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Genealogy 101:
"My Ancestor Belonged To X Church...They're Buried There..."
Knowing ancestor's affiliation with a church is important to genealogists for several
reasons:
1. The researcher can discover if the church kept records.
2. The researcher will know whether to look for an adult baptism or a baby
baptism.
3. The researcher might find a church marriage record.
4. The researcher might find Church Minutes, or discover an ancestor was a Lay Minister, Church Trustee, Deacon, etc.
5. The researcher might work backwards from only knowing a Pastor / Minister's Name, but are missing the church affiliation-- then find the Minister worked for X Church-- and discover an ancestor is buried at that church...
There is one instance, though, in which researchers should NOT assume the person was a member of a particular church without some other evidence. Do you know what situation that would be?
When you find an ancestor's burial occurred in a church lot, never assume the person "was a member of the same church."
It's true that *most* of the time, a person buried in a church lot was a member of the same church, but it's also very possible the person had NO affiliation with that church (or denomination). The reasons for this are varied.
First, people do not always choose their own burial spots; sometimes, family makes that decision after a death, especially a sudden death.
Second, a person may have had NO affiliations to ANY church. However, they may have family or extended family who ask a church to allow a burial. Today, most cemeteries just ask for the fees (if any) and accept burials, especially if someone in the family has ties to that church.
Third, sometimes, families transport the body across county or State lines in order that the person is "buried with family" -- even extended family.
Fourth (like #2), a deceased person may have no lot and no money, but a church grants permission for burial if asked.
Fifth, a church may bury a single (divorced, widowed) person without nearby or living family because the person has no where
else to be buried, especially in situations when the person had just started to attend X church and soon after, they die.
In my research, I know many instances that a person never attended X church. One had lived and died in Columbia County, Ohio (1800s), but was transported by train back to Washington Co PA for burial in a church lot -- the church of his ancestors.
My sister died suddenly and at first was going to be buried in one place... but was buried at a nearby church-- but she never attended there.
I'll be buried with my ancestors by special permission---but my ancestors are my only "affiliation" with the church. The only notation of who I am and why I'm in the churchyard might be in the Church Minutes. Maybe. My baptismal records (baby) will be found half a county
away and in an entirely different church denomination--if a researcher knows to look.
As I type Church Cemetery lists, I often wonder about Surnames with only one person listed. I look especially at either young persons (single possibly) and the very old. And, I always wonder, "Did the person attend church here? Or, were they alone at death and
kindly 'taken in' by Godly Believers to their own churchyard for a final resting place?"
It's another interesting aspect of genealogy research and reaffirms the Number One Rule of Research: Never, ever assume facts without second and third sources.
Read
Description and Important Details about
the newspapers used on this website.
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Life
in Washington, PA
Uptown
Landmarks-1
Uptown
Landmarks-2
Brethren
and other Families of "Washpa"
All newspaper items posted with permission of
the Observer-Reporter Oct. 13, 2005.
Email
Washington.Co.Pa.Webmaster
(c) Judith Ann Florian
159 E. Main St.
Girard, Ohio 44420
Copyright Notice - Data / info. for individuals and surnames
may be reproduced for personal family histories only, but not for any
commercial use or sale. Please give credit to Judith Florian and Catherine L.
Caldwell for locating newspaper items and original documents. You may use J.
Florian's research conclusions if credit is given. No other data or images may
be reproduced without permission. © August 2005-present, Judith Florian,
Copyright All rights reserved.
Dates of Site updates and new content added: Dec 2005;
Jan to Dec 2006; Jan to Dec 2007; Jan to Dec. 2008
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