Texas, Bexar County, San Antonio Cemetery Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Collection Time Period
The records cover the years 1893-2007.

Record Description
The collection consists of miscellaneous cemetery records from the city of San Antonio, Texas. Records from the Odd Fellows Cemetery, Old City Cemetery, and San Jose Burial Park are included. Original records are in the custody of the San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department.

You must be a logged in, registered user of FamilySearch to view these records.

Record Content
The key genealogical facts in the Texas, Bexar, San Antonio, Cemetary Records usually include the following information:




 * Name of deceased
 * Age
 * Date of Death
 * Location of grave
 * Race
 * Birth and death dates (usually year only)
 * Names of close family members such as spouse, parents, or children
 * Undertaker or mortuary

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.

Record History
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.

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

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

Related Websites

 * Bexar County Cemetery Records
 * Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, San Antonio BillionGraves. While not covered by this collection generally, this cemetery may be a good place to look especially if the deceased served in the military, or in some cases was the spouse of one who served in the military.  This cemetery is very large.

Related Wiki Articles

 * Bexar County, Texas
 * Texas History
 * Texas Cemeteries

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the wiki article Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Exampls of a Source Citation for a Record Found in This Collection
"Texas, Bexas County, San Antonio Cemetery Records, 1893-2007" images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org: accessed 18 January 2012). entry for John Shively, buried February 22, 1905; citing Cemetery Records, Old City Cemetery records, 1905-1912, image 3; San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department, San Antonio, Texas, United States.

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

"Texas, Bexar, San Antonio, Cemetery Records, 1893-2007." FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org). San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department, San Antonio, Texas. FHL digital images, 27 digital folders. Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.

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