Finding an ancestor’s death date is usually high on a genealogy researcher’s wish list.  Often that death date can be difficult to track down – especially as we go further back in history. Why do genealogy researchers have trouble finding an ancestor’s death date? Well, several reasons….. Researchers may be searching for a death record that does not exist. Formal death certificates are fairly “modern” records, so searching for a death certificate for an ancestor who died in 1860 is a wasted search. Researchers may not understand the county/state boundaries or geographical region where an ancestor lived. If an ancestor lived close to a state or county dividing line, he/she…

Family cemeteries are gold mines for you the genealogist. But, I have to ask…. Are You Finding All Possible Genealogy Clues in the Family Cemetery? Are you missing important clues to your research questions? Do you leave the cemetery  where your ancestor is buried with answers or clues to the next step in your research? In my excitement of just finding a particular ancestor’s gravestone, I have missed important genealogy clues in the family cemetery. I want to help you not make the same mistakes I did. Let’s look at a few interesting family cemeteries/plots together. Rev. Caswell Suggs Harward   Rev. Caswell Suggs Harward [Howard] died in 1871 in NC…