GRIP Day 3: The Center of the Labyrinth

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Wednesday means we are halfway through the Institute, which is pretty hard to believe.  Our morning session was on the Pennsylvania Germans.  Although I do not have Pennsylvania ancestry, many of the records discussed would be useful to any research.  In the end, it is all about the research strategies and methodologies you use.  The second session continued this theme with case studies of immigrants to the area.

After some excellent discussion at lunch (where I met Karen of Karen’s Genealogy Oasis blog), we came back to “Finding Places of Origin in Germany.”  Although I have a few ancestral villages, I do not have them for most of my German immigrant ancestors.  John reiterated that whole family genealogy (aka cluster genealogy or FAN research) is tremendously important in these cases.  Newspapers, particularly German language newspapers, can be very useful in this.  Even if you have the obituary from an English language newspaper, which is often just a short death notice, find the obituary in the newspaper of their native language for more information.

Continuing to the last session of the day, we learned about “Typefaces: Published Sources and German-American Newspapers.”  Finding those newspapers mentioned above takes work, as does being able to read them.  After learning German Gothic script yesterday, learning Fraktur, which is the typeface German newspapers use, was much easier.  Since it is typed, it is always the same, plus, you can cheat with it using a word program with the typeface installed.  Newspapers can also be used to bring your family history to life through items such as society notices, weather and passenger ship advertisements.  The advertisements shown were fantastic.  Check out the Library of Congress Chronicling America site.

After class we went to work on our “homework” deciphering an obituary typed in Fraktur.  It is much easier to decipher with 4 sets of eyes and a little help from a paper dictionary and the Leo online dictionary.  Then came dinner with more lively discussion, followed by reading the BCG certification examples.  I know I can get to that level someday, but I am definitely not anywhere close yet!

A few of us then went to explore the grounds of the college.  First we hiked to the cemetery, which is lovely.  I will post on that Tuesday.  From there we went to the labyrinth, which according to the brochure is part of the Keams Spirituality Center.  Although I have always wanted to, I have never walked a labyrinth before.  What an amazing experience!  One which I plan to repeat in the future.  The image above is of the center of the labyrinth.  I have to say that I am much more a fan of this than corn mazes.  There is a distinct path; it may be long and winding, but eventually you reach the center.  You can then take that relaxation/reflection/knowledge and head out, onto other paths.  In many ways GRIP is like that path.  We are given a roadmap toward the knowledge, rather than having to wander around aimlessly.  We stay in the center of knowledge for a while and then head out on our own following the recommendations given.

Tomorrow we look at maps and gazetteers, explore sources of information in Germany, learn about published sources in the US and then find our German ancestors on the internet.  I see lots of note taking in my future!

Tombstone Tuesday: The Old Loyalist Burial Grounds

On the tour of Saint John, New Brunswick, we were taken to the center of the city to go to the Old City Market.  However, on the map there was mention of an old cemetery just down the block from the market.  As such, my husband and I quickly walked through the market and then headed down the block to the Old Loyalist Burial Grounds.

[caption id="attachment_1188" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Entrance to the Cemetery"][/caption]

The oldest cemetery in Saint John, it was founded in 1783 and closed in 1848.  There were a lot of people walking through it on their way to class or work.

[caption id="attachment_1189" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="There were beavers on everything, from this fountain statue to the benches.Lots of fantastic old tombstones."][/caption]

 

Tombstone(less) Tuesday - Marie Strassheim Tross and Louise J. Tross

My great-great-great grandmother Marie Strassheim Tross (1841 - 1921) in Buffalo Cemetery, Buffalo, Erie, NY.  The tombstone belongs to to her granddaughter Louise J. Tross (1913 - 1937)

Old Marcellus Village Cemetery

As part of my RAOGK volunteering, I went to the Old Marcellus Village Cemetery in Marcellus, Onondaga, New York. An inactive cemetery located right in the middle of the village. This is my new favorite cemetery for a multitude of reasons, most shown here.

First, it has the following notice outside the cemetery gate:

THE MARCELLUS VILLAGE CEMETERY

Here rest the forefathers who gave so much character to the community that they founded. We cannot forget those old families, who built fine homes, lived wholesome lives and contributed in a large measure to the life of the community.

Here rests many a soldier of the American Revolution, of the War of 1812, of the Civil War, their warfare over. Here they all sleep among their kindred, waiting "till the day breaks and the shadows flee away."

There is no one to speak for or guard the remains of those interred in the heart of our village. There is no one to preserve the memories of and the legacy from our past. There is no one but us.

Please treat this area with respect.

It seems to work at least a bit, this is an old cemetery, but in relatively decent shape.

Many stones that are no longer in decent shape, due to weather or

breakage, have these little replacement stones with

name, death date and war veteran information: Imagine if all cemeteries could do this! Kudos to whomever has undertaken this task!

Lastly, come two of my favorite ever tombstones, the first was located next to a small tree at one point. The tree h

as now grown around it.

Inscription reads: "In Memory of the widow Thankful Bachelor, who died June 3, 1805 in the 81 year of hes Age." What a fantastic married name! I wonder what she thought of this name

Cemetery Findings - Forest Lawn

Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo, NY is a huge, beautiful cemetery.  Founded in 1849, according to their website, it is well known for people such as President Millard Fillmore and Red Jacket being buried there.  According to my grandmother, it was where everyone who lived in Buffalo was buried.  Her parents, William Herbert and Vera Julia (Gress) Whitehead are in the Chapel and on Monday we got assurance that three other ancestors are also there.

While home for my cousin's daughter's christening Sunday I was able to add another day to visit Forest Lawn.  According to the pedigree resource file, my ancestors Adam Fleeman and Jacob & Barbara Fleeman Fink were buried there.  My grandmother also found out her grandmother Elizabeth Fink Gress is buried there.  I was hopeful that Adam's wife Barbara, Barbara's husband Gottlieb and Elizabeth's husband Jacob would also be located there.

Adam, Barbara and Elizabeth were indeed there, but where, of where, are their spouses?  Luckily, I will have two of the death certificates soon, so I can find them.  It was rather amazing that they were in three consecutive sections, which made life rather easy.  Also interesting as Barbara is Adam's daughter and Elizabeth is Barbara's daughter.  We will be going back soon, hopefully when it's not raining, as we were unable to find Elizabeth's grave site.  I will save photo's of the other two for future Tombstone Tuesdays.  

Cemetery Difficulties

I have been visiting a lot of cemeteries in Onondaga county, NY for ROAGK.  Some have been well kept up, but others are very sad to visit.  I went to one that was in awful shape.  It had been a private cemetery, but was recently taken over by the town it is in, after many years of discussion on what to do with it.  There are very old stones, from the early part of the nineteenth century, many of which have had the information eroded away.  The worst part is all the stones that have been broken or knocked down.  I wish I had more time and could go transcribe all these little cemeteries to save the information for others.  Hopefully someone in the Syracuse area will do this soon, before even more information is gone.

An exceptional way to find a cemetery

The premier edition of the GYRabbits carnival is "exceptional finds" (Share with us those rare and unique cemeteries, gravestones, monuments, memorials, inscriptions, etc).  Although my entry is not about a rare cemetery, it is about a rare and unique way of finding it.

A few years ago, I was dating a guy who took me on a date in Rochester (we lived in the Finger Lakes at the time).  He wouldn't tell me where we were going, but when we got there, I was very excited.  We were located outside of Mount Hope Cemetery and he showed me around, taking me to graves of people like Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass.  Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures that day, but it was a fantastic cemetery that I highly recommend visiting if you have the option.  It was one of the best dates I have ever gone on, as well as the most unique.