Kentucky Cemetery Records Research Guide
If you are going to be doing any sort of genealogical research and you have ancestors from the South, Kentucky cemetery records will help you with your research.
In fact, if you are just starting out, these Kentucky cemetery records are an excellent way to get started, because they contain so much valuable information. For Definitions of all Cemetery Terms See Symbols on Gravestones and Their Interpretations
You will learn many things from Kentucky cemetery records, but there are many other documents you should also be using, including:
- Death records
- Birth records
- Marriage records
- Divorce records
- Census records
- Health records (if they are available)
These are all things you will need to have if you want to ensure that your research is as accurate as possible. You will also want to make sure that you do not just use Kentucky cemetery records for research, but include them in the final product.
This way, others can read the actual information as well as your own personal interpretation.
Some of the things that you will learn from Kentucky cemetery records include:
- How and when a person died
- If that person had any close relatives, and the names of those relatives
- Where a person died
- Sometimes the name of the attending physician at the time of death is included
Kentucky cemetery records can help you find information that you may not be able to get anywhere else, information that is important to include in your family tree research.
When you use Kentucky cemetery records and other official documents, you can be sure that the information is going to be as accurate as possible, which is important when you are trying to leave a legacy for future generations.
Whether you are going to be doing the actual work yourself, or you are just gathering information for someone else, make sure that Kentucky cemetery records are included in the documents you get.
Once you have all of the important documents you need ready, then you or someone else can set about getting right into the project. All you have to do is make a phone call to request the Kentucky cemetery records you need.
Research In Kentucky Cemetery Records
There are several existing collections of Kentucky cemetery records. In fact, the website of the Kentucky Historical Society has a database of cemetery records available.
Existing state cemetery records were computerized by the Kentucky Historical Society beginning in 1977. The Ardery Collection includes transcriptions from tombstones.
Cemetery record collections can also be found at the FHL, the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Library in Washington, D.C., the University of Kentucky Library, Kentucky Historical Society, Filson Library, and local libraries.
There are several cemetery transcription records located in genealogical libraries in other states that contain Kentucky records as well. Cemetery records can also be found in a wide variety of past and present publications.
See also:
- Coyle, Malle B., and Lorena Eubanks. Kentucky Cemetery Records. Lexington, Ky.: Kentucky Society, Daughters of the American Revolution, 1960.
- Johnson, Robert Foster. Wilderness Road Cemeteries in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia. Owensboro, Ky.: McDowell Publications, 1981.
- Wilson, V., M. B. Coyle, L. C. Mallows, and I. B. Gaines. Kentucky Cemetery Records. 5 vols. Florence, Ky.: Daughters of the American Revolution, 1960–72. The Coyle and Eubanks volume cited above is part of this series.
Famous People Buried in Kentucky Cemeteries
| County | Name / Date / Cemetery | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Bourbon | Secretariat 3/30/1970 - 10/4/1989 Claiborne Farm Equine Cemetery | Secretariat - 9th Triple Crown Winner. The name Secretariat is synonymous with horse racing. |
| Fayette | Man O' War 3/29/1917 - 11/1/1947 Kentucky Horse Park | Racehorse. This big chestnut horse raced in postwar World War I. |
| Fayette | Slew, Seattle 2/15/1974 - 5/7/2002 Hill N Dale Farm Equine Cemetery at Lexington | Racehorse. The 10th Triple Crown Winner, he was known as "The People's Horse. |
