BCGS is proud to announce a project like no other! To the best of our knowledge, there is no repository or collection of memorial cards cataloged and useful for genealogical purposes. We decided there should be one, and we would create it!

We all have “Prayer cards” or “Funeral cards” from funerals, memorial services, celebrations of life, and the like. They are an excellent primary-source document to the savvy genealogist.

How many of you have come across these cards while cleaning out a home or going through personal effects, or have cards from services you attended? How many of you have no idea who some of the people were? We thought, if we developed a database of the cards people have, other people might benefit from the information! Maybe new family members or friends could be reunited! Maybe you could learn more about the social networks of your ancestors. You could hold the key to breaking down a brick wall!

A Little History
Memorial cards, specifically being used for funeral purposes, originated from an ancient custom started by the Roman Catholic Church in the 1700’s in the Netherlands. A common practice at Roman Catholic funerals was to hand out prayer cards that depicted a saint or biblical episode on one side and a prayer on the other. The tradition was to put the cards in a Bible or prayer book so deceased family and friends would be remembered when the card was encountered. Sometimes memorial cards were stashed along the edges of picture frames and mirrors so the living would be reminded to think about their loved ones every day.

Today, technological advances have made printing easy and cheap, so producing customized cards is now the norm. Common practice is to print the photo of the deceased on the front of the card and choose a meaningful prayer for the reverse. But, memorial cards today depict anything the family wants—photos, original art, footprints, a favorite location, songs, poems—the sky is the limit!

Curiously, because of the growing interest in genealogy, memorial cards are becoming a highly sought-after commodity. People include them in scrapbooks, collect specific types (e.g., silver-leafed embellished cards), and collect them as part of their business card collections since funeral homes started to advertise their services on memorial cards in the 1950’s. Keep your eyes peeled for these resources at used book stores, flea markets, and estate sales! We could use them for our project!

Here is the list of memorial cards that have been submitted to our project so far. Click on any name in the list below to view the memorial card and details for that person:

