Iowa, Armed Forces Grave Registrations - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
The collection consists of an index and images of grave registrations from the Soldiers Relief Commission (Polk County, Iowa) for the years 1776 to 1998. The collection is arranged alphabetically. These records were acquired from the Iowa State Historical Society in Des Moines.

Record Content
Grave registrations may contain the following information:


 * County in Iowa
 * War served in
 * Veteran's name
 * Gender
 * Race
 * Age at last birthday
 * Date and place of birth
 * Date and place of death
 * Marital status
 * Name and relationship of nearest relative
 * Names of parents
 * Name of spouse
 * Names of children
 * Residence and age at the time of enrollment
 * Enlistment date and place
 * Discharge date, place and rank
 * Organization served in
 * Foreign countries served in
 * Military serial number
 * Burial place, city and township
 * Name of cemetery
 * Character of grave marker
 * Burial lot description, addition, block number, lot number, grave number
 * If buried in a foreign country, where and date of removal
 * If cremated
 * Name and address of funeral home
 * Membership in veteran's organization
 * Amount of pension or compensation
 * Amount of war risk insurance
 * Name and address of person or organization furnishing this information

How to Use the Record
To begin your search it is helpful to know:


 * Your ancestor’s name
 * Date of death or burial
 * Family members

Search the Collection
To search the collection by name fill in your ancestor’s name in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about those in the list to what you already know about your own ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person.

If you did not find the person you were looking for, you may need to search the collection by image. ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒ Select the "Surname Range" category which takes you to the images.

Look at each image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.

With either search keep in mind:


 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.

For tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line article FamilySearch Search Tips and Tricks.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Download a copy of the record, or extract the genealogical information needed. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details. Add this new information to your records of each family. The information may also lead you to other records about your ancestors. The following examples show ways you can use the information:


 * Use the soldier's death record to obtain a copy of the original death certificate from the county.
 * Use the location of burial to begin search for family in census records nearby.
 * Use the name of person applying for burial to identify possible relatives.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.
 * Be aware that, as with any index, transcription errors may occur.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby localities. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records.

Related Websites

 * Iowa Veterans Cemetery
 * VA National Cemetery Administration

Related Wiki Articles

 * Iowa Genealogy
 * Iowa Deaths and Burials (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * United States, Burial Registers for Military Posts, Camps, and Stations (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * United States, Military Burial Records from the National Archives (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Iowa Vital Records
 * How to Find Iowa Death Records
 * Iowa Obituaries
 * Iowa Cemeteries

Citations for This Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.

Collection Citation:

Record Citation (or citation for the index entry):

Image Citation: