Locating Nebraska Cemeteries

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Linda Wilke Heil on July 13, 2009 at 5:18pm

I've tried googling the name of the town and found some that way. There's also Interment.com or going to the state's gen web page. Is there a better way?

Permalink Reply by Ruby Coleman on July 13, 2009 at 5:29pm

Well, of course ... there's a lot of places to look for cemeteries. :-) For starts go to the Nebraska State Genealogical Society's web page (it has a new look) at http://www.nesgs.org. Then pull down under Projects to the Nebraska Tombstone Photo Project. Another place to look at FindAGrave, http://www.findagrave.com. There's a lot more for genealogists researching in Nebraska. Let's see if you all can find some of them.

Permalink Reply by Ruby Coleman on July 14, 2009 at 6:48pm

In 1996 the Nebraska State Genealogical Society published two volumes of Nebraska Cemeteries and Burial Sites. These books do not list names of the deceased, but give county by county descriptions and locations of cemeteries or burial sites. They are very helpful and may still be for purchase from the Nebraska State Genealogical Society http://www.nesgs.org.

Permalink Reply by Donna Meszaros on July 15, 2009 at 6:03pm

Another way to locate cemeteries is through the U.S. Geographic Names Board's Geographic Names Information System database: http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic . Fill in the state and county. In the Feature Class box select Cemetery and Send Query. The system returns a list of cemeteries in that county, usually several pages long. Click on a cemetery name and you will be able to view it through several mapping services including Google Maps, Virtual Earth, and MapQuest. I like to select Google Maps, which lets you zoom in, view the street names, and also see an aerial photo of the area. Geographic coordinates are also given.

Permalink Reply by Ruby Coleman on July 15, 2009 at 7:40pm

On June 29th I was leaving the house to go on a cemetery trip with a friend. It was to be a day trip to eastern Nebraska. I had done my homework and had a list of cemeteries with GPS information, names of deceased, maps, etc. Well, so much for that. As I went out to door my knee gave out on the second step and I couldn't walk. Sara took me to ER and she and my daughter got me home with instructions for ice, elevation and rest. No cemetery trip after all that work ... another day. Nothing slows me down. I am now on my way to the Family History Expo in Sheridan, WY. I may end up having surgery in the near future, but in the meantime genealogy calls. To the point ... always know where you are going when leaving on a cemetery trip ... and watch that last step ... it's a doozy!

Permalink Reply by Shirley Martys on July 18, 2009 at 7:56pm

I like working with the genealogy groups in each county. You should be able to get those by typing the county in Google and then looking on their web page for historical groups or genealogy groups. Many times you can also contact the Chamber of Commerce and they have maps they will send you that have the locations of all the cemeteries. Genealogy groups are so helpful and understanding when you need information. Some charge a fee but still better than driving there and searching on your own.

Permalink Reply by Ruby Coleman on August 12, 2009 at 6:59am

I have posted an article about Wikipedia and Nebraska maps on my blog, Nebraska Roots and Ramblings, http://nebraskarootsandramblings.blogspot.com. By using Geonames as suggested in the blog, you will be able to locate cemeteries and other features, such as historical buildings. There are hundreds of maps available ... just follow the directions. Have fun!