South Dakota, Grave Registration Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
Microfilm of original paperwork done by the United States, Work Projects Administration (WPA) ca. 1940-1941 and is at the Veterans Memorial Building, Pierre, South Dakota.

Index is alphabetical by county and gives name of town, cemetery, if names were listed, if a legal description of cemetery given, if maps, and miscellaneous information. It is not an alphabetical listing of names in each cemetery.

The registration of graves is arranged by county, then by town (as shown in the Index to cemeteries). Counties not listed were not filmed because no graves were recorded.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:
 * Name
 * Death date
 * Age at death
 * Sex
 * Cemetery name and location
 * Lot number

Sample Image
Cemetery record

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Name of the ancestor
 * Death date of ancestor
 * Burial place of ancestor

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.

What Do I Do Next?
Whenever possible, view the original records to verify the information and to find additional information that might not be reported. These pieces of information can lead you to additional records and family members.

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

 * Use the age to determine an approximate birth date to find church and vital records such as birth, baptism, marriage and death records.
 * Search for vital records, such as birth, marriage, and death
 * Repeat this process with additional family member’s records to find more generations of the family

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

 * Collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you identify possible relatives
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby locality
 * Standard spelling of names typically did not exist. Try variations of your ancestor’s name while searching the index or browsing through images
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names, or even initials

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of South Dakota.
 * Cemeteries
 * Sexton Records
 * South Dakota Guided Research
 * Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research: 1850-1905 | 1905-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.