In searching for my ancestors, I found a serious lack of indexed, published records for Simpson County, Mississippi. The fires in the courthouse at Westville, Mississippi destroyed most records prior to 1872, making our cemetery records more valuable in our genealogical pursuits in this county.

Most of the records found in the book are from the authors' visits in 1992 and 1993 and personal records. The pre-1920 date chosen for inclusion of records was necessary in order to keep the book to a manageable size for Volume I.

Many times, the placement of graves gives a clue to relatives not of the same surname. Unless otherwise noted, at the beginning of a cemetery, the information is entered exactly as the stones occur. Because of the lack of symmetry in laying out cemetery plots, the row numbers and descriptions used in plot information vary, and are not exact. They are to be used as a guide only in location of a particular plot.

The index includes each occurrence of a name; in the case where the spouse would not be included because of the 1920 cutoff date, the spouse's name is indexed, if available. Ancestors that fought in a war are indexed separately.

Careful planning, copying of exact records, and serious editing ensure the most accuracy possible, however the condition of some of the tombstones was not the best. The reporting of any errors found from personal visits, knowledge, or records would be appreciated; revisions would appear in future editions.