Kansas Cemetery Records Research Guide
Kansas cemetery records will provide you with a lot of the information you need if you are doing any type of genealogical research. In order to have research that is accurate and detailed, you need to have the proper documents, and if you have Kansas ancestors, you really should get copies of the Kansas cemetery records for your research. These records will contain information that will help you to learn about your ancestors, and will lead you to even more ancestors to do more research on. It is going to be a huge task once you get started, but using Kansas cemetery records and other documents will make the job much easier. For Definitions of all Cemetery Terms See Symbols on Gravestones and Their Interpretations
A Project for the Whole Family
If you are looking for a project that your whole family can do together, researching your family tree is an ideal choice. Even teenagers who seem disinterested in anything you do will enjoy reading the information contained in Kansas cemetery records. You can set up certain jobs for every family member, and even the youngest children can take part. They may not be able to write or research, but they can sit with a tape recorder and listen to older relatives tell stories of the past, which are important to include in your research along with information from Kansas cemetery records and other documents.
Kansas Cemetery Records Make the Work Easier
When you have documents like Kansas cemetery records, your research is going to get a lot easier. This is because you will not have to dig so much to get the information you need about your ancestors, including:
- When they died
- How they died
- Where they died
- Next of kin
Kansas cemetery records can provide you with even more information than this, depending on the cemetery and how thorough the record keeping is. Some cemeteries are hundreds of years old, and with any luck, you can get Kansas cemetery records dating back that far. From there, you will have to rely on other records besides Kansas cemetery records to learn about ancestors from further back, including family bibles, which often contain many records that are valuable to genealogical research.
Research In Kansas Cemetery Records
Kansas has two national cemeteries. They are the Fort Scott National Cemetery and the Leavenworth National Cemetery.
Kansas has no single centralized cemetery registry. However, quite a few Kansas cemeteries were documented by a project started by the Woman's Kansas Day Club. The Kansas State Historical Society has those project results on file, along with several other collections relating to the state's cemeteries. Their card catalog also lists some published cemetery inscriptions, but it isn't a complete listing.
Each county's Register of Deeds may be able to assist researchers with information on cemeteries located in and around that county. There are also some cemeteries listed on Kansas Department of Transportation maps.
Famous People Buried in Kansas Cemeteries
| County | Name / Date / Cemetery | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Atchison | Earhart, Amelia 7/24/1897 - 4/20/1905 International Forest of Friendship Memorial | Aviation Pioneer. She was born in Atchison, Kansas. |
| Dickinson | Eisenhower, Dwight David 10/14/1890 - 3/28/1969 Eisenhower Center | 34th United States President, United States General of the Army. One of seven sons of a poor Kansas family, he discovered he could receive an education for free if he was accepted at the United States Military Academy at West Point. |
| Dickinson | Eisenhower, Mamie Doud 11/14/1896 - 11/1/1979 Eisenhower Center | Presidential First Lady. Mamie Eisenhower presided as First Lady of the United States from 1953 to 1961 the wife of President Dwight David Eisenhower . |
| Douglas | Monument to victims of William C. Quantrill - Oak Hill Cemetery | Monument to victims of William C. Quantrill's raid on Lawrence Kansas on August 21, 1863. |
| Leavenworth | Monument, Buffalo Soldiers - Buffalo Soldiers Monument | Memorial Park at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, dedicated in 1993 to honor the memory and contributions of the Buffalo Soldiers, the United States first recognized African-American regiment which consisted of the 9th, 10th, 24th and 25th Infantries. These brave Americans where former slaves or children of slaves, who freely joined the Army like thousands of other Americans at the time. |
| McPherson | Slats 3/29/1905 - 4/21/1905 McPherson Town Museum | Animal Star. The first to portray Leo the Lion, the corporate logo of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio. |
Kansas Cemeteries
| Cemetery Name | Cemetery City |
|---|---|
| Oak Hill Cemetery | Douglas |
| Stull Cemetery | Douglas |
| Fort Leavenworth Military Prison Cemetery | Fort Leavenworth |
| Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery | Fort Leavenworth |
| Fort Scott National Cemetery | Fort Scott |
| Huron Cemetery | Kansas City |
| Leavenworth National Cemetery | Leavenworth |
| Sunset Cemetery | Manhattan |
| America City Cemetery | Nemaha |
| Oakwood Cemetery | Parsons |
| Vieux Family Cemetery | Pottawatomie |
| Boy's Industrial School Cemetery | Shawnee |
| Simerwell Cemetery | Shawnee |
Kansas Cemeteries & Graveyards Links
- Cemeteries in Kansas, 1906 (kshs.org) includes cemeteries published in the Transactions of the Kansas State Horticultural Society, vol. 28 (1906): 317-83. This list was part of a report authorized by the 1903 legislature that contains the text of the report as well as the listing of cemeteries. While no names of people buried are included, the information identifies specific cemeteries by county, township, or city if known, and the size of the cemetery in acres.
- Find a Grave - Kansas Cemeteries
- The Kansas Political Graveyard
- Kansas Cemetery Books
