Iowa, Armed Forces Grave Registrations - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The collection consists of an index to grave registrations of veterans buried in the state of Iowa ca. 1835-1998. The collection is arranged alphabetically and includes more than 270,000 registrations. The collection was acquired from the Iowa State Historical Society in Des Moines and is part of RG 092 records of the Commission of Veteran Affairs. The forms were completed by the funeral director and were forwarded to the Commission of Veteran Affairs of the county of burial.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
You may find any of the following on the grave registration forms:

General Information  Military Record Burial Information 
 * County of Burial in Iowa
 * Veteran's name
 * Date and place of death
 * Date and place of birth
 * Nearest Relative: Father, Mother, Wife or Children
 * Color
 * Residence Time of enlistment
 * Age
 * Date and place entering service
 * Date and place of discharge
 * Rank
 * Organization served in
 * Foreign Countries Served in
 * Membership in Veterans Organizations
 * Burial Place
 * Name of Cemetery
 * Lot Description
 * If Buried in Foreign Country
 * Amount of Pension
 * Pension Claim No

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:


 * The name of the person
 * The name of a parent or date of the event

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.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Copy the citation below, in case you need to find this record again later.
 * Use the information found in the record to locate the death record.
 * Use the age or estimated birth date to determine an approximate birth date to find other church and vital records such as birth, baptism, and marriage records.
 * Use the information found in the record to find land, probate and immigration records.
 * Use the information found in the record to find additional family members in censuses.
 * Repeat this process with additional family members found, to find more generations of the family.
 * Church Records were kept years before counties began keeping records. They are a good source for finding ancestors before 1900.

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * Indexes and transcriptions may not include all the data found in the original records. You could get a copy of the original record from the [State Historical Society of Iowa].
 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you find possible relatives.
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby town or county.
 * Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name.
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names. Try searching for these names as well.
 * Check the info box above for additional FamilySearch websites and related websites that may assist you in finding similar records.

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.


 * Collection Citation:

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