Illinois Cemetery Transcriptions - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
Images of cemetery transcriptions and records from various localities in Illinois. The general time period for this collection is 1853-2009 but varies by individual cemetery. As of April 2012, records for the following cemeteries are included in this collection:


 * Elmwood Cemetery, Centralia, Illinois

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

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

Record Content
The key genealogical facts of these Cemetery Records may include the following:


 * Full name of Deceased
 * Name of Cemetery
 * Date of Birth
 * Date of death
 * Name of Father
 * Name of Mother
 * If the grave is a veteran grave or not
 * Name of Mortuary
 * Lot Number

How to Use the Record
When you have located your ancestor’s burial record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Burial records are often brief so it can be easy confuse individuals. Compare what is 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 your relative’s names to find the family in census records.
 * Use the locality and relative's name to locate church and land records.
 * The name of the undertaker or mortuary could lead you to funeral and cemetery records, which often include the names and residences of other family members.
 * Compile the entries for every person with the same surname. This is especially helpful for rural areas or unusual surnames.
 * 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.

If you are unable to find the ancestors you are looking for, try the following:


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

Related Websites
Illinois Tombstone Project

Related Wiki Articles
Illinois Cemeteries

Citation Examples for a Record Found in a FamilySearch Historical Collection
‘‘Example for an Indexed Collection:’’

“Delaware Marriage Records,” database and digital images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org: accessed 4 March 2011), William Anderson and Elizabeth Baynard Henry, 1890; citing Delaware, State Marriage Records, no. 859, Delaware Bureau of Archives and Records Management, Dover.

‘‘Example for a Browsed Collection:’’

“Argentina, Buenos Aires, Catholic Church Records, 1635-1981,” digital images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org: accessed 28 February, 2012), La Plata &gt; San Ponciano &gt; Matrimonios 1884-1886 &gt; image 71 of 389 images, Artemio Avendano and Clemtina Peralta, 1884; citing Parroquia de San Ponciano en la Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Matrimonios. San Ponciano, La Plata. “Example for a Legacy Collection:”

"Australia Death and Burials 1816-1980," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org: accessed March 4, 2011), Annie Jones, 28 Jul 1887; citing Territorial Records, reference Crookwell, FHL microfilm 1,238,833; Victoria Registry of Births, Deaths, and Marriages, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

When the citation has been replaced with a citation specific to the collection being described, the heading should be changed to “Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection” in Heading style 3.