HelPeR - BYU Idaho Special Collections and Family History

The Next Generation
• Grandmothers
• Daughters
• Granddaughters
• Foster and stepdaughters (who attained that
status prior to the age of 16 and for whom the
duties of parent were performed)
• Sisters, half sisters, foster, and stepsisters (who
attained that status prior to age 16)
...of persons who were or are eligible for membership
in the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United
States. Members must be citizens of the United States
and at least 16 years old. See: www.vfw.org and
www.ladiesauxvfw.org.
There are several different types of cemeteries.
They are:
Church Burial Yard—These were the first cemeteries
in our country. In Europe, the elite were buried
under the church’s stone floor. Since these cemeteries
are affiliated with a church, the church will often
have burial records.
Family Burial Plots—These are on private property
and may be difficult to locate. Many genealogical
societies have knowledge of these cemeteries. Also,
check on USGenWeb.org for possible locations. One
of my family’s cemeteries is in the middle of a pasture.
Before you make a run to the gate, you need to
check to be sure where the bull is! There very often
are no records of burials in these cemeteries in anything
other than an obituary or family Bible.
Country Cemetery—These are the cemeteries you
see on the highways of America. They often contain
mail order and homemade stones. A lot of my family
is buried in country cemeteries.
Elite Garden—The garden type cemetery began in
the early 1800s. Mt Auburn in Massachusetts was the
first. These cemeteries have a park-like atmosphere.
They have paths and benches, ponds and foliage. They
were the place where people picnicked, and took their
Sunday strolls before Public Parks were made.
Ordinary Urban Cemetery—These might look
like “stone yards.” They have rows and rows of
tombstones with straight paths and very little foliage.
They are usually found in the middle of cities.
These usually will have a sexton’s office that holds
the records.
Veterans’ Cemetery—These are for the honorably
discharged and their families. Arlington is the most
well-known. Not all military cemeteries are National
Veterans Cemeteries. There are also State Veteran
Cemeteries.
For more information, check out the Department
of Veterans Affairs National Cemeteries at ht t p://
www.cem.va.gov. The VA’s National Cemetery Administration
maintains 125 national cemeteries in
39 states (and Puerto Rico) as well as 33 soldiers’ lots
and monument sites.
For burial locations of veterans and their family
members in VA National Cemeteries, state veterans’
cemeteries, various other military and Department
of Interior cemeteries, and for veterans buried in
private cemeteries when the grave is marked with a
government grave marker, go to http://gravelocator.
cem.va.gov.
66 © Ev e r t o n’s Ge n e a l o g i c a l He l p e r Ja n ua ry/Fe b r u a r y 2009