Alaska Cemetery Records

To begin, add a cemetery record or view a list of locations and resources for Alaska cemetery records.

The state of Alaska has two major military cemeteries within its borders, Fort Richardson National in Fort Richardson and Sitka National in Sitka. Obtaining records from these burial places is a straight forward process that can be done through the military, the VA or through the cemetery itself.

The state bureau of vital statistics is in charge of issuing burial transit permits every time someone passes away. Before a funeral can be held, one of these permits must be obtained. A funeral home will often times get these permits every time they take possession of a body. In Alaska, the burial of a person on private property is all but allowed by the state, but you may need to check with local laws and regulations regarding the matter. In general, the state has deferred to local municipalities on this issue.

Unlike most states, Alaska has no funeral board to speak of. Instead, the Dept. of Commerce and Economic Development, Division of Occupational Licensing will give a license to a funeral director to conduct the disposal of a body. This has sometimes lead to less than complete records being kept in one of Alaska's many counties. If you need Alaska cemetery records, you may need to contact the cemetery directly in the county you believe your loved one is located.

The Alaska Tombstone Transcription Project attempts to preserve history by working with USGenWeb and volunteers across the country. Entries here typically include surname, given name, date of birth, and date of death, depending on the volunteer involved with a given cemetery. Because of the remote location of many cemeteries in the state, some offer little in the way of reliable information. A few are beginning to archive photos of tombstones. To retrieve Alaska burial records, follow the instructions below.

 

Listed below is address and contact information for various Alaska organizations relevant to cemetery records research. Locations include state veterans cemeteries, cremation societies, funeral directors associations and state cemetery administrations. If we've missed a location feel free to add a cemetery record of your own.