Uncovering death information about an ancestor can frequently reveal details about his or her life and family that would be difficult to find in any other source. Obituaries frequently include birth, marriage, and death dates and places of the deceased, the maiden name of a wife, children’s names, parents’ names, occupations, places of residence, and highlights of his/her life.

Unfortunately, not every ancestor had an obituary published revealing these details for the benefit of descendants. Instead, some people discover printed memorial or funeral cards in collections of their parents or relatives. While these cards don’t give the range of detail often found in obituaries, they can still be of great value in furthering research.

Funeral cards have a long history–with social customs attached. These cards were to be distributed to family members, friends, and the surrounding community in a timely manner to alert invitees to the date and time of the funeral. Recipients of a funeral card were expected to attend the funeral or risk offending family members. Conversely, those who did not receive an invitation would have been insulted, whether it was intentional or an oversight.¹

The funeral card for Emma Cartlidge is a typical example of its time period. The card is die cut, although in its current condition some of the external design has been lost. To the left of the text is an embossed grieving figure of a woman with sheaves of wheat behind her. Wheat was a classic Victorian mourning symbol, along with weeping willows, cypress, and religious symbols such as crosses. The text of Emma’s card reads:

In Memory of the Late Emma Cartlidge, of Anchor Terrace, Longton, Who died Feb. 18th, 1873, Aged 27 Years. You are respectfully requested to attend the funeral on Sunday, the 23rd, at 10 o’clock. Interment at St. James’s Church, at half-past 12 o’clock.

The obvious vital statistics will be recognized by all levels of genealogists. Emma died 18 February 1873 and was buried 23 February 1873 at St. James Church. Counting backward, Emma was born circa 1846. She was living in Anchor Terrace, Longton at the time of her death, although this is not necessarily where she died. The next task is to figure out where Longton is, and what religious denomination St. James Church is affiliated with. A quick search of 1833 and 1853 U.S. gazetteers on CD revealed several towns called "Longtown" but none called "Longton." A further search in Canadian and British gazetteers would be necessary to pinpoint this location.

Church records can be very informative, and since Emma was apparently buried at St. James Church (wherever it is), it is possible that the church still has burial records. It is also possible that these records may have been filmed and are available through the Family History Library. Once found, a visit to the churchyard should be considered as tombstones frequently contain information not found in burial registers, such as place of origin if the person was an immigrant.

The funeral card of Israel Runyon was inherited by the author. The card is plain in comparison to Emma’s funeral card, but contains some clues that are not readily apparent. The card is printed on white stock with a black border and the only ornamentation is the letter R in large script. The text of the card reads:

Died. Tuesday, December 17th, 1889, at 7:30 a.m., Israel Runyon, aged 79 years, 10 months, and 20 days. Funeral from the residence of his son-in-law, Mr. J. H. Eaton, Thursday, December 19th, 1889, at 4:00 p.m. Friends Invited.

In the lower left corner in small lettering is printed "Interment at Franklin, Ind." It was that clue that finally lead to the location of Israel’s death, which was not in Franklin. A letter to a researcher in Franklin brought the news that while his death was not recorded in Franklin, his obituary was:

Mr. Israel Runyon, an old time resident of this city and former proprietor of the Commercial hotel, then called the Runyon house, died on last Tuesday, at the residence of his daughter, Mrs. John Eaton, at Bellfountain, O. The remains were brought here this morning and will be interred in Greenlawn cemetery. Mr. Riley Runyon and Mrs. C. Scott, of Mattoon, Ill., and Mrs. Eaton, of Bellfountain, O., remaining children of the deceased, are in attendance at the funeral.²

Once it was known where Israel actually died, a death record was obtained from Logan County, Ohio. Unfortunately, his tombstone was not found in Greenlawn Cemetery, although each row was diligently searched.

Memorial, or mourning, cards gained in popularity during the Victorian era as another symbol of remembrance. They were given to family and friends and were frequently kept as a solitary reminder of a lost friend or loved one. In the case of William Presley, his memorial card was, until recently, one of only two proofs of his death date (the other being his tombstone in Greenlawn Cemetery, Long Branch, New Jersey). No official death certificate is available from the State of New Jersey, but a death notice has been found in a local newspaper.

A typical mourning card of the period, the black, gilt-printed card has a dove at the top holding a sign that reads "In Loving Remembrance of." On top of an outline of the Holy Bible is printed: "William Presley, Died Dec. 10, 1893, Aged 47 Years." At the bottom is one representation of the different verses that appeared on these cards:

One less at home!
The charmed circle broken–a dear face,
Missed day by day from its usual place,
But cleansed, saved, perfected by grace,
One more in heaven.
One less on earth!
Its pain, its sorrow and its toil to share,
One less the pilgrim’s daily cross to bear,
One more the crown of the blest to wear,
At home in heaven!

Lydia M. Cramer’s card is an example of a later mourning card with a photo attached. Lydia’s card is more ornate than William Presley’s and contains her birth and death dates and her age at death, along with a sympathetic verse. Lydia Cramer was born July 9, 1879 and died January 8, 1909, age 29 years, 5 months, and 29 days. With the death date in hand, a family historian should be able to obtain a copy of a death record for Lydia, and possibly an obituary.

Funeral cards are no longer used, but the same information can frequently be found in death notices or obituaries. Memorial cards, in their 4" x 6" cardstock format, went out of vogue in the early part of the twentieth century. They can still be found today at wakes, containing much the same types of information as their sturdier predecessors. However, modern memorial cards are smaller, are printed on paper, in color, and are sometimes laminated to be kept as a remembrance. If your inherited collection of family artifacts does not include funeral or memorial cards, ask around in your extended family. Since the cards were designed as keepsakes, you’re likely to find some treasures by searching beyond your immediate family. s

Elizabeth Kelley Kerstens is the managing editor of Genealogical Computing and a frequent contributor to Ancestry Magazine.