The Graveyard Rabbit ~ Western NY State

Happy Memorial Day

2011-05-30T05:57:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my daughter and I had a day out and that involved Find-A-Graving in 6 cemeteries, only 5 successful and a great day enjoyed! I call my daughter the "Stone Whisperer", she always finds the stones! Yesterday she was elevated to "Super Stone Whisperer" when we got out of the car and I heard, "Wait, found 'em". Seriously, 5 minutes in the cemetery, it has to be a record. I didn't mind, it is black fly season and I had forgotten what it was like to be out in them since we don't have our permanent camp set up anymore.

As I went through this one small cemetery, I noticed the new grave marker's placed. They are all bright white, shiny and new. So I decided to do a Memorial Day post for these stones.

To everyone who has done their part in keeping our borders and Citizen's safe through these difficult times and times before, Thank You. These two words do not seem enough for the monumental thing you have done for us but I am a proud American and know that I could not be this if it hadn't been for all of you. I never forget that. Every day I remember that.

Pioneer Cemetery

Ontario County

West Bloomfield, New York

Bad Blogger

2010-05-14T08:35:00.000-07:00

(cut and paste from my other blog)
That last couple of months has been hit or miss. I am currently undergoing an issue with Sacroiliac Joint Syndrome. I hate it, I don't like it. Pain is an every day thing and that is where I am now, finding a pain management routine that works for me. Two cortisone shots (that did not work) later I was scheduled for an RPN this morning (it doesn't sound pleasant at all, let me tell you!) but!! my insurance company DENIED the procedure. Just a very small rant then I am done… This insurance company (and my employer) made a nice program for us. If we listen/watch a series of videos we get a benefit check back. So, I saw they had a half dozen virtual blurbs on pain management and watched them all so that I might learn something and every one of them say "Follow up with your doctor, follow their prescribed regimen… blah blah blah" to turn around and deny my treatment from my Doctor? It boggles the mind. Seriously. So anyway, enough of that, I realize pain is my only problem, there is no fixing the joint, it is damaged, it is a maintenance thing. Constant pain is a depressant and some days I don't do a thing because it saps my energy but at the same time, I don't have a serious disease like so many other brave souls fight every day so in that, out of respect, I won't feel sorry for myself. A bad day of pain is certainly better than a chemo treatment.
(end cut and paste)

I do not feel I have done the Graveyard Rabbits justice so I am leaving this blog here but I expect this will be the last post.

I love cemeteries and I will go to them for the rest of my days just for the pleasure of it. I love the history. Pain comes and goes, if I walk too much, it worsens, if I sit too long, it worsens and so on. I was already a fidget and this compounds it. Uneven terrain gets me fast so I am not able to spend the hours wandering a cemetery like I did and so I can't put the time I would like to put into GYR. I will however continue skimming forums for picture requests and tromping out to get those pictures for those that can not get here, I can do that! And who knows, if I am inspired you never know what might pop up here. I think what I will do sometime in the near future is go through and make sure I have posted every picture I have so that maybe someday it will fill in a hole in someones family chart.

It has been a pleasure being a Grave Yard Rabbit, what a wonderful group of people to be associated with!

Thank you for the opportunity.

Tomlinson's Corners Cemetery - Post 5

2009-11-15T08:00:00.000-08:00

The last of the headstones in Tomlinson's Corners Cemetery. I found another Mrs John Park. I am not sure if the same John Park.

Mary M

Wife of

John Park

Died

June 17, 1821

In her 35th year.

Amos D

Son of

Thomas & Almira

Park

Died

March 19, 1851

Aged 2 years.

Our Father and Mother

George Greer

Died

Nov 28 1878

Aged 56 years

7 mos & 20 d's

Charlotte M

His wife

Died

June 20, 1878

Aged 57 years

1 mos & 21 d's

John Greeb

Died

April 6th, 1858

To the memory of

Sarah

Wife of

Jacob Shulters

Died

April 1, 1863

AE 90 yrs 9 mos

& 17 days

John C

Son of

Eli and Laura

Dolbeer

Died Jun 25

1829

AE 1 y'r and 6 mo

John Dolbeer

Died

Nov 7, 1838

In his 73d

Year

Memory of

Pallander Barritt

Who died

Oct 20, 1814

Aged 43 years

6 mos 5 days

____

____ daughter

Of John & Polly

Dolbeer died

April 1807

Cutter Dolbeer

Died

Sept 19, 1846

Age 77 yrs

6 mo.

