Ohio, Athens County, Deceased Veteran Grave Registration Card File Index - FamilySearch Historical Records

Why Should I Look at This Collection?
If you have a relative who was a verteran buried in Athens County, Ohio you may want to look at this collection. There are images beyond the dates indicated in the title.

What is in This Collection?
Index and images of grave registration cards. Cards include veterans name and may also include: address, date of death, place of death, cause of death, date of birth, place of birth, name of cemetery, location, lot, section, block and grave number, marker, next of kin, war served in, date enlisted, date discharged, branch of service, rank, etc. Original records at the Athens County courthouse, Athens, Ohio. Grave sites were registered for all veterans from wars prior to 1943. The information on the grave registration cards was taken from burial or cemetery records. Each record is found on a pre-printed card arranged alphabetically by the veteran’s name. The records are all extant and have been preserved under good conditions.

Veterans were buried in private, public, church, national, and military post cemeteries. Others were buried on battlefields, in prison, or in hospital cemeteries. Ohio, along with other states, made a concerted effort to locate the gravesites of veterans from all wars prior to 1943. Approximately three to five percent of the population was recorded in graves registration. Grave registration cards were created to form an index to the graves of former military personnel.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The grave registration may tell you the following information: Veteran's Name, Address, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date and Place of Death, Date of Burial, Name of Cemetery, Location of Cemetery, Lot, Section, Block and Grave numbers, Marker type. Service Record: Date enlisted and discharged, Serial number, Branch of Service, Rank, Company, Outfit, or Ship

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.

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

 * 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. Look at the actual image of the record, if you can, to verify the information and to find additional information
 * 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
 * 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

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of Ohio.
 * Ohio Guided Research
 * Ohio Record Finder
 * 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.