Omaha Genealogy Records: Deaths
Genealogical Data From Omaha's Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Dec 19, 2007
History of the Project
Forest Lawn Memorial Park was established in 1885 and is the largest Omaha cemetery, consisting of 349 tree-covered acres and nearly 100,000 burial sites of residents, not only from Omaha and Douglas County, Nebraska, but from nearby counties as well. Starting in April 2000, the cemetery began entering information from their card index file online and the database now contains over 90,000 names. To insure accuracy, each entry has been, or will be checked, against master records.
How to Use the Omaha Forest Lawn Index
The index can be used in lieu of, or as a supplement to, the Omaha newspaper obituary index currently being compiled by the Greater Omaha Genealogical Society (GOGS). Overall, it is very easy to use with each letter having its own "file". Clicking on "A", for instance, takes you to a list of "A" surnames, arranged alphabetically by last and first names. (Some of the individual files are very large so it may take up to a minute for one to download. Patience needs to be practiced when using.)
The index has the following subdivisions:
- Surname
- Given Name
- Middle Name or Initial - Not always given. This can be useful in determining if he or she is the correct person or if the individual went by his or her middle name.
- Suffix - The most common given are: Mrs., Miss, Dr.
- AKA - Most of this section is left blank, however, in some cases they do give a woman's maiden name.
- Date of Interment - Please note that this is not the death date. On average, the actual death date is usually three to four days before the burial date.
- Section - This is the location of the cemetery where the gravesite is located. By clicking on this item, the user is taken to a map showing its location. It should be noted that, in some cases, the maps can be hard to read.
- Lot Number
- Grave Number
Some entries contain one "?" or more. This indicates that the information given is strongly believed to be wrong, but the correct information has yet to be verified. Such entries are very few in number.
Strengths and Weaknesses of the Index
The Forest Lawn index can be helpful to the family historian in several ways. It is helpful in determining death information for the period 1885-1901, years that are not covered in the previously mentioned newspaper index. By comparing like surnames in the section, lot and grave categories, it is possible for a researcher to come across previously unknown family members. It can be a source for previously unknown maiden names. It is not helpful in giving ages, birth dates, or birth places, names of spouses, parents' names, etc. Such information may be available in the complete master records which can be obtained from the cemetery for a fee.
For more information on the cemetery and research fees, as well as a link to the index, go here.
