Kentucky Funeral Homes

Portal:Kentucky

Funeral home records may give details about the deceased, such as his or her death and burial date and place, birth date and place, parents, spouse, maiden name, other family members, and religion. The records also indicate those responsible for the funeral expenses. It is common for a funeral home to include a biography or obituary and the names and residences of surviving relatives. Morticians frequently file the death certificate and have a copy of the obituary published in one or more newspapers as requested by the family.

Some funeral home records start as early as the mid-1800s, although many early records have been lost or destroyed. Old records may be in the custody of a funeral home currently in business in the area, because mortuaries that changed hands or relocated frequently saved the old records. Some records have been given to local libraries or societies. An example of funeral home records is:

Rogers Funeral Home (Frankfort, Kentucky). Cemetery Records. Frankfort, KY: Kentucky Historical Society, 1989 (Family History Library films 1688894–906) Each book is in alphabetical order and contains the name of the deceased, with his or her date and place of birth, death, and burial; occupation; residence; and parents’ and spouse’s names.

Funeral home personnel are generally familiar with the locations of active cemeteries and sextons or caretakers you can contact. Telephone calls or personal visits are generally more effective than letters.

For references to nationwide funeral home directories, see the "Cemeteries" section of the United States Research Outline. Funeral homes in the area where you live usually have a current copy of these books.

A few published funeral home records for Kentucky are listed in the Place Search of the Family History Library Catalog under:

KENTUCKY, [COUNTY]- FUNERAL HOMES

KENTUCKY, [COUNTY], [TOWN]- FUNERAL HOMES