Virginia, African-American Funeral Programs - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The collection consists of images of programs from the Middle Peninsula African-American Genealogical and Historical Society of Virginia (MPAAGHS) via the Virginia Historical Society in Richmond. These programs are generally arranged alphabetically by the names of persons collecting and donating the programs and not alphabetically by the names of those in the programs. Obituaries may be included. Although the collection dates indicate that collection begins in 1935, it generally covers the last half of the 1900s to 2009.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:
 * Name of the deceased
 * Age
 * Birth date and place
 * Death date and place
 * Names of parents, spouse or other relatives
 * Obituaries may also include the name of newspaper, date and place of publication

How Do I Search This Collection?
To begin your search you will need to know the following:
 * Name of deceased
 * Identifying formation such as death date

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records*Use the birth date or year to search for birth records
 * Use the birth date along with relative’s names to find the family in census records
 * Use the locality and relative’s names to locate church and land records
 * Most programs consists of two or more images. However, the two or more images that make up a given funeral program do not seem to be linked to each other. It is important to find the first page of the program as it usually indicates how many pages there are
 * The names of the persons who donated the programs not the deceased person appear in an alphabetical range at the top of the search page
 * The name of the undertaker or mortuary could lead you to funeral and cemetery records, which often include the names and residences of other family members
 * Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives of the deceased who may have been buried in the same cemetery or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify

What If I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for nicknames and abbreviated names
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby localities, funeral homes and cemeteries
 * Try alternative search methods such as only filling in the surname search box (or the given name search box) on the landing page leaving the other box empty and then click on search. This should return a list of everyone with that particular name. You could then browse the list for individuals that may be your ancestor

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of Virginia.
 * Virginia Guided Research
 * Virginia Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Virginia Research, 1880-Present
 * United States Funeral Home Records

Other FamilySearch Collections
These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Digital Library

 * African-American funeral programs, 1920-present

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.