Name	Death date	Residence
Harvey D. Hunsberger	15 Jul 1947	Plumsteadville PA
Ella H. Mood	27 Mar 1992	Plumsteadville PA
Mary Moyer	15 Apr 1940	Lansdale PA
1 1 1 1	1	1 1
Mrs. Elizabeth K. Adukaitis	12 Mar 2012	Boyertown PA
Franklin L. Alderfer	2 Dec 1935	Perkasie PA
Mr. Michael Arter Sr.	12 Jul 2019	Philadelphia PA
Anna Mary Benner	16 Nov 1941	Souderton PA
Mrs. Franziska Birgel	11 Oct 2007	Serbia and Philadelp
Mr. Nikolaus Botscheller	16 July 1996	Boyertown PA
Gilbert Tyson Brook Jr.	14 Jun 1995
Cora E. Broome Harkins	24 Jun 2005
Mary L. Broyles	24 Aug 1998	PA
Howard F. Bryan	25 Jun 1974	Doylestown PA
Constance Cannon	10 Mar 1999	PA
Walter James Cannon	23 Feb 1963	Levittown PA
Doris K Capaldi	8 Sept 2017	PA
Mr. Louis J. Conni	27 Sep 1985	Bensalem PA
Mr. John Joseph Corbett	11 Oct 2003	Ireland/England
Mr. Thomas Corbett	23 Mar 2004	Ireland
Mr Harry Joseph Cosgrove	15 Oct 2000	Ardmore PA
Emma Crouthamel	2 Jun 1971	Fountainville PA
Emma Crouthamel	2 Jun 1971	Fountainville PA
Mr Frank Cunningham	21 Mar 1958	Phoenixville PA
Mrs Patricia A. Danzeisen	16 Sep 1998	Philadelphia PA
Mr. Vincent DeVincent	12 Feb 1998	Philadelphia PA
Mrs. Lottie Katherine "Maize" Ehnot	2 Nov 1994	Scranton PA
Mrs Pauline Antonia Ehnot	1 Dec 1962	Scranton PA
Harry [Jake] Faust Sr.	22 Oct 2006	Bensalem PA
Mrs Michaelene Ferack	10 July 2013	Avoca PA
Mrs Anna Frances Ferucci	17 Apr 1970	Irvington NJ
Mrs Anna Frances Ferucci	17 Apr 1970	Irvington NJ
David F. Fimmano	1998
Mr. Michael Flynn	18 June 2007	Ireland and N.Y.
Mrs. Elizabeth Foster	21 Mar 1969	Trenton NJ
Mr, William A. Foster	04 DEC 1988
Anna M. Fries	14 Nov 1988	Philadelphia PA
Edna F. Fries	27 Jul 1991	Philadelphia PA
Gustave A. Fries	2 Feb 1957	Philadelphia PA
Margaret E. Fries	20 Jul 1989	Philadelphia PA
Miss Ottilie Gaal	7 Dec 1952	Czech and Germany
Miss Dawn Elaine Gamble	1 Mar 1975	Kennett Square PA
Michael J. Gdovin	1981	Wilkes-Barre PA
Laura Ione Geist	20 Sept 2014	Levitown PA
Jennie Elizabeth Gilbert	Nov 1933	Perkasie PA
Milton W. Goessel	21 Jan 2002	PA
Virginia "Ginger" Gresko	2 Jan 2022	Philadelphia PA
Anna E. Gross	1 Jul 1945	Doylestown PA
Clarence L. Gross	26 Jun 1896
Daniel G. Gross	20 Jan 1931	PA
Mrs. Esther Gross	30 Dec 1893
John A. Gross	29 Jun 1929	PA
C. Jack Grove	21 Dec 1988	Plumsteadville PA
Emma M. Grove	15 Oct 1995	Plumsteadville PA
Mrs Kate Haring	21 Jan 1939	Curly Hill/Plumstead PA
Mrs Sarah Ann Haring	28 Sep 1914	Plumstead Twp PA
Arthur I. Harkins	12 Feb 1986	PA
Bertha Heacock	4 Oct 1925	Doylestown PA
Claude L. Heacock	22 Apr 1979	PA
Emma L. Heacock	18 Nov 1930	PA
Marvin L. Heacock	25 Jun 1974	Fountainville PA
Preston Heacock	10 Dec 1910	Fountainville PA
Mrs. Sallie Heacock	22 Oct 1918	Bedminster PA
Warren E. Heacock	15 Jun 1964	Fountainville PA
Emma E. Hennigar	21 Feb 2008	Philadelphia PA
Mahlon High	7 Aug 1934	Perkasie PA
Mrs. Catherine Elizabeth Hoover	8 Aug 1974	Wimington DE
Elizabeth Fredericka Huber	4-10-1968	PA
Dorothy Mae Hunsberger	25 Mar 1916	Hilltown Twp PA
Mrs. Estelle Hunsberger	10 Apr 1934	Souderton PA
Robert Charles Jacobs	23 Sep 1928	Chalfont PA
Robert Charles Jacobs	23 Sep 1928	Chalfont PA
Richard F. James	04 Jan 1986
Mrs. Constance "Connie" Anne Jarosh	14 Dec 1998	Dickson City PA
Mr. Paul Alexander Jarosh	27 Jun 1992	Blakely PA
Henry S. Johnson	8 Oct 1939	Fountainville PA
Mary A. Johnson	24 Apr 1941	Fountainville PA
Mr Stanley A Kalinowski	2 Sept 2003	Northfield VT
Martin Keeler		Erwinna PA
Virginia Anne Kleckner	07 Dec 1968
Mr. Zigmund Andrew Kowalski	29 Feb 2960	Dickson City PA
Mrs. Hannah Krout	14 Apr 1929	Souderton PA
Mr Jacob R. Krout	16 Jan 1906	Bedminster PA
Philip Krout	8 Mar 1921	Souderton PA
Ernest R. Kulp	30 Jan 1920	Towamencin Twp PA
Aaron Landis	7 Jan 1906	Haycock Twp PA
Abraham L. Landis	5 Jul 1916	Hilltown Twp PA
Amanda Landis	20 Sep 1924	Plumstead Twp PA
Mrs. Barbara Landis	25 Jul 1924	Dublin PA
Elizabeth L. Landis	4 Dec 1940	Hilltown Twp PA
Mrs. Elizabeth R. Landis	23 Feb 1923	Perkasie PA
George H. Landis	10 Feb 1937	Blooming Glen PA
Hanna M Landis	26 Mar 1924	Hilltown Twp PA
Helena E. L. Landis	24 Jul 1942	Norristown PA