_____

Wife of

Cutter Dolbeer

Died

Apr 12 1846

Aged 72 years 7 mo

William Nelson

40th (??) NY Vol

Died Apr 14, 1888

Aged 65 Yrs

(Civil War)

Michael Marlatt

Died

July .. 1867 (?)

AE 78 years .. Mo and 15 days

Margaret

His wife

Died July 17 1842

AE 78 yrs 2 mo

& 11 d's

Liza Hummel

Died

Mar 7 1885

Age ----

Tomlinson's Corners Cemetery - Post 4

2009-11-08T08:00:00.000-08:00

In this and the next post are the remaining stones in this cemetery. This surname I found interesting, two spellings for the same name. Claflin and Clafflin. At first I thought the first stone was misspelled by the stone cutter but then there were a few stones with the two different spellings. I am assuming they are the same family, they were buried in the same area. I would love to know why, I am a curious sort but I will probably never know the answer to this.

Henrietta

Wife of John Clafflin

Died

Feb 7 1841

Aged 83 years.

John Claflin, Jr.

John Clafflin

Died

March 17, 1922

Aged 69 years

Henrietta S

Daughter of

Belamy & Esther

Claflin, died

Nov 27, 1828

Aged 2 years.

Belamy Claflin

Died

Feb 14 1834

In his 12 year

Betsey

Wife of

Amos Knapp

Formerly…

Charles Kimball

Died Jan 16

1830

Aged 36 years

George,

Son of

John E & Marthan

Tomlinson

Died

June 9, 1825

John E Tomlinson

Died

March 29, 1845

Aged

52 years

Maria,

Wife of

John E Tomlinson

Born Aug 15 1802(?)

Died Aug 15 1875

George Culver

Son of

Grace Culver

Died

Oct 13, 1836
in his 11th year.

Tomlinson's Corners Cemetery - Post 3 - The Parks

2009-11-01T08:00:00.000-08:00

At first I just take pictures and transcribe on paper what I cannot read. This family has brought me to a lot of thought in the last week since visiting these graves. People die, it is a fact of life and we don't always want to accept it. In this day in age we have choices to alter how life affects us.

The family of John Park. By a couple of the stones he may have had a wife named Experiance before there was Esther. Too, I see some spaces so wonder if there are missing stones. I don't remember seeing a stone for Experiance and I did take pictures of every stone there. Going by the dates of when these children might have been born, it was before the War of 1812 so I am guessing it could be Experiance was a first wife unless there was another John Park. At first I didn't notice or see but then half way down this line of stones that I was taking pictures of it dawned on me that they were all similar in style though sizes varied and this made me stop and read. Then I saw that they were a row of children. Every child died so young and how sad this is. In this day in age if we have problems carrying a child or children, we have the choice not to conceive anymore but how did a family back in this day process this kind of loss? I will not touch on religion in my posts. I am not versed on religion and have no opinion. Everyone believes what they believe. I am coming from the emotional side. How did a young mother feel back then when she was in her fourth or fifth pregnancy and not one child had survived? Was there still joy in the coming birth and God's will was what supported them. (I think I just brought religion into my thinking… ) Or was she apprehensive, afraid to get attached to the child she carried, expecting more loss? I am a tender emotional sort of person and it did touch my heart to see so much loss in one family. John and Mary lived to ripe old ages given the time and I hope that within all the loss they suffered that they did have moments of great joy and happiness.

