California, San Mateo County, Colma, Italian Cemetery Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This collection will include records from 1899 to 2011. This collection is only available to registered users of FamilySearch.

This collection is comprised of index cards and the daily burial log book of the Italian Cemetery in Colma.

Note: This collection is only available to registered users of FamilySearch.

Cemeteries begin keeping records as soon as they are opened. The purchase of a burial plot is a land transaction and is recorded with a deed.

The daily burial log begins in 1934 and continues to the present.

Cemetery records are kept as a permanent record of who was buried and usually who purchased the burial plot.

The information in these records is usually reliable, but depends upon the reliability of the informant.

For a list of records by date or locality currently published in this collection, select the Browse link from the collection landing page.

Record Content
The records usually contain:


 * Name of deceased
 * Where buried
 * Age of deceased
 * Gender of deceased
 * Death date
 * Burial date
 * Relationship to owner of grave
 * Name of undertaker

How to Use the Record
To begin your search it is helpful to know:


 * Name
 * Identifying information such as age or death date

Search the Collection
To browse by image: To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒ Select the "Browse" link in the initial search page ⇒ Select the appropriate "County" ⇒ Select the appropriate "Record Type, Date Range and Volume" which takes you to the images.

There are indexes available in these collections. The indexes are located in individual folders. Find your ancestors name in the index and look for the locator information (page, entry, certificate number, or book number). This will help you find the record you are looking for in the collection.

Look at each image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination. Keep in mind:


 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.
 * Burial records are often brief so it can be easy to confuse individuals.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s burial record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given in the 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 death date or year to calculate the birth date.
 * Use the birth date 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 with a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby cemeteries.

Related Websites

 * Find a Grave
 * BillionGraves page for this cemetery. Has Google map showing this cemetery and possibly adjoining cemeteries in the same satellite view.  As of 10 December 2012 no images of headstones in this cemetery have been uploaded to the BillionGraves site.

Related Wiki Articles

 * San Mateo County, California
 * California Genealogy
 * California Cemeteries

Citations for this Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.

Collection Citation:

Image Citation