Copyright 1997 Jean R. Legried. Use only with permission. Beginning Genealogy Lesson 5 Church, Cemetery, and School Records CHURCH RECORDS Church records are some of the best genealogical records since they can pre-date vital records by as much as 200 years. They are among the most under-used records, however, because it is often difficult to determine in which denominational records to search. There are hundreds of denominations in America, plus the fact that the religion now practiced by your family may not be the one practiced by your ancestors. It is helpful to know some of the historical background of your ancestor's church to help you to determine what type of records might be available for research. There were two types of churches in Europe: the state church and free or "gathered" churches: STATE CHURCHES were the established church and considered every Christian in the state or kingdom a member. FREE OR "GATHERED" CHURCHES rejected this inclusive view of belonging from birth and only those who were "born again" were considered members. These were the Anabaptists (baptized again) and includes Mennonites, Hutterites, many smaller groups associated with the Pennsylvania Dutch, and Baptists. Because Anabaptists saw the most important event in a person's life as their rebirth/rebaptism, their records reflect this view and don't show any information on a member until the rebirth/rebaptism as an adult. In contrast, those denominations that descend from the State church (Lutheran, Presbyterian, Episcopal, Congregational, Reformed, Roman Catholic) record an infant's birth and baptism. In the state church the pastor/priest was a quasi-public official who was the recorder of births, marriages, and deaths. Before the American Revolution these establish churches functioned as a state church in America. It was the writers of the Constitution who saw fit to separate church and state. Types of Church Records Baptism/Christening -- These records will, at least, give the name of the individual and date of baptism, but may include the date of birth or age, parents' names, residence and birthplace, and sponsors'/witnesses' names. Marriage -- These records can include the marriage date, names and ages of the couple, their birthplaces, current residences, parents' names and birthplaces, witnesses' names, where the wedding took place, and the pastor's name and residence. Confirmation -- These records are often overlooked as just a list of names but they can include the confirmation date, person's age, baptism date and place, parents' names, and interesting insights into your ancestor's study habits and learning abilities. Funeral -- Again, this record can be just a name, death and/or funeral date and place of burial, but can also include age, place of birth and parents' or spouses' name. Membership List -- If these records are kept up-to-date, they are a good source for finding when a family moved into and out of a community. Communicant List -- These records would be similar to the Membership List, but it might be easier to track an individual on this list. If one member of a couple suddenly ceases to commune, does that mean a death has occurred? Finding the church records can be a challenge! There were often church mergers or splits and where the records went may not be easy to determine. Circuit riding pastors took the records with them so they can end up in quite unexpected places! If you find the records in a church, you may be able to go there to search them. You should call ahead to set an appointment with the pastor or parish secretary. This is especially important in a small country church because the pastor may not keep regular office hours. A lot of church records are being published in various periodicals or books or are being collected into the denomination's archives and microfilmed. You may be able to borrow these microfilms for a fee. Some will allow you into the archives to view the films and other resources. (This would be comparable to researching in a library/archives as was discussed in Lesson 2. It is especially important to call ahead to determine hours and availability of records since these archives don't always maintain regular hours and have limited room and equipment for researchers.) There is a listing of denominational archives in THE SOURCE, edited by Arlene Eakle and Johni Cerny (Salt Lake City, Utah: Ancestry Publishing, 1984 or the new just-out edition). If you don't have access to THE SOURCE, I can send you the address of the archives you need. CEMETERY RECORDS Grave markers or cemetery records are sometimes the only records available on an individual, especially a child. There are four types of cemeteries: Church burial yard -- Most churches until World War II were constructed on a lot large enough to accommodate a cemetery, both country and city churches. Then the need for land became more pressing and burial grounds moved to the suburbs. Sometimes the graves were moved and sometimes not. Public or Municipal cemeteries -- These are maintained by a city, county, village, town or township. Family burial plots -- These were common in the 19th century and earlier but have disappeared in the 20th century. Many are unknown and are hidden on property formerly owned by the family. If such a plot can be found, it can be a wonderful source of information. Commercial memorial parks -- These commercial, non-sectarian burial grounds have become popular since the mid-1940s. Types of Records Church burial registers -- Churches which have affiliated burial grounds usually maintain records of interments. These records were mentioned in the section on Church Records. Today, however, the church and cemetery may be separate entities with the cemetery keeping record of the burial and the church keeping record of the funeral. Sexton records -- No matter what type of cemetery, there is most likely a board of officers, including a sexton. This officer maintains a register of burials and plots available for sale. Cemetery deeds and plats -- These are legal documents describing the cemetery as a whole and each plot as it is sold. In the early days graves weren't dug in any order. Later, plats were drawn and attempts were made to record the location of these burials. Burial permits -- Since the 1920s health departments have regulated burials. Burials must be done by a licensed mortician. Grave opening orders -- Most cemeteries keep a record of all grave openings. Family Bible -- The family Bible can be a primary source (sometimes the only source) for a home burial. A Bible might still be in the hands of a family member or it may have been transferred to a museum or archives. Monuments and Memorials -- These can tell a story of the buried person if you study the placing of the stone, the ornaments and words engraved on it, and the condition of the stone. Several books have been published about burial customs and the artwork on grave markers. Funeral home records -- These records are hard to find for early years and now they are often available only to relatives. The information used in a newspaper obituary and on the death certificate is usually submitted by the mortician so that can be found in these records. Burial plot information can also be found here. If you go to a cemetery to search for a specific burial, be systematic about your search so that you don't miss any markers. Rubbings can be made of the inscription on a marker to better read it. You should learn how to do a rubbing before going to the cemetery, however. Some things can be bad for the marker and the environment. Be wary of an old date on a new stone. This can mean that the stone has recently been placed on the grave, so both the death date and bhirth date become secondary resources. Tombstone data has been transcribed by many historical and genealogical societies. This data may have been published or is available for searching at the local historical or genealogical society library, public library, or, in some cases, at the courthouse. SCHOOL RECORDS The records for the one-room, rural school are hard to find. As these schools were closed, the records were deposited with county and/or state repositories that may or may not have kept them. A local historical society could be a good source of information on the location of school records. Year books, school newspapers, alumni registers, directories and who's who volumes are good sources for college, university and private school research. For any research in school records, you may encounter unavailability because of privacy laws. This concludes Lesson 5. If you have any questions, they can be directed to me at or on the GEN-NEWBIE list. Lessons 1-4 are available from: Terry Beck Copyright 1997 Jean R. Legried. Use only with permission. Jean R. Legried, CGRS Norwegian-American research specialist from southern Minnesota jrl@smig.net "Life is the rosebud, Eternity the rose."