Cemetery records, such as tombstones and sexton’s records, may give birth and death dates, age at death, name of spouse and children, and the maiden names. Sometimes they contain birthplace. Tombstones may have symbols or insignias indicating military service and social or religious affiliations. Family members may also be buried nearby.

Internet Tombstone Transcripts and Index

Genealogical society members often copy and publish tombstones inscriptions (abstracts) on paper or on the Internet. The USGenWeb Archives have headstone abstracts from hundreds of cemeteries listed on their Internet site at:

“The North Carolina Tombstone Transcription Project.” In USGenWeb Archives Digital Library [database on-line]. N.p.: USGenWeb Archives, 22 June 1999 [cited 31 July 1999]. Available at www.rootsweb.com/~cemetery/n-car.html ; INTERNET. This is a county-by- county list of hundreds of cemeteries. The highlighted cemeteries on the web page include tombstone abstracts. Abstracted cemeteries are indexed in:

“Search the USGenWeb Archives Digital Library.” In USGenWeb Archives Digital Library [database on-line]. N.p.: USGenWeb Archives, 22 September 1997 [cited 31 July 1999]. Available at www.rootsweb.com/ ~usgenweb/ussearch.htm; INTERNET. This web site indexes cemetery abstracts and other items. Select the state of interest, type the name of the ancestor you seek in the “Query” field, and click Search. For best results, use the “Search Tips” and examples at the bottom of the web page. The computer will list any matches it finds and give you the option of viewing the full transcript.

WPA Cemetery Index

As part of the Historical Records Survey, the federal government created a North Carolina Cemetery Inscription Card Index. This is commonly known as the WPA Cemetery Index. It is at the North Carolina State Archives and on microfilm at the Family History Library. The films are arranged alphabetically in two parts by the name of the person: one for burials before 1914 and another for burials after 1914.

Pre-1914 Cemetery Inscription Card Index. Raleigh, N.C.: North Carolina Dept. of Archives and History, 1972. (FHL films 882944–64; computer number 244033.) A list of the cemeteries included in the indexes is found on microfilms 882942–43.

Post-1914 Cemetery Inscription Card Index. Raleigh, N.C.: North Carolina Dept. of Archives and History. 1972. (FHL films 882965–69; computer number 750118.)

Cemetery Records

The Daughters of the American Revolution Genealogical Collection also contains tombstone inscriptions arranged by county from many North Carolina cemeteries. See the “Bible Records” section of this outline for more information about the collection.

Many cemetery records and tombstone inscriptions have been published or microfilmed and are available at the Family History Library. Some examples are:

Cemetery Records of North Carolina. 8 vols. Salt Lake City: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1947–1961. (FHL book 975.6 V3r; film 873690 item3 to 873691 item ; fiche 6046892; computer number 245475.)

McEachern, Leora H. Gravestone Records. 10 vols. Wilmington, N.C.: L. H. McEachern, 1971–81. (FHL book 975.6 V3m; fiche 6017876; computer number 15462.)

North Carolina Cemetery Project. Salt Lake City: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1986. (FHL fiche 6047785 [set of 7]; computer number 88989.) These records are alphabetical by surname within each cemetery. There are some death dates as late as 1961.

Welborn, Mrs. John Scott. North Carolina Tombstone Records. 3 vols. Highpoint, N.C.: Mrs. J. S. Welborn, 1938 (FHL film 18068 items 1–2 [vols. 1–2]; film 18069 item1 [vol.3]; computer number 388787.)

The Family History Library has a county-by-county inventory of cemeteries as of 1987:

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Family History Library (Salt Lake City, Utah). Index to United States Cemeteries. Salt Lake City: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1988. (FHL films 1206468–94; computer number 475648.) Films 1206483–85 list cemeteries in North Carolina counties from Alamance to Yancey. This is an inventory of cemeteries, not an index to the names of individuals.

Several periodicals have published inscriptions and inventories from North Carolina cemeteries. These are referenced in the “Places” section of the Periodical Source Index (PERSI), described in the “Periodicals” section of this outline.

For more information on cemetery records, see the United States Research Outline (30972). To find more sources in the Family History Library Catalog, use a Locality Search under:

NORTH CAROLINA- CEMETERIESNORTH CAROLINA, [COUNTY]- CEMETERIESNORTH CAROLINA, [COUNTY], [TOWN]- CEMETERIES

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