Chile Cemetery Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What Is in the Collection?
This collection includes municipal cemetery records for cemeteries throughout Chile including the Antofagasta, Santiago, Valparaíso, and Viña del Mar cemeteries. The earliest records found in this collection are from 1821 and include up unto 2013.

More records will be added as they become available.

Cemetery registers and a variety of documents were needed for the burial. The work orders correspond to transfers or grave-site reductions. The judicial declarations give family relationships with the buried person and sometimes include birth or marriage records. The authorization document is a legal approval to give burial to an individual, and receipts (comprobantes) include the burial service payment. The daily log register includes the name of all cadavers entering the cemetery through a specific door and includes the service requested.

Some records you may find in this collection are:


 * Burial Registers and Card Indexes
 * Burial Authorizations (also Transfer Requests, Payment Records, Receipts, and Proof of Income)

These records were usually made close to the date of burial.

Reading These Records
These records are written in Spanish; also see the section For Help Reading These Records for translation helps.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
Burial registers and card indexes may contain the following information:


 * Name of deceased (keep in mind that death records for women may be filed under their married name)
 * Plot location
 * Date of the site was renovated
 * Date the site expires
 * Receipt number

Burial authorization papers relate to each burial and may be comprised of various record types: (a) work orders correspond to transfers or reductions of cadavers, (b) sworn declarations contain family relationships with the buried person, sometimes including birth or marriage information, (c) authorization documents are legal approvals to bury an individual, and (d) receipts include burial service payment.

These records may contain the following information:


 * Cemetery name
 * Name of the deceased
 * Date and time of death
 * Place of death
 * Age at death
 * Gender
 * Cause of death
 * Amount paid for any burial/grave-site expenses
 * Family relations to the deceased (children, extended family, etc.)

How Do I Search the Collection?
You can search the index or view the images or both. Before using this collection it is helpful to know:
 * Your ancestor's given name and surname
 * Identifying information such as residence
 * Estimated marriage or birth year
 * Family relationships

Search the Index
Search by name by visiting the Page.
 * 1) Fill in the search boxes on the Collection Page with the information you have.
 * 2) Click Search to show possible matches.

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the Browse Page.
 * 1) Select City
 * 2) Select Cemetery
 * 3) Select Record Type and Dates to view the images.

For Help Reading These Records
These records are in Spanish. For help reading the records, see the following wiki articles:
 * Spanish Genealogical Word List
 * Chile Language and Languages



How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images.

What Do I Do Next?
If you find a record of your ancestor print a copy of the original document, if possible, or at least the information of where you found it. Sometimes you may find errors in the indexed or hand-copied documents. Also, in the original, you may find more information about your ancestor.

I Found Who I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * When you can, look at the original record. It often has more information than the indexed record.  Making a copy of the original or at least citing where you found it is also useful.
 * It's always a good idea to keep your citation on a Research Log. This is an important tool to help keep track of what you have and have not found.  Family search wiki has a  Research Log that you can download and use.
 * Use the age to determine a birth year.
 * Use the estimated birth year and birthplace to locate the birth record.
 * Use the locality and the spouse's name to locate a marriage record church and/or civil records.
 * Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives of the deceased who may have been buried in the same cemetery or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify.

I Can’t Find Who I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * New information is constantly being indexed, microfilmed or updated. Periodically check back and see if your ancestor’s records have been added.  You can see if the area you’ve been looking in has been recently updated by going to Historical Records Collections and notice the asterisk for recently added or updated records.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * The name of the undertaker or mortuary could lead you to funeral records, which often include the names and residences of other family members.
 * Check for variants of given names, surnames, and place names. Transcription errors could occur in any handwritten record; also, it was not uncommon for an individual be listed under a nickname or an abbreviation of their name. Click here for a list of Spanish name abbreviations

Citing 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: