Where are Immigrants Buried? It may be a bit flippant to answer the question with "Where they died!" but, in reality, that is the first important concept to remember. Since all persons tended to be buried in or near the locality where they died (with a relatively small number of exceptions), your first task in locating an immigrant's cemetery record is to learn where he or she died. The death sources discussed in previous lessons will be the best records to review. When people drop out of records where they normally were appearing, it may be an indication of a death. Cemetery Types While it is tempting to describe cemeteries as either private or public, that distinction is not precise enough. A better understanding identifies types of cemeteries as much for their records as for the persons there interred.