Cemetery Survey

The Indiana Genealogical Society's Cemetery Survey Project aims to compile and publish driving directions to all the cemeteries in Indiana. Volume IV is in progress--Volumes I, II and III are available for purchase on the Shop page.

Purpose: Since cemeteries can be the earliest "vital records" of a state, they are extremely important to the genealogical researcher. Many times it is difficult for the researcher to locate the cemetery of their ancestor even when they know where they lived and sometimes even the name of the cemetery. The purpose of this project is to provide informed access to the locations of all Indiana cemeteries, public and private.

Another purpose or side benefit of this survey is to bring to the attention of the caretakers and public officials the need for preservation of the cemeteries under their care and supervision. It is not the purpose of this survey to disrupt the operation of any existing cemetery or to cause inconvenience to any private individual or group.

Scope: The project will entail the identification of all cemeteries, past and present, in the State of Indiana. Information on cemeteries is obtained in a variety of ways: submissions by people in the counties, checking the file cabinets and books at the Indiana State Library or local libraries, checking topographic maps and county maps, checking county and genealogical and cemetery web sites. This project is to identify where a cemetery or burial ground is, or was, located. It will not include listings of who is buried in each cemetery.

End Products: The Indiana Genealogical Society will publish a listing of the driving directions to all Indiana cemeteries. Information on where one can find published records for that cemetery will be included when that information is known. For actual transcriptions of cemeteries, check with a genealogical society, historical society, or public library in your county of interest.

These addresses can point you to a site which may list information on cemeteries:

• http://www.ingenweb.org
• http://www.rootsweb.com/~inpcrp/
• http://resources.rootsweb.com/USA/IN.html
• http://www.CyndisList.com/in.htm

© 2008 Indiana Genealogical Society