Funeral Registers

    Many years ago while I was researching at the sexton's office they offered to give me a copy of their Funeral Registers.  Oh the information these sheets contained were very valuable as well as interesting.  The Registers have the deceased's name, residence, place of death, marital status, spouse's name, date of birth, birth place, profession, business or industry, name of father, name of mother, social security number, where the funeral was held, name of clergy presiding over funeral, and then the detailed charges from the cemetery.  Those charges included clothing, services, transportation, hair dresser, casket, vault, grave space, opening and closing of the grave, funeral notices, and other miscellaneous charges.  The Funeral Registers also list the payments to the cemetery including who made the payment and how the payment was made; cash, check or labor.
    Yes labor.  Some of our ancestors dug graves to help pay off their loved one's grave and expenses.
The following snippet of a Funeral Register shows the date, who dug graves for payment and whose grave they dug and how much they were paid.


    There are treasures to find when you research out in the community where your ancestors lived.  What treasures have you found?

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