# How to find where somebody is interred. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 23, 2013, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-where-somebody-is-interred/651149 "2013-02-23T06:12:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-where-somebody-is-interred/651149/1 "2013-02-23T06:12:25Z")
Can a non-family member contact (whatever govt department) to find out where somebody (or some body) is interred? Long story short: find out today that an old friend died two years ago. Have no idea of family connections to ask them…is there a department of whatever that can tell me where a body has been buried/cremated? ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-where-somebody-is-interred/651149/2 "2013-02-23T06:29:13Z")
> [@kambuckta](#): > > Can a non-family member contact (whatever govt department) to find out where somebody (or some body) is interred? > > Long story short: find out today that an old friend died two years ago. Have no idea of family connections to ask them…is there a department of whatever that can tell me where a body has been buried/cremated? Have you done an obituary search in their local papers? ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-where-somebody-is-interred/651149/3 "2013-02-23T06:59:49Z")
> [@moriah](#): > > Have you done an obituary search in their local papers? Yep, have done that with no result. I’m asking on behalf of my son who was friends with the young girl when they were both teenagers. (She was the sort-of girlfriend of one of his mates). It seems she went right off the rails, became a street-prostitute, did major drugs, and was for all intents and purposes a lost soul. Her mother was a frequent-flyer at long-stay resorts (jail) and the original boyfriend is also incarcerated. He’s just really concerned that she died alone in a back lane, and that nobody was there to see her off (so to speak). He feels (unreasonably) responsible for her fate because he lost contact with her, and wants to make amends at her last resting place. And coming from a card-carrying atheist, that’s pretty remarkable. I remember her as the sweetest, shyest little girl back when she was 16 or so. Troubled fer’ sure, but looking for someone to love her. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-where-somebody-is-interred/651149/4 "2013-02-23T07:33:06Z")
Find a grave > **[Find a Grave - Millions of Cemetery Records](https://www.findagrave.com/)** > > The World’s largest gravesite collection. Contribute, create and discover gravesites from all over the world. Find a Grave - Millions of Cemetery Records. Also, [archives.com](http://archives.com), but you have to pay to use it [http://www.archives.com/](http://www.archives.com/) ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-where-somebody-is-interred/651149/5 "2013-02-23T09:29:27Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Find a grave > [Find a Grave - Millions of Cemetery Records](http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi) > > Also, [archives.com](http://archives.com), but you have to pay to use it > [http://www.archives.com/](http://www.archives.com/) Awww, damn, sorry **Peter Morris**. I should’ve mentioned that I’m not in the US (Australia actually), but I wish that first website was available to us Antipodeans. Thanks all the same! ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-where-somebody-is-interred/651149/6 "2013-02-23T10:01:15Z")
It is available in Australia. See, where it says “Cemetary in” that gives you a list of countries, ans Australia is one of them. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-where-somebody-is-interred/651149/7 "2013-02-23T10:33:20Z")
Sent you a PM. ---
**Author:** ![deltasigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e5b9ba/32.png) [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-where-somebody-is-interred/651149/8 "2013-02-23T10:43:31Z")
In the US there is a Social Security Death Index which will list a person as deceased. I don’t know how timely it is. I would guess you show up there within a year or two after you buy the ranch but I can’t say for sure. I would imagine Oz has something similar. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Downtown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mr\_Downtown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Downtown)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-where-somebody-is-interred/651149/9 "2013-02-23T19:23:30Z")
In the US, no governmental agency (at any level) keeps track of where people are buried (or spread or displayed on a mantle). I doubt that it’s any different in Oz. ---
**Author:** ![deltasigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e5b9ba/32.png) [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-where-somebody-is-interred/651149/10 "2013-02-23T19:34:05Z")
good point. But the death index indicates where someone died IIRC so it gives you a place to start which can help immensely. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Downtown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mr\_Downtown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Downtown)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-where-somebody-is-interred/651149/11 "2013-02-23T20:06:59Z")
Unless they lived all their life in southeast Oklahoma but died in a Texarkana hospital. Or if they never received Social Security benefits because they died before retirement age or for some other reason. Or were in a parallel program such as Railroad Retirement or state-run pension program. [Limitations of SSDI](http://www.genealogy.com/79_pamela.html) ---
