SMCGS Databases Online: Valente 2

We have just uploaded an updated index to the Valente, Marini and Perata Mortuary Records.

The early books are not in the best condition, partially due to age and partly due to the fact that after the 1906 earthquake, as fire swept through the city,  Mr. Perata grabbed the ledgers and ran across the street and buried them in Washington Park.  It is our hope to get those early books digitized for the  Colma Historical Society before we finish the project.

As we were indexing, we found a number of entries stating "remains transferred to J Hagan."  Lauren Perrit did a little research and found that J Hagan was the owner of Sunset View cemetery (the pauper's cemetery).  In the earlier books there are also a number of notations that graves were gratis in other cemeteries.

The early books are more than just registers of burials.  They are journals that contain information on the entire business, including payments to vendors, charges for taking family out for drinks and much more.  They also resemble scrapbooks at times, with interesting articles and documents pasted on the inside covers and on blank pages.

Index to the Valente, Marini and Perata Mortuary Records.  

If you would like to help with this project, either by helping with the index, or by helping with the digitizing of the early books, contact publications@smcgs.org 



Streetwise: Valente, Marini and Perata - Outside Lands.org

Mortuary Files of Valente Marini Perata & Co.

The firm of Valente, Marini, Perata and Co. was established in San Francisco in 1888.  129 years later it has closed its doors and donated the records to the Colma Historical Association.

Most burials are for those living in San Francisco, however, there is a smattering of records for those in the northern parts and coast of San Mateo County as well as other places through out Northern California.  Information in the early records can be sparse, some of the earliest give only a date and the name of the person "purchasing" services.  They are included in the Index, as the family name might lead to more information.

Other records give a wealth of information.  The ledgers for the years around 1910 often include obituaries, many are from Italian, French and other foreign language papers.  The index includes name, death date (in some cases this might be a burial date, date plot was purchased, or date of removal from one cemetery to another), birthplace, age, city of residence (or death), cemetery when they are given.  Volume and page direct you to the original record.  A note column might give a hospital, or other interesting information.

Embalming Table

The index is no substitute for the original record.  Contact the Colma Historical Association for a copy of the original entry.  Even better, visit and look through the journal's yourself.  Not included in the index are the many notations of payments for the burials that were indexed.  Payments might be made for months or years after a burial.  In the early books, you will find notations of "drinks" being expenses when arrangements and/or payments were made.

Embalming machine

Spelling of names is inconsistent even within single entries.  Think creatively about how your names might be spelled, or how we might have misread them,  The early books also have purchases of supplies and more recorded in the same books.  Later, the book pages become forms and the amount of information increases.

If you visit, be sure to allow time to tour the museum.  Not only will you find information on all of the cemeteries in Colma, you will also find some really fascinating  items, such as embalming tables and machines in the collections.  There are also some wonderful early photographs.  And best of all a crew of people that are eager to help you.


Index to the Records of Valente, Marini, Perata and Co.  





 Carolyn Williams posted the following on Facebook recently.

"Are you looking for a great genealogy event to attend in the Bay Area, California or nationally? There are three main calendars for finding genealogy events:

Conference Keeper (Calif & national events), type ‘California’ into the Search bar http://conferencekeeper.org/calendar/

Eastman’s Online Newsletter Calendar (Calif & national events) http://eogn.wikidot.com/eogn-calendar:california

Sutro Library in San Francisco has taken over keeping up to date the old SF Genealogy calendar most recently kept by Kathryn Doyle. Thank you to Sutro Library, California State Library! "