Planning For My Cemetery Tour
@BelleStarr (61047)
United States
July 2, 2018 6:34am CST
This year, my parish turns 175 years old. My family has been a part of this parish for over 165 of those years. As part of the church, there is an old cemetery behind the church. I am doing a tour of the church in September but on July 28 I am doing a tour of this old cemetery.
Originally, people got a plot behind the church by donating to the building fund. For 20 you got a full plot and $10 a half plot. My family has a plot behind the church, I have no idea how they came up with that much money but evidently, they did. They didn't, however, have enough money to put up a stone so I have no idea where they are buried in this cemetery.
Yesterday after mass I walked with my best friend through the cemetery again to look for some of the things I want to talk about. I made a list of the founders of the parish and I matched it up to a list I have of the stones in the cemetery. (in the 1930's the WPA transcribed all the information from the stones).
Of course, it was over 90 degrees yesterday so we did not last more than 10 minutes, we are going to go back when it cools off so I can come up with a walking tour that makes sense.
I love history and this to me is living history, it is my history and the history of many of the Irish Catholics who left Ireland mostly because of the famine to find a new life in Connecticut. It wasn't an easy life, Catholics were not really welcomed and they did the lowest jobs, farm laborers, and brownstone quarry workers but at least they didn't starve to death like a million of their fellow countrymen. I am so proud that my people were brave enough to make this move.
18 people like this
17 responses
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
2 Jul 18
The Germans started coming to the US much earlier, they came in several waves. We did get a fair share in the 1850s and 60s in our area. Many of them came for religious freedom as well and went to Pennsylvania, Connecticut was not known for its tolerance of dissenters.
3 people like this
@DianneN (246838)
• United States
2 Jul 18
I think that is awesome to have a family cemetery with such history. I studied the Great Famine in school, and was in awe when we heard about it in Ireland and saw the old potato fields and hills, the bogs, etc. In Dublin they have wonderful, yet sad, sculptures depicting the famine which you may have seen.
The deeds to our plots arrived last week. I will put it with our paperwork for the kids.
2 people like this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
3 Jul 18
Which reminds me I need to put my deed into the box for the kids as well. I just put our living will, the trust papers and all that whohah in there.
2 people like this
@DianneN (246838)
• United States
4 Jul 18
@BelleStarr We've put our will, living will, and all other important papers together for them. The deed went in a few minutes ago. The kids have copies of everything already.
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104632)
• United States
5 Jul 18
My Irish ancestors mostly came a century before the famine. A few might have come around the time of the famine but I haven't done much research on that side of things.
Cemeteries are somewhat of a morbid curiosity of mine. There is a cemetery that several generations of my ancestors are buried in, including my father's mother, but I have never been to look at the stones myself.
Is there not some record of where your ancestors are buried? A family map or perhaps a record that the church has?
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104632)
• United States
5 Jul 18
@BelleStarr We come from the Scotch / Irish. I'm not sure what their religious background was. I know that several generations later one would become a baptist preacher.
That's somewhat disappointing that you aren't able to pinpoint where they are buried exactly. That they are buried in their parish church at all though is good.
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@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
5 Jul 18
@ScribbledAdNauseum Okay if they were Scotch Irish they would be Protestant most likely and that makes perfect sense with them coming earlier. They would have been welcomed to the United States unlike Catholics. I am used to not know exactly where the graves are, in England none of my ancestors have a stone so I only know the cemeteries not the location of the grave.
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@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
5 Jul 18
Nope, nothing. I am a genealogist, and I was the secretary of that church for 10 years so I know every record that they have. Were your ancestors Protestant or Catholic? Andrew Jackson was Irish and his ancestors came in the mid-1700s. The Scotch/Irish of Northern Ireland were more likely to emigrate before the famine than the southern Irish Catholics. But of course, there are always exceptions.
@Inlemay (17714)
• South Africa
22 Jul 18
At first, I thought you are a little odd, and then I remembered our visit to Europe and Paris in particular where our first order of business was to tour the Père Lachaise Cemetery in search of some of the famous graves and History lurking behind the tombstones and statues. They now have all denominations buried in this famous cemetery and was astounded how large it was and how painful my legs were after the day's excursion. We do not have that many Historical graveyards in SA (being a new country) and also cremation is the modern way to go
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
23 Jul 18
lol I am a little odd but it has nothing to do with doing a tour of the cemetery lol This particular cemetery was in use from 1843 until about the 1990's.
1 person likes this
@Inlemay (17714)
• South Africa
23 Jul 18
@BelleStarr My daughter LOVES graveyards - that is why we did the tour in Paris. I am sure she would appreciate your sentiment over the tour very much
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
2 Jul 18
I love these stones, some of them have poems on them and some are so full of history. It makes me wish my family had a headstone that is for sure.
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@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
5 Jul 18
@HazySue They were copied by the WPA in the 1030s so they won't be lost.
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@HazySue (39264)
• Gouverneur, New York
3 Jul 18
@BelleStarr I know what you mean. You should copy some of the poems and sayings.
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@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
2 Jul 18
The Know Nothing Party burned a church in Hartford and we lost the 2 first years of our records because of it.
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@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
5 Jul 18
@YrNemo It is really a shame especially since my best friends 2nd great-grandparents were married at that church in the time that those lost records covered. It is too bad.