**Author:** ![deltasigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e5b9ba/32.png) [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2013, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-where-somebody-is-interred/651149/12 "2013-02-23T20:08:50Z")
> [@Mr\_Downtown](#): > > Unless they lived all their life in southeast Oklahoma but died in a Texarkana hospital. Or if they never received Social Security benefits because they died before retirement age or for some other reason. Or were in a parallel program such as Railroad Retirement or state-run pension program. [Limitations of SSDI](http://www.genealogy.com/79_pamela.html) Nothings perfect. From your link: > [@](#): > > **An Excellent First Resource** > > The Social Security Death Index, while not comprehensive, is one of the best indexes to use when you’re starting your research. You’ll likely be able to find some information for any ancestor who worked in the U.S. after 1937 and who died after 1962, and Pamela Boyer Porter shows you how. edit: btw, I know someone who died in college who is listed there so it’s not just SS recipients. ---
**Author:** ![Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harvey_The_Heavy)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2013, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-where-somebody-is-interred/651149/13 "2013-02-24T13:23:11Z")
Your best bet would be the health department in the county of death. They should have the death certificate on file, which usually lists the place of interment. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2013, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-where-somebody-is-interred/651149/14 "2013-02-24T13:36:11Z")
Do you have any mutual friends who might have known any of their relatives? Even if none of them do they might have mutual friends who do and you can just follow the web of relationships until you find someone who knows a living relative. Do you know if the friend was involved with any past schools, employers, churches, etc.? If you know that they attended the North Side Baptist Church then you could visit the church and see if anyone there knows if the friend was married, had any kids, siblings, or if their parents are still alive. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2013, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-where-somebody-is-interred/651149/15 "2013-02-24T14:11:08Z")
> [@Mr\_Downtown](#): > > In the US, no governmental agency (at any level) keeps track of where people are buried (or spread or displayed on a mantle). I doubt that it’s any different in Oz. This. We spread my Dad’s ashes near a local lake where he loved to go. There is no way that anyone in the future could find this information in any government documents. ---
**Author:** ![deltasigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e5b9ba/32.png) [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2013, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-where-somebody-is-interred/651149/16 "2013-02-24T14:49:16Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > This. We spread my Dad’s ashes near a local lake where he loved to go. There is no way that anyone in the future could find this information in any government documents. Yeah, but doesn’t that pretty much go without saying? ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2013, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-where-somebody-is-interred/651149/17 "2013-02-24T15:11:25Z")
> [@deltasigma](#): > > Yeah, but doesn’t that pretty much go without saying? Wasn’t that the OP’s question? If he/she could search a database to see where someone was buried? ---
**Author:** ![deltasigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e5b9ba/32.png) [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2013, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-where-somebody-is-interred/651149/18 "2013-02-24T15:18:42Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > Wasn’t that the OP’s question? If he/she could search a database to see where someone was buried? How is sprinking ashes being buried? Do you really want to get technical about this? My point was to offer some guidance, which is what I did - so as to help narrow their search. What did YOU offer? ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2013, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-where-somebody-is-interred/651149/19 "2013-02-24T15:36:49Z")
> [@kambuckta](#): > > Can a non-family member contact (whatever govt department) to find out where somebody (or some body) is interred? > > Long story short: find out today that an old friend died two years ago. Have no idea of family connections to ask them…is there a department of whatever that can tell me where a body has been buried/cremated? > [@deltasigma](#): > > How is sprinking ashes being buried? > > Do you really want to get technical about this? > > My point was to offer some guidance, which is what I did - so as to help narrow their search. What did YOU offer? The OP asked for a government agency that keeps records of burials/cremations. I pointed out that none do. I’m not being technical. I was answering the question posed. Had we buried my father in Twin Oaks Cemetary in Anytown, USA, the government still wouldn’t have a record of that. ---
**Author:** ![deltasigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e5b9ba/32.png) [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2013, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-where-somebody-is-interred/651149/20 "2013-02-24T15:39:02Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > The OP asked for a government agency that keeps records of burials/cremations. I pointed out that none do. I’m not being technical. I was answering the question posed. > > Had we buried my father in Twin Oaks Cemetary in Anytown, USA, the government still wouldn’t have a record of that. Place of cremation is different that where you sprinkle the ashes - no? Or am I missing something? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-where-somebody-is-interred/651149.md?page=2)