Minnesota Cemetery Records Research Guide
Getting access to Minnesota cemetery records is not as difficult as you may have envisioned. All you have to do is ask for them.
In some cases, you may be required to pay a small administrative fee in order to obtain a copy of any Minnesota cemetery records you need.
In fact, you will probably need many other documents in addition to Minnesota cemetery records, and you will probably have to pay for these as well.
You could end up paying a couple hundred dollars or more, but in the end, you will have a family tree that is completely accurate, and loaded with details that are going to interest every member of your family.
The Cemetery Project run by the Minnesota Genealogical Society is a project set up to catalog and compile the names and locations of all Minnesota cemeteries and transcribed information regarding those cemeteries and their plots.
The Society publishes the Minnesota Genealogist on a quarterly basis and a lot of the cemetery records have been included within that publication.
Many local cemeteries have been featured in public records for their local areas as well. For Definitions of all Cemetery Terms See Symbols on Gravestones and Their Interpretations
When you are using Minnesota cemetery records for genealogical research, you can learn a lot about the people you are doing the research on.
For example, if you want to know where a person lived before they died, you can usually find out through Minnesota cemetery records. Sometimes, the information held in Minnesota cemetery records cannot be found anywhere else.
This is why these records are so vital in genealogical research.
Add Photos to Your Research
Instead of simply telephoning to request copies of Minnesota cemetery records, you really should try to visit the cemeteries in person. This way, you can see the graves, and even take photos.
While this may seem a bit on the macabre side, these photos are wonderful additions to have in your completed family tree. They can also help direct others to the graves if they want to visit themselves.
The more information you can get for your research, the better the final product is going to be. Photos will help to make the project even more interesting, and will add to the overall look and feel of the project, making it even more personal.
Using Minnesota cemetery records will provide you with a lot of the information you need, and you can add the actual records to the project for proof of documentation.
Research In Minnesota Cemetery Records
The Minnesota Genealogical Society‘s Cemetery Project involves the compilation of the names and sites of all cemeteries in Minnesota with information on which have been transcribed and where the transcription can be located.
Many cemetery records have been published in the Minnesota Genealogist, the quarterly publication of that society. Several regional groups have published records of their local cemeteries.
Also see Minnesota Cemeteries in Print: A Bibliography of Minnesota Published Cemetery Inscriptions, and Burials, etc. (St. Paul, Minn.: Minnesota Family Trees, 1986), Minnesota Historical Society Research Center for the WPA papers for cemeteries in Minnesota, and Wiley R. Pope’s Minnesota Cemetery Locations.
Famous People Buried in Minnesota Cemeteries
| County | Name / Date / Cemetery | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Aitkin | Wayrynen, Dale Eugene 1/18/1947 – 5/18/1967 Rice River Lutheran Cemetery |
Viet Nam Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient. Wayrynen served as a Specialist Fourth Class, United States Army, Company B, 2d Battalion, 502d Infantry, 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division. |
| Olmsted | Mayo, William James 6/29/861 – 7/28/1939 Oakwood Cemetery |
Medical Pioneer. He co-founded the Mayo Clinic. |
| St. Louis | Palazzari, Aldo 7/25/1918 – 5/12/2007 Eveleth Cemetery |
Professional Hockey Player. A native of Eveleth, Minnesota, Palazzari was educated at the Eveleth High School and the Eveleth Junior College. |
Minnesota Cemeteries
| Cemetery Name | Cemetery City |
|---|---|
| Acacia Park Cemetery | Mendota Heights |
| Fort Snelling National Cemetery | Minneapolis |
| Lakewood Cemetery | Minneapolis |
| Minneapolis Pioneers and Soldiers Memorial Cemetery | Minneapolis |
| Oakland Cemetery | St. Paul |
Minnesota Cemeteries & Graveyards Links
- Minnesota, Deaths and Burials, 1835-1990Â (familysearch.org)Â Name index to death and burial records from the state of Minnesota. Microfilm copies of these records are available at the Family History Library and Family History Centers. This set contains 1,434,142 records. The year range represents most of the records. A few records may be earlier or later.
- Minnesota, Death Index, 1908-2002Â (familysearch.org)Â Indexes of deaths from the Minnesota Department of Health in Minneapolis.
- Minnesota Cemetery Inscription Index, Select Counties  (search.ancestry.com) It contains the names of nearly 600,000 persons. Researchers will find birth date, death date, name of cemetery and, in some cases, the closest living relative.
- Web: Minnesota, Find A Grave Index, 1849-2011
- Minnesota, Death Records, 1866-1916Â (familysearch.org)Â Name index of municipal death records in St. Paul (Ramsey County) and Minneapolis (Hennepin County), Minnesota. The collection includes death registers, mortuary records, and death certificates. Microfilm copies of these records are available at the Family History Library and Family History Centers.
- Find a Grave – Minnesota Cemeteries (findagrave.com)
- The Minnesota Political Graveyard (politicalgraveyard.com)
- Minnesota Cemetery Books (amazon.com)