1 person likes this
@YrNemo (20261)
•
3 Jul 18
@BelleStarr How could people do such a thing! So irresponsible!
1 person likes this
@Shellyann36 (11385)
• United States
9 Jul 18
History is always interesting. I hope you come up with lots of questions and answers for your tour. It sounds like fun. My aunt did a genealogy of our family tree but it left me with lots of questions of my own. I wish I had the time and the cash to find out a few things.
1 person likes this
@Shellyann36 (11385)
• United States
12 Jul 18
@BelleStarr Oh why thank you very much. Let me prod my aunt for questions and I will get back with you.
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
10 Jul 18
I have a membership to ancestry so if you have a question that might be able to be answered on ancestry, let me know, I love helping out.
1 person likes this
But I am happy those times changed already.
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
6 Jul 18
Yes in my area Catholics are welcome but unfortunately, in the United States, there is still a lot of prejudice against Catholics.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
5 Jul 18
I think I have found a few things that people will find interesting. we shall see.
@Juliaacv (48442)
• Canada
2 Jul 18
The country church that our family plot is at has their Cemetery Sunday during the month of September. People are back to their regular routines as vacations are usually over by then, and they get such a good turn out. And that's what's needed to keep the donations pouring in for the perpetual care for the cemetery.
Is there, or was there ever a Cemetery Committee? They may have some old maps and perhaps some insight as to where your relatives lie resting in peace.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
5 Jul 18
No, as the parish secretary for 10 years, I am the cemetery expert which leaves me no one to turn to, I have looked at every record that exists over the years and nothing can help me. It is disappointing but I have accepted it. For an Irish person to even know where their family is buried is a pretty big thing lol
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@Juliaacv (48442)
• Canada
5 Jul 18
@BelleStarr Yes, it is a big thing to know where our ancestors were laid to rest. I did not realize that you were the secretary at your own church. We have 2 kinds of cemeteries up here, municipally owned and run ones, typically very large and owned/ran by the city and then there are the private little (old) ones owned and operated by the churches. The Anglicans and the Catholics have these, and there is always a cemetery committee, and the volunteers on that committee not only show sites for those wishing to buy but also maintain the cemetery. They are handed down hand drawn maps, and in some cases they have a better understanding of how lines are not as straight as they should be for some plots-given a tree with roots or something was there. I'm sorry that there is no committee to help shed light on where your people are, but I hope that you locate them.
@Marilynda1225 (79731)
• United States
4 Jul 18
It must be very interesting to have such an old cemetery especially connected with your family
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
4 Jul 18
Yes it is, I love cemeteries and I have been to the two or three in England where most of my ancestors are buried and in Canada. I find them fascinating.
@just4him (306236)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
3 Jul 18
I'm glad they were brave enough to make the move here. Have fun with the cemetery tour. It sounds interesting.
I had the opportunity to do a cemetery tour of sorts when I was in boot camp back in 1972. We had boot liberty to Lancaster, PA. The cemetery there was fascinating, with dates predating the Revolutionary War.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
5 Jul 18
I am looking forward to giving the tour, I just hope people enjoy what I have to tell them.
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@JudyEv (325809)
• Rockingham, Australia
2 Jul 18
It is interesting that even in the days of Vince and his brothers looking for work, which isn't really that long ago, some companies didn't employ Catholics whilst other companies were quite happy to. Hopefully we've progressed a bit since those days.
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@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
2 Jul 18
In the United States, we have only had one Catholic President in our history and that was John Kennedy. His Catholic faith was a big issue during the time running up to his election. In my area, between the Irish, Italians, Poles and Puerto Ricans Catholics are in the majority but the old prejudice and misunderstandings still persist. And of course in England, a Catholic can never be king or in line to the throne. One would think that in this day and age we would be more tolerant but we would be wrong.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325809)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Jul 18
@BelleStarr Yes, old prejudices die hard, don't they?
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@Courtlynn (66921)
• United States
2 Jul 18
$20 for a plot? wow.
Sorry they couldn't afford a stone, hope you can find their spot(s).
I hate cemeteries, so only go to "visit" my lost loved ones 1-3 times a year, and only stay for 5 mins each.
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@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
5 Jul 18
I don't really visit anyone in the cemetery, it is all about the history to me. This family of O'Connells never quite were successful but they had a large family and it is hard to earn enough to feed and cloth that big of a family.
1 person likes this
@Courtlynn (66921)
• United States
6 Jul 18
@BelleStarr yeah, I wouldn't go for history. its not a hang out for me.
@Rollo1 (16679)
• Boston, Massachusetts
2 Jul 18
We have some very cemetaries around here and I have always enjoyed reading the names and dates of those who lived so long ago. Until recently, I thought most of my ancestors were buried in Canada or at least, Maine. Then I discovered that my kindergarten teacher was actually married to my mother's cousin from the side of the family that I didn't know ever moved to America, let alone my town. Genealogy is full of suprises.
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@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
2 Jul 18
It is isn't it, I am always making new discoveries and some of them have wrecked havoc on what I have always believed to be true. I am headed up your way for a genealogy conference in August sponsored by TIARA
@andriaperry (116860)
• Anniston, Alabama
2 Jul 18
Yes those tours are better in the fall or winter.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
2 Jul 18
Well here it is too cold in the winter and we have the church tour in September so they decided they wanted it in July. We are going to keep it short and then go into the AC for refreshments.We are doing it early in the day as well.