John Park

Captain

Died Feb 26, 1861

Age 84 Yrs

War of 1812

Esther

wife of

Capt John Park

Died Feb 15, 1855

Age 69 years

Esther

daughter of

John & Esther

Park, died

June 8, 1836

aged 8 yrs & 13 ds

Twin

daughter of

John & Esther

Park, died

Nov 2, 1821

Infant

daughter of

John & Esther

Park, died

March 11,

1823

Samuel

Son of

John & Mary

Park, died

July 2, 1819

aged 11 mo's

S.P.

Abner M

son of John & Mary

Park, died

July 4, 1819

in his 4th year.

Polly S.

daughter of

John &

Experiance

Park, died

June 12, 1810

aged 3 years, 7 mos

& 16 ds

P.B.

C.P.

Polly.

daughter of

John &

Experiance

Park, died

Dec 2, 1805

M.M.P.

Charlotte,

daughter of

John & Experiance

Park, died

Aug 20, 1815

in her 13th year.

Tomlinson's Corners Cemetery – Post 2

2009-10-25T08:00:00.000-07:00

Tomlinson's Corner Cemetery, Mendon, Monroe County, New York. This is the Willow tree stone Post. The majority of them were in the section on the left side of the photo.

(( Doing some Googling I found this: The following was in the Honeoye Falls Times on March 31, 1921:

At Tomlinson's Corners is a small burying ground containing 65 stones. Standing alone is an old field stone with the initials "M. Y." This old stone marks the grave of Brigham Young's first wife. It has been desecrated by relic hunters to such an extant that the letters are now nearly obliterated. On what was known years ago as the Dunshee farm, in the south-east corner of the township there is a little range of hills that form a water shed for the creeks and brooks that flow into the larger streams that empty into Irondequoit Bay. Near the source of one of these streams is an opening formed like the letter V with the open end to the west, and at one end, covered now with willows, are 5 natural springs, that feed a brook that eventually reaches Irondequoit Creek. On this creek Brigham Young who came originally from Vermont, built a house and then a saw mill. He belonged to the Baptist Church before he joined the "Latter Day Saints" or Mormons, and the V on his farm with the opening towards the west, and the "living springs" were all regarded as "signs" after he became the successful conquerer of the Utah desert. He was a painter and glazier by trade and when the lumber business was dull he plied his trades and also manufactured chairs and baskets which he peddled thru the country. Benjamin and Rufus Park, from Berkshire Co., Mass., purchased land from Wm. Wadsworth in 1793 and became actual settlers in 1794, and John Park before 1801. Amaziah Park made his will March 14, 1822 and his wife's name was Mary. His heirs mentioned in the will are "heirs of eldest daughter, deceased, viz, Amaziah, Alvin, Hannah, and Ruth (no surname given)." "My son Benjamin's heirs, viz: Amaziah, Thomas and Calvin. My sons John, Amaziah, daughters, Hannah, Molly and Jemima." There was a Lt. Amaziah Park in Col. Douglass' Co. who joined the American Army in the State of New York in 1776. (From Conn. Men in the Am. Rev.)

In memory of

Judith Kimball

In Memory of

Candric D…lf

She died July 26, 1806

In the 14 year

Of her age.

Thomas Reed

Died Aug 21

1855

Aged 51 years

To the memory of

Hannah, wife of

Amaziah Park

Who departed this

Life Jun 10 1811

In the 79th year

Of her age

To the memory of

Amaziah Park

Who departed

This life May 10

1821 in the 86th

Year of his life

Rejoice for a brother deceased.

(this stone had an American flag next to it but no information whether a veteran or not)

In memory of

Benjamin Park who

Died June 16 1819 in the

44th year of

His age

Eli Dolbeer

Died

Apr 29, 1859

AE 59 Yr 10 mo 26 d's.

In memory of

Mercy

Wife of

Thomas Reed

Formerly the wife of

Benjamin Park

Who died

Jan 28 1838

In her 53rd year.

Seth Williams

Died Apl 10

1828

In the 45 year

Of his age

Hellen Jemima

Daughter of

Charles & Dolan Ann (?)

