over time. Some other groups of people, because of occupation or life choices, may not have been welcome in a cemetery \u2013 such as prostitutes in a mining community.<\/p>\n

Assuming first that your ancestor was buried on land that was designated as a cemetery (and not at sea, for example), there can be various problems with cemeteries, including:<\/p>\n