8.3 Headstones, Gravestones, and Tombstones

Headstones1 and burial records are good sources that work as BMD substitutes. Often, at the end of a life, an attempt will be made to summarize that life. Walking through a cemetery will show such summaries in the form of birth and death dates carved into memorials, sometimes with a short testimonial or phrase enshrining an attribute of the person in stone. “Loving mother” and “devoted husband” are two common epitaphs, but some epitaphs are more personal, stating that the person “loved the sea” or “spent their lives in service to others.” Military service is often noted, scriptures are quoted or referenced; there is no end to the possibilities. As a researcher, it is important to note the memorialized facts and try to determine the quality of the source of the information. Some have called cemeteries “ancestor gardens” which may seem a bit morbid, but the epitaphs on the grave markers could be considered a type of fruit leading to a better understanding of the person or giving hints that point the researcher to new records.

On a death certificate the informant may be named, but on a headstone the researcher does not usually know who provided the information. The headstone is probably a reliable source for the date of death because the person providing the information is most likely close to the situation and has first-hand knowledge of the death. But the birth information on the same stone may not be as reliable. Even though a person is present at their own birth, they are not a primary source for any memory of the facts about that event. Except in the case of the death of a child, the person who provides information about the deceased usually would not have been at the birth or have personal knowledge of it; the information was gleaned from other sources. Even if a spouse or child of the person is the informant, they are technically still quite removed from the birth event. When considering a headstone as a source, the researcher should note the information and consider these things during the analysis written in the research log. Even though a date is found on a headstone, other documents and records should be sought to verify and strengthen the argument for the data collected there.

Two excellent places to search for headstones are the websites FindAGrave.com and BillionGraves.com. The indexes of these websites are searchable from FamilySearch and some of the big four websites work in coordination with FindAGrave and BillionGraves. Creating a membership to FindAGrave will allow access to additional information, photos, and biographies of the deceased. Both websites may offer volunteer opportunities to photograph or index local burial grounds, and their mobile apps are easy to use when visiting a cemetery.

Another mobile app that can be helpful in finding where ancestors are buried is FamilySearch Family Tree. This can be downloaded for free to a mobile device. Within the app there is a feature called “Map My Ancestors” which shows where ancestors’ major life events happened and displays them on an interactive map. Identifying the cemetery where the research subject is buried can be helpful by providing burial information, sometimes confirming the death information, and possibly leading to other records.