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Subject: [APG] Funeral records in a library
Date: Sat, 02 Feb 2008 01:43:47 +0000
This thread makes me recall a project that the Maryland Genealogical Society attempted to undertake (pun intended) more than 20 years ago. The Society sent questionnaires to all the funeral homes/directors in the Baltimore metro area. The questionnaire requested information regarding the origins of each business, names of previous mergers and acquisitions and the types and formats of available records.
An accompanying letter stated that we were exploring the feasibility of creating a repository for old records with the goal in mind of microfilming them. The records and films were tentatively to be placed with a local historical society.
The project actually went very well in its initial stages. Ultimately, it came to the attention of the state board of funeral directors and their lawyers. That was the end of the project. The final decree was that these records were private when created and should remain so.
Although we do have a collection of returned questionnaires that provides interesting data on each of the funeral homes, sadly many of those businesses have now closed. Their records have vanished.
Gary B. Ruppert
1 February 2008
Baltimore
Date: Thu, 31 Jan 2008 00:50:08 -0600
From: Kathy Rippel <>
Subject: [APG] Funeral records in a library
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One of the librarians from my library system called me today with a
question. After we discussed the matter, I told her I would tap into
the collective brain of the APG and get input from serious genealogists.
This public library in a small Kansas town (population about 1900)
has been serious about collecting materials for their genealogy
section. They have active DAR members that index materials for them
on a regular basis.
Because of a good working relationship with the local funeral home,
the library just received the funeral home records up to about 1980.
The are being indexed by DAR members for MOST of the information, not
all. They will be stored in a locked case at this time.
The library director has been "cautioned" by an interested party that
they should not allow patrons to read the complete funeral home file
because of possible "identity theft" and other privacy reasons.
Could I have some feedback about what you think? Personally, I have
used funeral homes records at funeral homes and nothing was kept from
me because of privacy issues. They let me look at the whole record.
We appreciate any input so that the library director will feel like
she has considered everything.
Kathy
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