Maine, Veterans Cemetery Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
The collection consists of a card file of veteran cemetery records located at the Maine State Archives. Cards are arranged by war then alphabetical by surname. The index cards may contain dates of birth, death, and place of death and burial. The Index covers King Philip's War through the War with Spain.

Record Content
The cards generally list the following information:


 * Name of deceased
 * Deceased's address
 * Birth date and place
 * Death date and place
 * Which war served in and war record
 * Cause of death
 * Burial date and place
 * Enlistment date and place
 * Discharge date and place
 * Rank in service
 * Type of monument
 * Other remarks
 * Source of information

How to Use the Record
To begin your search you will need to know the following:


 * The person’s name.
 * The approximate burial or death date.
 * The place of burial.

Using the Information
Once you have located your ancestor’s card, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Burial records are often brief so it can be easy confuse individuals. Compare what information is given with what you already know about your ancestor to make sure it is the correct person.

Next, look at the pieces of information given in the burial record for new information. Add any new information to your records of each family. You should also look for leads to other records about your ancestors. For example:


 * 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.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * The name of the undertaker or mortuary could lead you to funeral 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.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * If you are unable to find the ancestors you are looking for check for variant spellings of the surnames.

Related Websites
Maine Cemetery Transcriptions

Related Wiki Articles
Maine Cemeteries

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the wiki article Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Examples of Source Citations for a Record Found in This Collection

 * “Delaware Marriage Records,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org: accessed 4 March 2011), entry for William Anderson and Elizabeth Baynard Henry, married 23 November 1913; citing marriage certificate no. 859; FHL microfilm 2,025,063; Delaware Bureau of Archives and Records Management, Dover.


 * “El Salvador Civil Registration,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org: accessed 21 March 2011), entry for Jose Maria Antonio del Carmen, born 9 April 1880; citing La Libertad, San Juan Opico, Nacimientos 1879-1893, image 50; Ministerio Archivo Civil de la Alcaldia Municipal de San Salvador.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the data and images published on FamilySearch.org Historical Records. It may include the author, custodian, publisher, and archive for the original records.

"Maine, Veterans Cemetery Records, 1676-1898." FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org). Maine State Archives, Augusta, Maine. FHL microfilm, 15 reels. Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Information about creating source citations for FamilySearch Historical Collections is listed in the wiki article Help:How to Create Source Citations For FamilySearch Historical Records Collections.