Nebraska, Grand Army of the Republic, Burial Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection includes military burial record cards on Union veterans of the Civil War for the years 1861 to 1948. This collection includes an index and images of Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) records for the Department of Nebraska. The collection consists of burial records of Union veterans of the Civil War living in Nebraska. Many of the veterans served in Union regiments from other northern states. The Department of Nebraska Grand army of the Republic was organized June 17, 1877. The collection was digitized at the Nebraska State Historical Society in Lincoln, Nebraska.

What Can these Records Tell Me?
The military burial records may contain:
 * The name of the person who was buried.
 * The GAR post the soldier belonged to.
 * The name of the cemetery where the soldier was buried.
 * The location of the cemetery plot.
 * The date and place of death.
 * The date and place of birth.
 * The military unit the soldier fought in during the Civil War.
 * The rank of the solider.
 * The dates of enlistment and discharge.

How Do I Search the Collection?
It is helpful to know at least some of the following:
 * The ancestor's name
 * The date of birth or death
 * The place of birth or death

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

What Do I Do Next?
Whenever possible, view the original records to verify the information and to find additional information that might not be reported. These pieces of information can lead you to additional records and family members.

I Found Who I was Looking for, What Now?

 * Use the information to locate an obituary.
 * Use the information to find other records such as birth, christening, marriage, census, land and probate records.
 * Use the military unit information to locate service and pension records.
 * Use the information to find additional family members.
 * Repeat this process with additional family members found, to find more generations of the family.
 * Church Records often were kept years before government records were required and are a good source for finding ancestors before 1900.

I Can’t Find Who I’m Looking for, What Now?

 * Try viewing the original record to see if there were errors in the transcription of the name, age, residence, etc. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * Collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you identify possible relations that can be verified by records.
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby locality in an area search.
 * Standard spelling of names typically did not exist during the periods our ancestors lived in. Try variations of your ancestor’s name while searching the index or browsing through images.
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names. Try searching for these names as well.
 * Search the indexes and records of Nebraska, United States Genealogy.
 * Search in the Nebraska Archives and Libraries.

Related Digital Books

 * Robert B. Beath. History of the Grand Army of the Republic. New York: Bryan & Co., 1888

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of Nebraska.
 * US Military Basic Search Strategies
 * Beginning United States Civil War Research
 * Locating a Union Civil War Soldier (1861-1865)
 * Nebraska Guided Research
 * Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research

Citing this Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.