Layng & Tinney Mortuary Files revisited

The newest SMCGS project has begun.  The over 7000 files in the Layng and Tinney Mortuary Collection will be scanned to ensure they remain available for researchers use even if the physical files disappear.

The files can provide a wondrous amount of information on a family.  Take the file of John Bryson Abbott who died 28 Jan 1935.  Inside you will find newspaper clippings tracking his family for quite a few years.  In wondering why, we discovered that his bill was not completely paid until 1946.  

The file includes a Certificate of Burial which gives parents names and birth places, his wife, the fact he had lived in Redwood City for 9 years and that he is buried in Alta Mesa Cemetery.  There are two typed obituaries, plus two clipped from newspapers.  

There is a copy of the bill for the funeral and a notice of a trustee sale for the property in 1941. 

In addition there is a notice of his son Cyril's marriage license application as well as one for a nephew, an article about his son's fiance's bridal shower, an obituary for his sister, a hand written note sending the viewer to another file for information on the marriage of another son.  In other words, a lot of genealogical information that could save hours of research time.

This project is no small undertaking.  As Barbara Ebel and I set up the process today, just three files took us 45 minutes, so we can use all the help we can get.  If you would like to lend a hand using the library scanner, or by scanning at home contact Publications@smcgs.org for details.

SMCGS Databases Online: Layng & Tinney Mortuary  Sep 2017

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! "

SMCGS Databases Online: Layng & Tinney Mortuary

One of the  mortuaries in San Mateo County, was that of Layng and Tinney, which was located at Marshall and Jefferson in Redwood City. The mortuary closed its doors and eventually the San Mateo County Genealogical Society acquired a collection of records that filled 11 vertical file drawers.  Due to computer problems, the index that was begun and worked on by many library volunteers in the 1990s was lost.

Fortunately one printout of that original index survived.  Fran Pillsbury scanned it and work began anew.  Irene Gough, Leon Glahn and Donna Farmar checked every entry against the files in those eleven drawers. Others joined in as the list was proofread two more times. Finally in 2005 the index was deemed complete and the society published it in book form.

The files, themselves, date mainly from the mid 1920's to about 1970. Additionally, through the years, various families removed their loved ones from Union Cemetery, favoring the perpetual care of the cemeteries in Colma. The  files of removals by Layng andTinney provide information on deaths back as early as 1877.

You can find obituaries, death records, receipts, letters and more within the files.

There are over seven thousand files housed in the SMCGS library. They are filed alphabetically by surname and then given name. In the case of two identical names the earlier death is filed first. Some records are contained in file folders and others in envelopes. It is important to remember if you use these records that they are anywhere from 45 to 90 years old and, therefore, they are somewhat fragile.  If you visit the SMCGS Library during staffed hours, a volunteer can retrieve a file for you to view.  If you would like to order a record you will find information on the SMCGS Research Page.

Today the index, like all indexes created by SMCGS is available for free on our website.

Layng and Tinney Mortuary Record Index

Registers for earlier Layng and Tinney burials can be found in the Redwood  Library History Room.

Mortuaries - San Mateo & San Francisco

The following list was compiled in the 1980-1990s. It is hopefully the start of a more comprehensive listing of mortuaries in San Mateo County and where their records might be.  If you can help please contact Publications@smcgs.org.   The ads were gathered from the Examiner pages while working on our obituary project.  They are mainly for San Francisco mortuaries.

• Carlmont Funeral Chapel - Belmont 
• Rod McCoy (pre 1906)
• Duggan's Carlmont Chapel 
• Layng & Tinney - Belmont (SMCGS & RWC History Room have some records)
• Chapel of the Highlands - Millbrae records start Oct 1952
• Coehlo Bergler Dessem & Dufault - San Carlos 1947  
• White Oaks Chapel
• Crippen & Flynn Chapel - Redwood City 1950
• Flynn & Crippen
• Woodside Chapel
• Crosby N Gray & Co - Burlingame 1940 

• Stedt & Co - to 1927 bought by Frank Wycoff
• Frank Wycoff 1927-1940 bought by Gray 
• Gray combined with Crosby in 1943
• N Gray-Crosby & Co
• Duggan's Serra Mortuary - Daly City 1963
• Dutra-Randleman Coastside - Half Moon Bay 1960
• Johnson Menlo Colonial - Menlo Park 1947
• Jones Mortuary - East Palo Alto 1974
• Laswell W  & Co - Daly City 1915
• Nauman & Lincoln Mortuary - SSF
• Neptune Society of San Mateo
• Noftsger South San Francisco1953 
• Chapel By the Sea - Pacifica
• Garden Chapel Inc - SSF 63
• Larsons Garden Chapel 
• Patterson & O'Connell's Chapel - San Mateo 1942
• O'Connell's Chapel
• Redwood Chapel
• San Bruno Funeral Home - San Bruno 1974
• Jack Bowlds 1963-1974 
• Ray Ruskosky 1956-1963
• Neri 1941-1956 
• Snyder & Sullivan - San Mateo 1909