Funeral Cards - an Overlooked Genealogy Resource

Funeral cards are an overlooked free genealogical resource. They often contain both the Birth date and Death date and can be used as a substitute for vital records. Technically they are not a substitute for vital records as the person giving the info might not have known for sure when the deceased was born or died but they can be used with caution, just as genealogists should use death certificates.

Unfortunately these valuable resources are scattered and there has not been a single repository for this resource until now. AncestorsAtRest.com is working on  creating the largest funeral card database online.

To view the list of funeral card names, please choose a Funeral Death Card by location or by Surname Letter. Please Note: A lot of the funeral cards and Memorial cards on Ancestors At Rest do not have a known location so it is important that you look for the ancestor you want to find by surname.

 

 Choose from the following:

[A][B][C][D][E][F][G][H][I,J][K][L][M][N][O][P,Q][R][S][T][U,V][W][Y][Z]

Where to Find Obscure Genealogy Records

How many of us search the more obvious sources, don't find what we are looking for, then are stuck not knowing where else to look for that elusive ancestor? 

Obvious sources are census records, birth records, marriage records, land records, death records, passenger lists, and newspapers. Many of these basic records are found on Ancestry.com But are there other sources we can use?

There are also naturalization records, passport records, military records, cemetery records, almshouse and poorhouse records and more. Many are found online for free, others are pay-to-view.

What Other Genealogy Records Are Out There? 

It may surprise you to know that there are many valuable genealogy records that are less well known. I'm talking about education records, medical records, institution records, tax lists and so on. But there's even another layer of overlooked records that many people miss completely. 

Here are three that I find incredibly valuable but often overlooked.


Coffin plates Find ancestors in this wonderful genealogy resource at  Ancestors at Rest in  hundreds of coffin plates listed (with photographs) 

Coffin Plate of Peter Banta died 1889

Memorial Cards & Funeral Cards Find ancestors in this wonderful genealogy resource at  Ancestors at Rest

Edith Markham Memorial Card

Ledger books, Account books, Admission Registers Ancestors at Rest has dozens of free ledger books online from N. America (mostly USA)

Ledger Book dated 1856

Rescued Funeral Cards Ditson-Welch Families

 Another Funeral Memorial Card has been rescued. I can't pass these by when I see them in flea markets or antique stores, and my latest find is for the Welsh & Ditson families in Collingwood Ontario.

On the left is Mary Elizabeth Ditson Welsh's Memoral Card from 1934. It reads:

Died in Collingwood on Wednesday January 10, 1934, Mary Elizabeth Ditson beloved wife of Joseph P. Welsh, Aged 58 years 

The other side of her card provides the funeral details.
The Funeral Service will be held at the family residence, Hurontario Streeet, on Saturday afternoon at two o'clock to be followed by a further service in The Church of the Brethen to Christ, Sixth Lane, Nottawasaga. Interment in the Church Cemetery.

Mary Elizabeth's mother Martha's funeral card was also waiting for someone to rescue it and here it is:



Died in Collingwood on Thursday April 12, 1917, Martha widow of the late S. Ditson, Aged 72 years.

The other side of her Funeral Card gives the details of the funeral:

The funeral will take place from the residence of her daughter Mrs. Joseph Welch [sic], Hurontario Street, on Saturday afternoon April 14th at half-past one o'clock, for the Sixth Line Cemetery. Service at the house at one o'clock

 More funeral cards can be viewed at AncestorsAtRest.com

Rescued Funeral Card Louis Burmister age 22

Original Funeral Card owned by Lorine McGinnis Schulze

This is another rescued Funeral Card. Louis Burmister was a young man with his whole life ahead of him when he died in 1886.

His Funeral Card reads:

Died at Collingwood on Monday June 21st, 1886, Louis Burmister, aged 22 years and 9 months.

Funeral will leave the family residence, Cedar Street on Thursday June 24th at 1:30 p.m for the Dunkerd Cemetery.

After rescuing this card from a flea market I wanted to give Louis a voice. I began my search at Ancestry. 9 year old Lewis (sic) is found in the 1871 census for Puslinch Township Wellington County Ontario with his rather large family of parents Ludwig (54) and Fredericka (33) and his 5 siblings ages 2 to 13.

Anyone interested in having this Funeral Card can contact me by leaving a comment on this blog post. Be sure to provide your email address.

Rescued Memorial Cards for Elias & Elizabeth Baker of Bethesda Ontario

Funeral and Memorial Cards are valuable tools for genealogists. Often overlooked as a resource, they can provide invaluable genealogical information.

My husband and I try to rescue these cards whenever we find them at flea markets and antique stores.

For me the joy is researching the individual and giving them a voice. Here is a wonderful find - the Memorial Cards for Elias Baker and his wife Elizabeth. 


Their Memorial cards are folded in two so that you have a front cover (above) then a left and right side when you open the card. Elias' card reads:

In loving memory of Elias Baker who passed away Saturday, November the sixteenth nineteen hundred and twenty-nine aged eighty-four years. Intered in Heise Hill Cemetery, Markham, Ontario.