John K. Landis	31 Dec 1907	Wismer PA
Lizzie M Landis	9 Aug 1940	Perkasie PA
Mary Ann Landis	26 Aug 1934	Blooming Glen PA
Mrs Susan Landis	20 Dec 1913	PA
William M Landis	2 May 1923	Telford PA
Jeanne M. Lanza
Hannah Leatherman	13 Feb 1934	Plumsteadville PA
Henry Y Leatherman	12 Nov 1921	Bedminster PA
Joseph Leatherman	10 Sep 1935	Ottsville PA
Miss Mabel Elizabeth Leonard	29 Jan 1988	Wilmington DE
Mr. John Joseph Levandowski	13 Apr 1990	Dickson City PA
Catherine T. Loveless	29 Oct 2006	Levittown PA
George Loveless Sr	25 May 1997	Levittown PA
James C. Loveless	21 Jul 2021	Levittown PA
Bernadine MacDougall	21 Aug 2013	Philadelphia PA
George T. MacDougall Jr	2 Jan 1978	Philadelphia PA
George T. MacDougall Sr	3 Jan 1971	Philadelphia PA
Hildur MacDougall	8 Sep 1992	Philadelphia PA
Joann MacDougall	15 Feb 1994	Philadelphia PA
Mary G. MacDougall	26 Apr 1970	Philadelphia PA
Victoria E. MacDougall	15 Mar 2014	Bensalem PA
Wayne MacDougall	7 May 2014	Bensalem PA
Wayne MacDougall	7 May 2014	Bensalem PA
Wayne MacDougall	7 May 2014	Bensalem PA
Mrs Ann Oettel Mann	2 Nov 1999	Collegeville PA
Mrs Joyce Mason	15 Jul 2019	Bensalem PA
Mrs. Agnes McDermott	15 Jul 2000	Philadelphia PA
Mrs. Catherine McDermott	7 Oct 1972
Anna Meyer	26 Jun 1928	PA
Milton M. Meyer	6 Mar 1946	Dublin PA
Elizabeth M. Meyers	23 Mar 1947	Doylestown PA
Esther Meyers	23 Feb 1979	Dublin PA
Grace H. Meyers	22 Mar 1930	Bedminster PA
Joseph S. Meyers	1 May 1928	PA
Joseph W. Meyers	25 Mar 1946	Dublin PA
Wilmer L. Meyers	5 Oct 1929	Bedminster PA
Fred "Doug" Miller	13 Jun 1987
Blanche Mood	29 Mar 1980	Plumsteadville PA
Clarence Gross Mood	15 Apr 1975	Plumsteadville PA
Edwin Earl Mood	8 May 1990	PA
Emma Mood	22 Sep 1931	Landisville PA
Emma G. Mood	28 Apr 1963	Dublin PA
Enos F. Mood	20 Jan 1931	Silverdale PA
H. Russell Mood	28 Mar 1959	Telford PA
J. Samuel Mood	1 Mar 1964	Doylestown PA
John D. Mood Sr.	27 Aug 1992	Telford PA
John F. Mood	25 Jun 1950	Dublin PA
Margaret E. Mood	25 Feb 1951	Plumsteadville PA
Sara M. Mood	29 Jan 1929	Silverdale PA
Benjamin N.O. Moore	25 Nov 1954	Willow Grove PA
Abraham C. Moyer	25 Feb 1923	Dublin PA
Howard Moyer	27 Mar 1817	Dublin PA
John L. Moyer	9 Jan 1922	Hilltown Twp PA
William O. Moyer	10 Sep 1972	Blooming Glen PA
Mrs. Margaret Muller	8 March 2001	Feasterville/Holland PA
George W. Myers	2 Jan	Perkasie PA
Henry H. Myers	26 Dec 1929	Dublin PA
Laura M. Myers	26 Mar 1950	Pipersville PA
Mrs Joyce Winifred Oettel	24 Jan 1993	Levittown Pa
Mr Karl Ernest Oettel	10 Dec 1976	Phoenixville PA
Mr. Karl Robert Oettel	8 Mar 2018	Levittown PA
Mrs Jean Marie Puhalla	10 Sept 2011	Langhorne PA
Josephine E. Ranelli	6 Feb 2009	Springfield PA
Joseph A. Rippert	14 Feb 1987
Abraham H. Rosenberger	31 Jul 1910	Hatfield PA
Annie Rosenberger	21 Jul 1906	Hatfield
Ella Nora M. Rosenberger	17 Jan 1948	Souderton PA
Rev John H. Rosenberger	29 Sep 1910	Hatfield PA
Martha Rosenberger	17 Feb 1916	Colmar PA
Nancie S. Rosenberger	11 Dec 1917
Sallie K. Rosenberger	7 Oct 1936	Hatfield PA
Sallie K. Rosenberger	7 Oct 1936	Hatfield PA
Sarah F. Rosenberger	10 Dec 1919	Hatfield PA
William F. Rosenberger	1 Jul 1942	Hatfield PA
Cecilia M. Schanbacher	18 Dec 2006
Mrs Dorothy L. Schillack	26 Dec 2008	Bensalem PA
Marion M. Schmell	6 Aug 1946	PA
Elias Shaddinger	21 Dec 1913	Plumstead Twp PA
Florence Shelly	15 Jul 1972	Perkasie PA
Charles S. Shull	8 Oct 1973	Trenton NJ
Minnie G. Shull	3 Mar 1984	Trenton NJ
Addie V. Stover	13 Nov 1926	Bedminsterville PA
Ethel Swearer	07 Oct 1992
Viola Swenski	1984	Dickson City PA
Michelle Lynn Thomas	21 Apr 2009	Levittown PA
Mrs. Gertrude M. Toffling	7 April 2008	Philadelphia PA
Mrs Bridget Tono	30 Sept 1991	Dickson City PA
Mr Joseph "JoJo" Leonard Tono	16 Jan 1999	Dickson City PA
Mrs Catherine Tono Curylo	20 May 1934	Dickson City PA
John F. Trainer Sr	26 May 2003	Havertown PA
Albert Vavrik	17 Oct 1998	West Rockhill Twp PA
Ethel Althouse Vavrik	21 Nov 2000	Point Pleasant PA
Michael Velez	Oct 1995
Gloria Vitacolonna	12 Jun 2000	Philadelphia PA
Mr. Levi Wooton	10 Jan 1890	Trenton NJ
Mrs Ruth Zigray	21 Feb 2002	Dickson City PA

