Genealogy

The Mount Hope Cemetery genealogical look-ups performed by the Friends are a free, volunteer service. Response time is 10-14 working days. To submit a request, use Contact Us on our homepage. Write your question, and be sure to include the name and death date of the deceased that you are researching.

This is a volunteer service provided by the Friends of Mount Hope Cemetery, a 501-C-3 not-for-profit corporation. Donations are appreciated and are tax deductible.

TIP: Cemetery interment records through 2002 are on line. Go to: University of Rochester Department of Rare Books, Special Collections and Preservation.

Beginning Genealogy

The main goal of genealogy is to establish relationships among family members and provide documentation of those relationships.

Begin by gathering photos, documents, and family heirlooms. Conduct interviews with relatives and check to see what family documents they may have. Write down everything you have learned, including sources and dates.

Begin to organize the information using basic genealogy forms. Family Group Sheets document one family unit, parents and their children. Ancestry or Pedigree Charts trace one person back through their ancestors. These forms are available for free online from many sources and vary in format, but they collect and organize the same information. Consider using genealogy software to organize and maintain your research. There are both free and for-purchase software available to download from the internet.

Valuable information can be discovered in many types of sources, including cemetery records.

Useful Mount Hope Cemetery Links:

The University of Rochester, Department of Rare Books, Special Collections and Preservation -- digitized original interment records through 2002.

The Monroe County GenWeb -- tombstone transcriptions and maps (follow the "Cemeteries" tab)

The Rochester Genealogical Society -- digitized Lot maps

The Rochester Public Library, Local History & Genealogy Division -- indexes and databases to aid in locating death dates and also local newspapers on microfilm for use on site

This information provided by Barb Koehler