The left side of the interior of Elias' Memorial card is a traditional verse. His obituary appeared in the Stouffville Tribune in November. The mention of the Burkholder farm was intriguing to me as I am a Burkholder descendant.

Elias' wife Elizabeth's Memorial Card indicates that she died in 1913. Her card reads "Died at Betheseda, on Saturday Nov. 29th 1913, Elizabeth Baker wife of Elias Baker"




 Information on Elizabeth's funeral is given on the right side of her Memorial Card:

The outside of Elizabeth Baker's Memorial Card:

We are happy to pass these cards on to family members. Please leave a comment here on this blog post with your email address, or write me directly at olivetreegenealogy AT gmail.com   Be sure to visit AncestorsAtRest.com for more Funeral Cards and Memorial Cards.

Rescued Funeral Card of Helen Irene Hootman

Little Helen Hootman did not live long. She didn't make it to 5 months of life, dying on October 11, 1907 at her home.

This is Helen's funeral card on the left. Her parents' names are given only as Mr. & Mrs. S. T. Hootman, her funeral service was held at home and her burial took place in Maple Hill Cemetery.

A search of Ancestry reveals that little Helen died in Osceola, Clarke Iowa and her mother's initals appear to be D. E.  (Iowa Cemetery Records)

Further searches in the 1910 Pottawattamie, Iowa Census records on Ancestry turned up the likely parents of little Helen: Samuel T. Hootman age 25 and his Dazette E. Hootman age 21 with their toddler Ardelle Hootman aged 1

I had one final brief look at Marriage Records on Ancestry and found Samuel Thomas Hootman marrying Dazette Webber. I'm happy to have rescued this Funeral Card for baby Hootman and hope that a descendant of the family will see it. I am happy to pass it on to a family member - just leave a comment here on this blog post with your email address or email me directly at olivetreegenealogy AT gmail.com

If you are looking for a death record of your ancestor, check out the Funeral Cards and Coffin Plates on AncestorsAtRest.com

Got New Jersey Ancestors?

I wonder how many genealogists know about the many New Jersey records online at Olive Tree Genealogy and Ancestors At Rest

If you are looking for your New Jersey ancestors you might want to check these out:

New Jersey Church Records

* Baptisms Old Dutch Church, Totowa, New Jersey 1756-1774
* Baptisms Old Dutch Church, Totowa, New Jersey 1775-1777
* Baptisms Old Dutch Church, Totowa, New Jersey 1778-1779
* Baptisms Old Dutch Church, Totowa, New Jersey 1780-1781
* Baptisms Old Dutch Church, Totowa, New Jersey 1782-1784
* Baptisms Old Dutch Church, Totowa, New Jersey 1785-1787
* Baptisms Old Dutch Church, Totowa, New Jersey 1788-1789
* Baptisms Old Dutch Church, Totowa, New Jersey 1790-1791
* Baptisms Old Dutch Church, Totowa, New Jersey 1792-1793
* Baptisms Old Dutch Church, Totowa, New Jersey 1794
* Baptisms Old Dutch Church, Totowa, New Jersey 1795
* Baptisms Old Dutch Church, Totowa, New Jersey 1796
* Baptisms Old Dutch Church, Totowa, New Jersey 1797
* Baptisms Old Dutch Church, Totowa, New Jersey 1798
* Baptisms Old Dutch Church, Totowa, New Jersey 1799
* Baptisms Old Dutch Church, Totowa, New Jersey 1800
* Baptisms Old Dutch Church, Totowa, New Jersey 1801-1802
* Baptisms Old Dutch Church, Totowa, New Jersey 1803-1804
* Baptisms Old Dutch Church, Totowa, New Jersey 1805-1806
* Baptisms Old Dutch Church, Totowa, New Jersey 1807-1822
* Marriages Elizabethtown, (was Essex Co.)
* Marriages in Hackensack pre 1700
* Early Settlers in Hackensack
* First Reformed Dutch Church at Montville, Morris Co., Baptisms 1786-1828
* First Reformed Dutch Church at Montville, Morris Co., Marriages 1826-1873

New Jersey Cemetery Records

* Montville Reformed Church Cemetery, Montville Twp. Morris County New Jersey:
** Surnames A to C
** Surnames D
**Surnames E to F
** Surnames G to H
**Surnames J to L
**Surnames M to N
** Surnames P
** Surnames Q to R
** Surnames S to T
**Surnames V
**Surnames W to Z
* Graveyard Records of the True Reformed Church, Montville, New Jersey on Changebridge Road Also known as the Seceder Cemetery

New Jersey Census Records

* Bergen Twp 1794 Rateable
* Town Officers Pequannock Twp. 1740-1749
* Town Officers Pequannock Twp. 1750-1759
* Pequannock Township Tax Ratables May 1778 and (February 1780)
* 1793 Militia List Wantage Twp

