CF Cemetery Finders
Source transparency

Data Sources

Cemetery Finders organizes public cemetery, burial, veterans, and geographic reference data into searchable archive pages. This page explains which source categories support the site, what they can confirm, and what visitors should still verify with official records.

Quick answer

Where does Cemetery Finders get its information?

Cemetery Finders organizes public cemetery-location data, burial-record data, veterans cemetery resources, and geographic reference datasets into searchable archive pages. Different sources support different facts, so sensitive details should be verified with the official cemetery, county office, or primary record custodian.

No single cemetery dataset answers every user question. The site therefore separates location discovery, burial lookup, and geographic context rather than pretending they all come from one perfect source.

Why source separation matters

A cemetery coordinate source is not the same thing as a burial ledger. A veterans burial record is not always a full cemetery profile. Geographic boundary datasets help organize the archive, but they do not confirm record-level facts by themselves. Missing details on pages reflect limits within public source databases, rather than an editorial omission.

Geographic boundaries

Geographic data is used for navigation, not proof

State, county, city, and ZIP relationships help visitors browse the archive geographically. They do not independently verify a burial, grave location, cemetery ownership, office hours, or cemetery operating status.

Scope limitations

What source data cannot always prove

  • • We do not claim every cemetery page has complete burial records.
  • • We do not claim coordinates identify an exact grave location.
  • • We do not claim every historical spelling spelling variance has been corrected.
  • • We do not replace official cemetery offices, funeral homes, government record custodians, or primary archives.
  • • We do not treat geography metadata relationships as final proof of a burial fact.

Source Matrix

Primary public source categories we use

Cemetery location datasets

Used for: Cemetery names, place discovery, coordinates

Can confirm: General cemetery location context

Cannot confirm: Individual burial details, current office hours, exact grave location

Advice: Verify with cemetery or county source before visiting

Veterans cemetery and burial resources

Used for: Veteran burial lookup and national cemetery context

Can confirm: Veteran burial/memorial context when source-backed

Cannot confirm: All family history details or non-veteran burials

Advice: Use official VA/NCA resources for sensitive veteran burial questions

County, city, ZIP, and geographic reference data

Used for: State/county/city hierarchy and nearby search

Can confirm: Geographic organization and browsing context

Cannot confirm: Burial facts or cemetery ownership

Advice: Use it for navigation, not final verification

Official cemetery, county, and government pages

Used for: Local confirmation when available

Can confirm: Official contact, visitor rules, office hours, local record process

Cannot confirm: Every historic or private record

Advice: Treat official source as the strongest verification layer

Label Guide

How to read source notes on Cemetery Finders pages

Location source

Used mainly for cemetery names, place context, and map coordinates.

Burial source

Used when a page includes person-level burial or memorial details.

Geography source

Used to organize records by state, county, city, and ZIP context.

Official source

Used when a cemetery, county, government, or institutional page helps confirm a detail.

Needs verification

Means a detail should be checked with an official cemetery, county, or primary record custodian.

User correction pending

Means a reported data issue has been received and may need review before the page is updated.

Archival mapping

Which page types use which source layers

Homepage & Browse

Shows general archive statistics, states list, and top-level directory navigation links.

State Hub Pages

Organizes the state's regional directory mapping, listing county archives and local statistics.

County Hub Pages

Displays county cemetery coverage coordinates, nearby geographic lookups, and burial availability details.

Cemetery Profiles

Integrates cemetery names, mapped location coordinates, burial record counts, and verified source notes.

Burial Records

Displays individual person-level burial dates, connection to cemetery profiles, and source caveats.

Workflows

How source issues are reviewed

1

Visitor reports issue

A researcher submits a correction about coordinates, names, or burial details.

2

Context review

We inspect the page variables and the original public database records.

3

Compare sources

We reference available government directories or official cemetery resources.

4

Supported update

The archive index page is updated dynamically when a correction is confirmed.

5

Cautionary notes

If records conflict, we may append a caution note detailing the variance.

Request a correction Contact Cemetery Finders

Reference registries

Official source categories visitors may need

USGS / GNIS Place Data

The Geographic Names Information System coordinates official names and maps location features across the United States.

Visit USGS Board →

VA National Cemeteries

The National Cemetery Administration lists official operational rules, historic backgrounds, and layouts for VA cemeteries.

Visit NCA Portal →

NCA Gravesite Locator

The official registry locator search helps genealogists verify burial locations for veterans across state and national facilities.

Open Gravesite Locator →

U.S. Census Bureau Gazetteer

TIGER/Line coordinates and regional gazetteer databases establish standard boundaries for states, counties, and cities.

Visit Census Gazetteer →

State & Cemetery Portals

Local government pages, county custodians, and primary cemetery office websites represent the strongest verification layer.

Contact local administration