Monday, March 21, 2011

Cemeteries - Calm Atmosphere in Big Cities

As a life-long genealogist, it is difficult to impossible to simply drive or walk by a cemetery without entering for a walking or driving tour.

Many of my favorite memories of visits to large cities involve the scenes, smells and quiet that I enjoyed in her cemeteries.  How could anyone ignore these oasis of calm amid the hubbub?

I don’t know who took this photo of the Calvary Cemetery in New York, but it represents the feelings I’m trying to express.

CalvaryCemeteryQueens

Do yourself a favor this spring.  Visit a cemetery just for the calming ambiance and the stories of lives and places represented on the headstones.

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Thursday, March 3, 2011

Cemetery with a Mountain View

The Lehi City Cemetery in Utah offers scenic views of mountains in three directions.  It continues to grow in acreage of grass and trees.

DSC02997

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Saturday, January 29, 2011

Civil War–Preparing For Burial

So many soldiers died in battle during the Civil War, that relatively few of their bodies were embalmed before shipment home or being buried near the battlefield.

However, there were morticians and embalming stations near the front lines to address these duties in many cases.

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Sunday, January 23, 2011

The Dead of Gettysburg

The terrible Civil War Battle of Gettysburg resulted in over 3200 dead.  Hundreds were never buried or identified.

Confederate Dead Gettysburg

Confederate Dead at Gettysburg

 

Union Dead Gettysburg

Union Dead at Gettysburg

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Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Headstones Hate Teenage City Employees

While taking photos of tombstones to post on Find-a-grave, I'm finding a LOT of old tombstones that have been damaged or broken off by teenagers driving city-owned lawnmowers. The damage is appalling.

The stone I’d seen in the fall now looked like this:

 

By mid-December the surviving top half of the 120-old-stone  had been “replanted” by city employees.

 

Quickly scanning my photos, I found many more examples of wanton destruction by the “summer teens” that had been hired to mow the lawns in the city cemetery.

 

Shaved edges

 

Not just shaved but gouged

 

Even the top corner was broken

 

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Friday, January 7, 2011

Chernobyl Equipment Graveyard

The mechanical, aerial and vehicular equipment used in the Chernobyl rescue and evacuation all became thoroughly radioactive.  Much of it was parked in a mechanical graveyard.

See it on Google Maps here.

chernobyl_graveyard

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Wednesday, January 5, 2011

U. S. Cemetery–Normandy

Rows of markers in the U.S. Cemetery – Colleville-sur-Mer, Calvados, Normandy, France.

US cemetery, Colleville-sur-Mer, Calvados, Normandy rows

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Tuesday, December 28, 2010

The Train Wreck at the Beloeil Bridge

The St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad through Beloeil, Canada was completed in December 1848, finishing the link between Montreal and Saint-Hyacinthe.  Unfortunately, in 1864, a passenger train passing over the Richelieu River derailed and plunged downward to destruction.  Ninety-nine passengers, mostly German emigrants, and railroad employees lost their lives in the worst rail disaster in the history of Canada.

A tombstone of detritus covered the river and the barge under the wreckage.  The hopes, dreams and futures of so many were lost in less than a minute.  When considering their possible descendancy, how many lives were truly lost on that sad day?

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Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Buried By The Bay

Sailors, wives and children of costal communities usually enjoy a view of the sea throughout the eternities.

PB195429

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Thursday, December 16, 2010

Marching Off To War

War on the Western Front in France during WWI erupted in 1914.  Huge numbers of troops from the nations involved marched in to battle.

 

 

Fearsome battles ensued leaving numberless wounded and dead.

 

 

 

Soldiers, Citizens and Support Personnel, lie buried at Flanders, Vermelles and across all the fields of battle.

 

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Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Always and Forever

The death of a baby invokes extreme stress and loss in the lives of parents and family members.  The belief that families can be together forever helps assuage the pain.

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Sunday, December 12, 2010

Fall Day in Cemetery

The perfect way to spend a sunny fall day – Taking photos of headstones for posting on Find-a-grave.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Andrew Jackson Bennett–Civil War Veteran

Born on 9 Aug 1837 in Mason, Warren Co., Ohio, Andrew Jackson Bennett served in Company C, 2nd Kansas Calvary during the Civil War.  He died and is buried in Vernon, Jennings Co., Indiana.

Andrew Jackson Bennett Military Headstone

Andrew Jackson Bennett

“A Former Mason Man, Died at His Home in Vernon, Ind.
Andrew J. Bennett was born near Mason August 9, 1837, and departed this life September 12, 1908, age 71 years, 1 month and three days. He was married to Catherine J Michael in 1858, who after a half century spent under his loving protection and kindly care survives him.


In 1862 he enlisted in the 2nd Kansas Calvary and served as a Union soldier throughout the civil war. After the close of the war he became a railroad engineer on the Southern railroad and followed that calling until about ten years ago when he removed to Lebanon, Ind, and engaged in the contracting business. In 1903 he and his wife removed to Vernon where he made his home until his death, and the entire population of the town testify to his sterling qualities and mourn for "Uncle Jack," as he was affectionately known.
Andrew Jackson Bennett, second son of Nicholas and Rachel Bennett, was born in Warren county, Ohio, August 9, 1837, and died September 12, 1908. He was married to Catherine J. Michaels, September 1, 1858. Jackson Bennett served his country in the war of the Rebellion, being a private in Co. C. 2nd Kansas Calvary. After the war he lived in various places in Ohio and Indiana, departing this life at North Vernon, Jennings County, Indiana.