New Jersey Muster Rolls

* Muster Roll NJ Volunteers Lt. Allen's Co. 6th Battalion
* Muster Roll NJ Volunteers Cpt. Shaw's Co.
* Muster Roll NJ Volunteers Cpt Hopkins Co.
* Muster Roll NJ Volunteers Cpt Shaw's Co.
* Muster Roll NJ Volunteers 5th Battalion Cpt. Crowell's Co.
* Muster Roll NJ Volunteers 1st Battalion Cpt. Millidge's Co.
* Muster Roll NJ Volunteers Col. Barton's Co. 1st Battalion
* Muster Roll NJ Volunteers Cpt. Cougle's Co. 1st Battalion
* 1793 Militia List Wantage Twp

New Jersey Coffin Plates

Henry Wesp 1875~1904
John Frederick Seugling 1831~1894 Little Falls, New Jersey

New Jersey Family Bibles

Pridaux & Greville Family Bible (New Jersey)
Woodhull Family Bible 1793 - New Jersey

New Jersey Funeral Cards

FuneralCard for President James A. Garfield Died at Elberon, New Jersey 1881
Memorial Card for Henry K. Garrison, died 1924 Centerton, New Jersey
Funeral & Mourning Card of August M. Schimpff 1877 - 1892 found in Dover NJ

New Jersey Family Trees

* New Jersey Pier Family
* New Jersey Post Family

Image credit: FamilySearch.org 

Don't Overlook Alternate Genealogy Records

How many of us search the more obvious sources, then are stuck not knowing where else to look for that elusive ancestor? Obvious sources are census records, birth records, marriage records, land records, death records, passenger lists, and newspapers. 

Of course there are also  naturalization records, passport records, military records, cemetery records, etc.

It may surprise you to know that there are also many valuable genealogy records that are less well known. I'm talking about education records, medical records, institution records, tax lists and so on. But there's another layer of overlooked records that many people miss completely. 

Here are three that I find incredibly valuable but often overlooked.

• Coffin plates Find ancestors in this wonderful genealogy resource at  Ancestors at Rest in  hundreds of coffin plates listed (with photographs)
• Memorial Cards & Funeral Cards Find ancestors in this wonderful genealogy resource at  Ancestors at Rest
• Ledger books, Account books, Admission Registers Ancestors at Rest has dozens of free ledger books online from N. America (mostly USA)

Irish Funeral Card Annie Jane Bond 1888

This lovely Funeral Card framed in black was spotted at an antique store. I didn't see the price but if it is your ancestor, you can contact Barrie Antiques

In Fond Remembrance
of my dearly beloved wife
Annie Jane Bond
died 20th August 1888
and was interred in Maghera Cemetery, Co. Down on Wednesday 22nd August. 

John Bond

For more funeral cards online see Ancestors At Rest. There are many there to view. You might find an ancestor or two in the collection!

Weekly Featured Genealogy Database: Funeral Cards

Brian, of AncestorsAtRest, has a nice collection of Funeral Cards and Memorial Death Cards online.

Funeral cards are an overlooked genealogical resource. They often contain both the Birth date and Death date of an individual, and sometimes information about burial or funeral services is also provided. Some Funeral Cards contain photos of the deceased.

Funeral cards were meant to be sent out to family and friends to let them know an individual had died, and to inform them of funeral arrangements.

Memorial cards were just that - a card sent out to family and friends in remembrance of a loved one's death.

For help finding other death records when you can't find a death certificate, the free Ancestor Death Record Finder may be of help.

Lots of good tips and links to help you find alternate death records.

Graveyard Rabbits Carnival: Funeral Cards

Funeral Cards and Memorial Cards are often confused. Both are valuable genealogical finds as they contain information about a deceased person. Funeral cards were originally intended as an announcement type card - to be given out to friends and family when a loved one died. It had the time and place of the funeral so that mourners could attend.

Memorial cards were printed in remembrance of a loved one who had died. Often they were not printed until some time after the death. They were given out to friends and family members.

Some funeral cards like the one on the left, have photos, so if you are lucky enough to find one for an ancestor you may see an actual picture of the deceased.

AncestorsAtRest.com has a very nice collection of Funeral Cards online. A look at the index for surnames starting with "A" shows funeral cards for

Able, Fletcher, died 1912 unknown location
Abel, Nicholas, died 1893 Henry Illinois USA
FuneralCard Adams, Catherine, died 1888 unknown location
Adams, Willie, E., died 1889 unknown location
Adams, Elizabeth, E., died 1911 England, Minnesota USA
Anderson, James, died 1942 unknown location
Anderson, Johanna, M., died 1902 unknown location
Ashton, Ann unknown location
Ashton,Joseph, Alfred, unknown location
Atkinson, Florence, L., died 1885 unknown location
Anderson, Gertrude, Bogart, Broadwood, died 1951 Ontario Canada

The Funeral card for Abraham Neilson was found in an antique photo album that I purchased as part of my Lost Faces collection.

Genealogy Today also has many unique funeral cards and genealogy databases.