RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of Florida >> Columbia County >> Forest Lawn Memorial GardensIndex...

A visit to the Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens ...

Introduction ...

Note: We have organized the cemeteries in our Gazetteer based on a problem that we had while working on our own genealogy. As an example and without specifying the cemeteries involved, we found an ancestor that we believed to have been buried in one cemetery had actually been buried elsewhere.

We discovered that his burial plans had changed at the last moment and the family had scrambled to make new arrangements. By looking at nearby cemeteries, the surrounding communities and in newspapers of the period, we were finally able to locate his burial site.

Should you find yourself in the same situation, we hope that our Gazetteer helps you discover your lost ancestor.

The Location of the Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens ...

We are using the following GPS coordinates (latitude and longitude) for the Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens:

30.1974, -82.6412

Note: The GPS location that we are using for the Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens has been estimated.<1> - use with caution.

The Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens is located in Columbia County<2>.

The county seat for Columbia County is located in Lake City. Lake City lies just to the south of the Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens .

Open a Google Map centered on the Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens.

List of nearby cemeteries ...

Based on our list of cemeteries, we know of 24 that are within 11 miles [17.7 km]<3> of the Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens.<4>

We've listed the following cemeteries based on their distance from Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens, with the nearest first.

For an expanded list with details, please visit our List of cemeteries.

List of neighboring communities ...

The following 21 communities are within 20 miles [32.2 km]<3> of the Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens.

We've listed the following communities based on their distance from Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens, with the nearest first:

For the full list of neighboring communities with details, please visit our extended List of Communities.

Nearby communities with newspapers ...

The following communities are those where newspapers have been published and are located in the vicinity of the Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens. Unless otherwise noted, the following communities are located in Columbia County.

More information can be found on our list of Local Newspapers for The Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens.

We've listed the following communities alphabetically.

Websites to help with your research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we begin with the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These helpful websites offer the information directly or else point to where you can find it. Their websites are open to everyone.

To help you get started, the following links will take you to the pages that might help with the Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens:

  • Pages specific to Florida:
  • Pages specific to Columbia County:
  • Genealogy information for nearby counties:
  • Cemetery Information and Directories:

    • Miscellaneous References and Mentions ...

    Our approach is to add the name of a cemetery whenever we see it mentioned - usually from newspapers, old books and maps. Typically we have little information to start with, but we continue to add detail as we find it.

    We've created the following list to keep track of the sources that we found useful for the Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens:

    • Referenced GNIS Record ...
    • GNIS ID #298188  (Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens)
      • Note: In 2021, GNIS record #298188 was archived by the USGS. It is no longer maintained by the USGS, nor can it be retrieved from their website. In the past, the GNIS record contained the following information:
      • BGN Class: cemetery
      • County: Columbia
      • Est. Elev: 60 (in feet)
      • Topo Map Name: Lake City West
      • Location given for Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens:
      • Lat: 30.1974532     Lon: -82.6415124
      • Open a Google Map centered on the above location.

    Footnotes ...

    <1>An 'estimated' location is one where we have been given GPS coordinates, but are unable to verify the accuracy of those coordinates. That said, we have some confidence that we have placed the marker near the actual location. A typical reason for being unable to verify a location is that it might be on private property or maybe historic and gone without an obvious trace.
    <2>If you're interested in how the shape of Florida's counties, including Columbia, have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.
    <3>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.
    <4>While we have an extensive database of cemeteries (with over 200,000 entries), be assured that it's not complete and we're still searching for cemeteries to add.
    <5>The Find-a-Grave website is an excellent research tool with information about a cemetery's location and interments. They also offer a forum for their members which can provide additional help. More information about Find-a-Grave can be found on their website: findagrave.com.
    <6>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.