Montana Cemetery Records Research Guide
Montana cemetery records can be a very useful resource for your genealogy project and other things. Many people do not think about using Montana cemetery records to find what they need, but you would be quite surprised by the results.
The trick to being able to use Montana cemetery records is that it would be very helpful if you knew which county you wanted to look in for your records. For Definitions of all Cemetery Terms See Symbols on Gravestones and Their Interpretations
Instead of trying to search the entire statewide database for cemetery records, you really need to know if you should be looking in:
- Big Horn
- Cascade
- Deer Lodge
- Garfield
- Jefferson
- Powder River
- Rosebud
- Yellowstone
Or any other county within the state for Montana cemetery records. In fact, you can also consider finding out if the data you need comes from the national cemetery for the state of Montana.
You may also be surprised at just how much data you can obtain using Montana cemetery records. Though the data included in Montana cemetery records can vary, you can still find a good deal of important information.
Aside from where a particular person is buried and the date of death, you may be able to find out a person’s full legal name including maiden name and possibly even the names of a spouse, parent or surviving children.
Using Cemetery Records
It is best to have as much data about a person as possible when conducting a Montana cemetery records search. The more correct information you begin with, the easier and more accurate your search results will be.
Of course, if you do not have that much data to go on, do not let that discourage you. You can still use Montana cemetery records to help you find a great deal of information.
You can find more than you would have suspected from just cemetery records. Montana cemetery records may be exactly what you need to help fill in any gaps in your genealogy research or other ancestry projects.
Some of the information you try to obtain can cost money, and some may be free. The important thing is to get the information you need from Montana cemetery records and help complete a family tree.
Research In Montana Cemetery Records
There is no agency in Montana that is responsible for recording all cemetery information. There is also no known full list of cemeteries in the state. However, the county recorder and county clerk do keep some cemetery records.
Some counties also have their own cemetery boards that keep those records. Some cemeteries only recorded the lot purchaser and the person buried in the lot.
Other cemeteries didn’t keep any records at all. Certain cemetery records have been transcribed by Montana county genealogical societies as well.
Famous People Buried in Montana Cemeteries
County | Name / Date / Cemetery | Description |
---|---|---|
Big Horn | Little Bighorn Memorial Site – Little Bighorn National Monument |
The battlefield is littered with ‘headstones’ that mark where each person was found dead. The bodies, themselves, are not actually buried under these stones. Most of the bodies were buried in a mass grave nearby, marked by a large granite marker bearing the names of all ‘white men’ that died in the battle. |
Lewis and Clark | Loy, Myrna (Myrna Adele Williams) 8/2/1905 – 12/14/1993 Forestvale Cemetery |
Actress. Myrna Loy began her career as a dancer before transitioning into films during the silent era and being typecast as exotic women. |
Rosebud | Knife, Dull 12/14/1904 – 2/25/1905 Lame Deer Cemetery |
Native Northern Cheyenne Chief. He was originally known as Wahiev which means Morning Star. |
Silver Bow | Knievel, Evel (Robert Craig) 10/17/1938 – 11/30/2007 Mountain View Cemetery |
Stuntman and entertainer. Robert Knievel was born in Butte, Montana. |
Montana Cemeteries
Cemetery Name | Cemetery City |
---|---|
Custer National Cemetery | Big Horn County |
Billings Cemetery | Billings |
Mountview Cemetery | Billings |
Missoula Cemetery | Missoula |