| Fayette | Varney, Jim (James) 6/15/1949 - 2/10/2000 Lexington Cemetery | Actor. Comic figure who appeared in motion pictures, television, and in commercials. |
| Fleming | Sousley, Franklin Runyon 9/19/1925 - 3/21/1945 Elizaville Cemetery | World War II United States Marine, Iwo Jima Flag Raiser. He served during World War II as a Private in the United States Marine Corps, and was assigned to E Company, 2nd Battalion, 28th Marine Regiment, 5th Marine Division during the Battle for Iwo Jima. |
| Franklin | Boone, Daniel 11/2/1734 - 9/26/1820 Frankfort Cemetery | Frontiersman. Born in Pennsylvania, the sixth of twelve children to Quaker parents, Squire Boone, a weaver and blacksmith and Sarah Jarman Morgan. |
| Jefferson | Barbaro 4/29/2003 - 1/29/2007 Churchill Downs Derby Museum Garden | Race Horse. He finished first at the 2006 Kentucky Derby race. |
| Jefferson | Hays, William Shakespeare 1/10/1905 - 3/21/1905 Cave Hill Cemetery | Composer. He composed the popular song "Mollie Darling," which sold one million copies when published in 1871, a huge amount for the day. |
| Jefferson | Mature, Victor John 1/29/1913 - 8/4/1999 Saint Michael Cemetery | Actor. He appeared in musicals, westerns, comedies, historical epics and melodramas. |
| Jefferson | Pickett, Wilson 3/18/1941 - 1/19/2006 Evergreen Cemetery | Legendary Soul Singer, Composer. He was dubbed “The Wicked Pickett” my radio DJ’s and fans, for his gruff power, raw groove and growling energy he brought to R & B music for over four decades. |
| Jefferson | Sanders, Harland 'Colonel' 9/9/1890 - 12/16/1980 Cave Hill Cemetery | Business Magnate, Folk Figure. Harland Sanders was born in Indiana on September 9, 1890 and over the course of his lifetime came to exemplify the true American entrepreneurial spirit. |
| Jefferson | Sandlin, Willie 1/1/1890 - 5/29/1949 Zachary Taylor National Cemetery | World War I Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient. He served in the United States Army during World War I as a Sergeant in Company A, 132nd Infantry, 33d Division. |
| Jefferson | Taylor, Zachary 11/24/1784 - 7/9/1850 Zachary Taylor National Cemetery | 12th United States President. Taylor fought in the War of 1812 and vanquished the Seminoles in Florida. |
| Johnson | Wiley, Jenny 10/25/1904 - 1/4/1905 Jenny Wiley Grave Site | Heroic Pioneer mother captured by Indians on October 1st 1789 at Walker's Creek, VA. Watched the slaying of her brother and 5 children and was held captive for 5 months in what is now Johnson County. |
| Mason | Clooney, Rosemary 5/23/1928 - 6/29/2002 Saint Patricks Cemetery | Born May 23, 1928, in Maysville, Kentucky. The distinctively unpretentious, deep, rich, and smooth voice of Rosemary Clooney has earned her recognition as one of America's premiere pop and jazz singers. |
| Oldham | Griffith, D.W. (David Wark) 1/22/1875 - 7/23/1948 Mount Tabor Methodist Church Graveyard | Motion Picture Director. Called by many as “The Father of the Motion Picture”, he was the first to recognize the new medium's potential, and invented many of the common film techniques used today, such as the Flashback, the Iris shot, the mask, and Crosscutting. |
| Warren | Hines, Duncan 3/26/1880 - 3/15/1959 Fairview Cemetery | Businessman. He originally started out writing hospitality books on places to eat and hotel recommendations, and eventually became one of the most trusted name in the hospitality business. |
Kentucky Cemeteries
| Cemetery Name | Cemetery City |
|---|---|
| Danville National Cemetery | Danville |
| Lebanon National Cemetery | Lebanon |
| Lexington Cemetery | Lexington |
| Cave Hill Cemetery | Louisville |
| Zachary Taylor National Cemetery | Louisville |
| Moffitt Cemetery | Milton |
| Mill Springs National Cemetery | Nancy |
| Camp Nelson National Cemetery | Nicholasville |
Kentucky Cemeteries & Graveyards Links
- Kentucky Deaths and Burials, 1843-1970 (familysearch.org)
- Find a Grave - Kentucky Cemeteries
- The Kentucky Political Graveyard
- Kentucky Cemetery Books at Amazon.com (amazon.com)