Invitation to Participate
We invite all members of BCGS to gather up all the memorial cards you have and enter them into our database. You will find the project listed on the website with an easy to fill out form. In addition to providing content from the card, there are fields to upload images of the front and back of the cards. There is also space to include obituary, funeral, and cemetery information. You may choose to have your contact information included so that fellow researchers may contact you for more information. NOTE: Your contact information will only be made public with your permission.

If you are a BCGS member, before you can add your own memorial card or cards to this project, you will need to log in in to this website with your user name and password. You can then return to this page and click the link to add a memorial card.

If you are not a BCGS member, but want to add your memorial cards to this project, you can email their information and scanned files of the card images to our project directors by clicking the following link: Memorial Card Submission Page.

Just for the Record
To be fair, while doing research for this project, it was learned that the University of Dayton’s Marian Library, the Ireland Library of the University of St. Thomas, and a priest named Father Eugene Carrella from Staten Island, New York, have all amassed extensive “prayer card” collections. However, their collections consist of a mix of memorial cards, traditional prayer cards, postcards, and other miscellaneous memorabilia. They are not specifically focused on memorial cards nor are they in an easily accessible format for research purposes.

References
https://www.funeralwise.com/plan/funeral-products/prayer-cards
https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2016/02/legacy-funeral-cards/459963/