Danville Boyle County African American Historical Society

108 North Second Street, Danville, KY  40422

Funeral programs were an integral part of the passing of a loved one.  Often, at least until the 1960s, newspapers would not print obituaries of Blacks, or if they did, the obituaries were short, sketchy, and incomplete.  Funeral programs often provide extensive genealogical information about the deceased, including birth and death dates, maiden names, names of relatives and friends, and place of burial.  In addition to genealogical information about the deceased, the documents may contain employment information, educational history, church memberships, professional affiliations, and personal and professional accomplishments.  This information can be hard to find otherwise, particularly for Black populations.

This collection of nearly 2,800 African American funeral programs was gathered by members of the Danville Boyle County African American Historical Society (PO Box 597, Danville, KY  40423) from friends, neighbors and relatives.

Although most of the programs are of Boyle and Lincoln Counties, many of them are also from the Lexington and Louisville areas, for families with connections with Boyle or Lincoln.  There are also numerous programs from Illinois, Indiana and Ohio as well, again, for people with connections with Boyle or Lincoln Counties.