RootsChat.Com
Research in Other Countries => United States of America => Topic started by: mfb1025 on Friday 15 May 09 13:44 BST (UK)
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My sister and I went to the cemetery where my GGgrandparents and Ggggrandmother are suppose to be burried according to obits. It's a small cemetery, and we went around twice. The funeral homes are no longer in business and the presiding church doesn't have burial records prior to 1935.
Has anyone had this problem ? Can anyone suggest any reason why they wouldn't be there or somewhere to search for plot records ? He was a marble cutter, one would assumed he'd have a nice stone ??
Thank you
Maureen
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Hi Maureen,
Sorry you had that disappointing trip. Burials and finding graves can be very difficult.
If you were to tell us who you are seeking and where and when they were buried someone may be able to cast some light on this.
charlotte
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Hi
You don't give any details of which area/cemetary you are referring to so these are general comments
Many cemetarys have had headstones removed as "unsafe" under Health & Safety guidelines. This also applies to churchyard graves
The fact he was a marble cutter does not guarantee a headstone. At the time of his death - how he was buried is dependant on the people left to pay the bill. If he left no money and they had to pay out of their own pocket - there may not have been a headstone
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Thank you. I didn't know they removed headstones for safety reasons. We saw several there that were knocked over but still there. Doyou know if anyone keeps any record of a removal ?
James H Mulloy d. Apr 3, 1906 in Worcester, Mass and was buried in St Patrick's Cemetery in Brockton, Mass. according to his obituary. His death preceded his wife's death, Hannah Mitchell Mulloy Feb 4 1911. Who also died in Worcester, but was buried in Brockton. He had family and they had the wherewithal to provide a stone.
He had children and grandchildren still living in Brockton long after his death.
Thanks for your help.
Maureen
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Hi
Because you didn't give any location details, my comments related to the situation with graves in England.
Things may be completely different in the USA
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For records at St. Patrick's Cemetery contact:
St. Patricks Cemetery 335 Main Street, Brockton, MA 02031
Tel # 508-586-4840 Fax # 508-941-0639
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Thank you. I have spoken to St Patrick's, I was told they don't have records prior to 1935.
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I had a similar thing happen - I went to the cemetery office to get the approximate area of the gravesite - walked around the area and found that the stone was almost completely covered over - I was disappointed that it hasnt been taken care of but at least I found it, good luck to you on your search - :)
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Thank you for your encouragment, I won't give up. If genealogy research has taught me one thing, it's that everything seems to be there, you just have to keep looking until you find it.
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And sometimes the "keeping on looking for it" goes on for years...
But be encouraged... shake enough trees and bits all out that eventually give you what facts you need.
So just keep plugging on :D
charlotte
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Maureen, years ago my mum and I visited an old cemetery in Toronto, Canada. We were told (by relatives) that her greatgrandparents were buried in the cemetery and given an area of the cemetery to search.
We could not find the headstone, even though we searched the area several times. We assumed someone had made a mistake and left the cemetery without locating the headstone. A few years later we found out the headstone was there; somehow we had missed seeing it.
In your case, perhaps you missed the stone as well? Perhaps it had toppled at one point? Perhaps the family just never got around to putting one up?
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Hi again Maureen , Like Lisa I went to a cemetery and got it wrong- I went to the Blue Church cemetery in Ontario to find graves of relatives but misread/misunderstood the book with MIs in it- I assumed quite incorrectly, that the graves were ordered in relation to one another as the MIs were in the book.
Later I learned that there was an obelisk and several graves for my people- and I stood only a dozen metres away unaware that I got it wrong.
charlotte
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Also keep in mind that a grave might not be marked if the family couldn't afford a headstone.
Jacquie