Patriot and Compatriot Graves
This section highlights matters related to the marking of Patriot and Compatriot graves. It provides general information and, more importantly, directions to more detailed and helpful resources.
In the SAR context, a grave marking can be either marking the grave of a Patriot from the American Revolution or marking the grave of a deceased member of SAR. A Patriot Grave Marking is a service conducted by the Sons of the American Revolution honoring a Patriot from the American Revolution with an unveiling of a new grave marker or lug. A lug is a marker attached to a grave marker or headstone. A lug can be purchased from the SAR store. A Compatriot Grave Marking Service or Memorial Service is a service conducted in the same manner as a Patriot Grave Marking but is held for a fellow member of the SAR who has passed.
Excellent resources on this subject matter are as follows:
www.sar.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/NSSAR-Handbook-Volume-IV-06-Feb-2022.pdf
SAR Grave Marking Manual, Version 7, dated March 20, 2020
The above resources provide definitions in this area, describe how to plan for a Patriot Grave Marking Ceremony and who to invite to the ceremony and outline an Order of Service for a Patriot Grave Marking or a Compatriot Grave Marking Service. These resources can be found at www.sar.org
With respect to Missouri, the interactive website Find-A-Grave.com is helpful also. Listed in Find-A-Grave.com are Patriots who are buried in Missouri. The specific link is as follows:
https://www.findagrave.com/virtual-cemetery/1655776
Memorials for deceased MOSSAR Compatriots are also found in Find-A-Grave.com The specific link is as follows:
https://www.findagrave.com/virtual-cemetery/1639510
Both sources in Find-A-Grave.com are subject to continuing updates.
Dennis Hahn, a former MOSSAR President and State Chair for the Grave Marking Committee, has collected information on MOSSAR grave markings of Patriot graves. Attached hereto is Compatriot Hahn’s most current excel spreadsheet on the subject. Anyone who has knowledge of a grave marking of a Patriot grave that is not shown on the attached list should share the information with Compatriot Hahn. Please send your update information using the form below.
In addition to Find-A-Grave.com, another source for cemetery information is found in the Patriot Research System ( www.sar.org then hit the link entitled Cemetery Search). To find a cemetery in the PRS, it is helpful to know in advance the SAR Cemetery number. Also in the PRS, a Find-A-Grave Cemetery number is helpful. In the PRS, cemetery searching only generates lists of cemeteries in which there are Patriots known to be interred.