WPA (Worker's Project Administration) Grave Records of Fremont County, Iowa*

by Pat O'Dell  

I would like to make some general comments about the WPA Grave Records for those of you who are not familiar, with why, and where, these records came from. During the 1930's when "times were rough," the WPA was formed to give people jobs who could not find anything else to do. They were not historians, genealogists, or anyone with any particular interest in what they were doing. It was a job.

They went out and copied the tombstones basically of only those people over 15 years of age. Occasionally, you will find some younger than that because it was not a hard-fast rule. These copiers "figured" the birthdate by subtracting the age from the deathdate. The tombstones generally state, "died Aug, 8, 1861 aged --yrs, --m, --dys." But you will note that most of these records are written "4/8/1838 - 8/8/1861." That is NOT what they found written on the tombstone and many of these birthdates may not be correct.

For example, the Fremont County, Iowa, Cemetery Records (1983) by the Fremont Historical Society, Sidney, Iowa 51652, page 206 listing for J.L. Irons is on the left and the WPA entry is on the right. Please compare:

Irons, J.L., died Mar 27, 1884 ae 56 yr          Irons, J.F., 3/7/1829 - 3/27/1884

For many reasons these records have mistakes: it was easy to make mistakes reading the stones and easy to mis-read what the transcribers had copied. Please don't use them in your family records without verifying with the above mentioned Fremont County, Iowa, Cemetery Records book, which is very well done, or actually going to the cemetery and checking the copy yourself.

Now, having said that, you should also realize that you may find data in this record that isn't and never was on the tombstone. The WPA workers also read newspapers, used various courthouse records, talked to family members, looked at veteran's records and maybe some other things that we will never know for certain.

You are wondering where I got all this good information?...I once sat at a table with Dr. French and Lida Lisle Greene (State Historical Librarian at the time) for an evening meal before a State Genealogical Meeting in Des Moines. Dr. French had worked in the offices of the WPA. I had asked him where some data would have come from about a grandfather of mine buried west of Bedford because I was certain that the guy never had a tombstone. Dr. French thought that the information on my grandpa had probably come from military pension records and I later found it on those records. Talking to Dr. French and Mrs. Greene I learned a lot of things, but the last bit of information I didn't want to hear. When the WPA closed, all the materials that they had accumulated were discarded. As in, trashed. (you may go outside now and scream....) * Under Iowa Cemetery Records, all of the WPA series of grave records done in Iowa, are available on Ancestry.com with a membership.

Source: Transcribed by Pat O'Dell, genpat@netins.net.