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= Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania =

Founded in 1748 by the Penn proprietors, Reading is the county seat of Berks County.

Probate Records

 * 1752-Current, Berks County Estate Index

Cemeteries
Prior to 1846 burials in Reading took place in church cemeteries located within the town. In 1846 Charles Evans Cemetery, located north of Reading, was established as a city cemetery. 1849 saw the layout of two additional cemeteries located on the north slope of Neversink Mountain. These cemeteries were Trinity Lutheran and Roman Catholic. In 1851 a third city cemetery was laid out, Aulenbach. Families were encouraged to use the city cemeteries and many bodies from the city church cemeteries were reinterred in the city cemeteries. The below links do not have complete lists of the burials in the cemeteries but are still useful.

After you click on the links for the USGenWeb links select Cemetery Index from the left side of the screen.

Church Records
Pennsylvania vital records were kept very late in the history of Pennsylvania. Because of this church records are very important in Pennsylvania research. Church baptism and burial records replace birth and death certificates.

The Historical Society of Berks has a great collection of church records. The records themselves are not online but the society has placed a church record index on their website which is free to use.

Below are a few of the major churches within the city limits of Reading.

Trinity Lutheran

First Reformed

Birth

 * 1876-1905, Reading Birth Records Index

Marriage

 * 1876-1909, Reading Marriage Records Index

Death

 * 1873-1906, Reading Death Records Index