Taken from "History and Record of Nicholas Bennett Sr. and His Descendants".”

Andrew and Catherine Michaels Bennett Headstone

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Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Burial at a Rural Church

With competing churches side by side, travel to graveyards was simplified.  Hopefully, the tombstones will survive the decline of old wooden buildings and subsequent reconstruction or moves to new locations.

 

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Monday, November 15, 2010

Buried by the Church

A typical setting in days gone by in the East.  A life lived in the town where you grew up.  The church attended throughout your life and then your death.  The church was never far from your daily pattern and in death you are buried in its yard.  The pattern Is repeated throughout the generations.  Life, church, death – intertwined.

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Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Burying the Dead at Wounded Knee

Burying the dead at Wounded Knee – 1891

Woundedknee1891grave

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Sunday, November 7, 2010

Lost and Stranded Cemeteries

There are thousands of lost and stranded cemeteries in the world.  Many are hidden in the woods, others are being slowly eaten by construction and particularly by shopping center parking lots.

Crowley Mausoleum Decatur GA

When you see them, stop and take photos of all of the markers and of the site.  Transcribe the inscriptions and put the photos and text on Find-a-grave so at least the images of the stones and cemeteries  have a chance to survive modern man.

Old family cemeteries are particularly hard hit by developers in modern society, as witnessed in most of the satellite photos associated with the locations below.

If you know of other locations, add the map link to them in a comment to this post and they will be added to the list.

 

Alabama

Exploring Alabama’s Lost Cemeteries

 

California

Merchant Seaman’sPresidio – San Francisco

 

Colorado

Parker Road, Aurora, CO

 

Georgia

Cleveland Ave – I-75 – Atlanta, GA

Avondale Mall – Decatur, GA

Walton St / Hwy 78– Loganville, GA

South Davis Dr, Warner Robins, GA

Hunter Army Airfield – Savannah GA

4135 Lavista Road, Tucker, GA

 

Kentucky

Dutchmans Lane, Louisville, KY

Kentucky’s Lost Cemeteries

 

Illinois

Yorktown Shopping Center, Lombard, IL

 

Indiana

Mechanicsburg Cemetery – Boone Co, IN

Blackiston Mill Rd – Clarksville, IN

Lost Cemeteries of Henry Co, IN

5875 N Keystone Ave, Indianapolis, IN

 

Massachusetts

Riverside Ave and Highway 6, Swansea, MA

 

Michigan

Betholem Cemetery – GM Plant, Hamtramck, MI

 

Missouri

Metro North Mall, Kansas City, MO

 

New Jersey

AMC Entertainment, Highland Park, NJ

Little Road – Dist 6 Firehouse, Parsippany, NJ

 

New York

498 Red Apple CT, Central Valley, NY

5025 Jericho Turnpike, Commack NY

Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, NY

Palisades Mall, West Nyack, NY

 

North Carolina

Orange Water Sewer Authority – Carrboro, NC

Carolina Mall, Concord, NC

Chapel Hill Rd – Durham, NC

708 Greenville Blvd – Greenville, NC

Carter Finley Stadium – Raleigh, NC

Duke University – West Campus

 

Oklahoma

700 Charles Page Blvd, Sand Springs, OK

 

Ohio

Tony Nose Cemetery, Lima OH

Hepburn Rd, Middleburg Heights, OH

18348 Bagley Rd, Middleburg Heights, OH

 

Pennsylvania

GreenwoodRamona Ave, Philadelphia, PA

 

Rhode Island

Connecticut Ave and High St, Middletown, RI

Michaels Crafts, Smithfield, RI

 

South Carolina

North Main, Summerville SC

 

Tennessee

Buffalo Valley Rd – Cookeville, TN

Angelus St, Memphis, TN

1-179 Angelus St, Memphis, TN

 

Texas

183 Highway, Austin, TX

Wise Lane, Garland, TX

Long Point and Pech Rd, Houston, TX

Callendar Hill Rd, Mansfield, TX

Headache Springs – Tyler TX

Utah

Bennett Family – Alpine, UT

 

Virginia

Nutley St – Lee Hwy, Fairfax, VA

7531 Linton Hall Rd – Gainesville, VA

7756 Quioccasin Rd, Henrico, VA

14332 Potomac Mills Cir, Woodbridge, VA

 

Wisconsin

Wisconsin’s Lost Cemeteries

 

Canada

Bridlewood Mall, Toronto, Canada

 

Spain

Calle Paredes, Oviedo, Spain

 

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Emma Louisa Burger Drew Mead Tombstone

Emma Louisa Berger Drew Mead was born in Iowa in 1852.  She moved to the gold country of California with her family at age six.  After marrying Charles Drew of Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1867 at 14, the young mother knew heartache in her life with the loss of two of her two children to illness while they were still infants. 

Charles died of pneumonia when she was 38.  She later married Willard Clinton Mead and was well known for her love of and assistance to children without parents.  Numerous foster children were welcomed in to her home throughout her lifetime.

Emma is buried in the Copperopolis Cemetery, Calaveras County, California.

Mead Emma L headstone

 

Monday, October 25, 2010

Juliana Mulford 1781 - 1793

Tombstone of Juliana Mulford, daughter of Matthew and Mary Hutchinson Mulford.  East Hampton Cemetery. 1781 – 24 Jan 1793

Mulford Juliana headstone

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Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Louis Larsen – Spanish American War Vet

Louis Larsen served in the U.S. Volunteer Calvary during the Spanish – American War.  He is buried in the Lehi City Cemetery, Utah.

Larsen Louis headstone Sp Am War Vet

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