Dolbeer

Died Apl 30 1849

Age 1 y'r 22 d's

In memory of

Polly wife of

John Dolberr died

Nov .. 1825 age

55 years

Tomlinson's Corner Cemetery

2009-10-18T14:14:00.001-07:00

I realize that I like to do everything in life in the hardest way possible. I could have rambled out to cemeteries during the mild months of weather. I will admit I probably would not go out in summer. I hate the heat and really do not do well in it. Still, zero degree days and 35 degree days? I can't go when it is 60 degrees out? Ah but anyway…

Several times I have thought to leave the Graveyard Rabbit community simple because my post is too long overdue and I feel I am not worthy of those Rabbits that do put in the time to produce an outstanding group of blogs. I feel I have let them down being very non-committal and I think really is that I just try to do too much and no matter how hard I try to refocus and do less, I still end up doing too much because I love to do it all. So to those that are more serious about their commitment to GYR, my heartfelt apologies of not pulling my share. I did change my mind about stepping out of the series for one reason alone, if I blog 50 times a year or even just 2.. Maybe in that 2 blogs, someone just might break through a brick wall in their family research just because I happened to take a snap shot and post it. Too, I just love going to cemeteries. I love the quiet, I love the history and I do go through a range of emotions when I see a line of stones of so many children lost to a couple.. Today's cemetery represents that.

October 16 and barely 38 degrees out. What gives with the early winter! This is a very small cemetery yet this cemetery has connections with the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Tomlinson;s Corners Cemetery is on Boughton Hill Road, Mendon in Monroe County, New York.

One thing I did notice was many of the stones here had weeping willows on them. There was a cluster anyway and perhaps all of the same family. In Googling I came up with the meaning "earthly mourning" and that in some cultures it represents immortality. I am not an expert. Another group were plain white stones in a long row. I have not researched this cemetery so I don't know anything about it so sometimes it is fun to try to surmise the why's of things though I am probably way off!

As you can see, it is a very small cemetery. The next shot is out across the road, it was a pretty fall day, the colors just starting.

Mrs. Brigham Young

Miriam Works Young

Wife of

Brigham Young

Born June 7, 1806

At Auerelius, New York

Died September 8, 1832

At Mendon, New York

Solomon F Kimball

Died July 9, 1825 Age 50

Father of

Heber C Kimball

And Great Grandfather of

Spencer W Kimball

The 12th President of

The Church of

Jesus Christ

Of Latter-Day

Saints

John Clafflin

CPL Capt Millers Co

Col Beard's Mass Regt

Revolutionary War

Apr 8 1754 - Mar 17 1822

John Park

Captain

Died Feb 26, 1861

Age 84 Yrs

War of 1812

Hathaway Corners - Farmington, New York

2009-03-10T06:45:00.001-07:00

Can you see it?

This cemetery is not easy to see. I had been told about this cemetery by a co-worker when I moved to Canandaigua in November. I drove by the corner it was on every day and I could just not see where this cemetery was. So, last week she said look at the clump of trees closer to a restaurant and this time when I went by I saw way in the distance the dots of white that would look to be headstones! So, my daughter and I headed out there the next day, we had a 50 degree day which is much nicer than the 2 degree days we have been known to go out on!

Little Jenny

What we found was a very small cemetery and I did have a GenWeb cemetery print out and found that many of the stones in this cemetery are not on GenWeb. Another project, figure out how to get the stones I could decipher added to the rest. (Maybe the survey of the cemetery was never finished.)

JAMES SWEET
(?)
MAY 1 1862
AGED 72 YEARS
(Mason Symbol at the top of the stone)

Back side of James Sweet Stone

ISAAC HATHAWAY

DIED
MARCH 1 1823
IN 69TH YEAR

IN MEMORY OF

JEMINA
WIFE OF
ISAAC HATHAWAY
DIED
APRIL 1 1793
IN THE 27TH
YEAR OF HER AGE

IN MEMORY OF
ELIZABETH
2ND WIFE OF
ISAAC HATHAWAY
WHO DIED APRIL 21
1839 IN THE 69TH
YEAR OF HER DAYS

STEPHEN HAYWARD
DIED
SEPT 12 1839
AGED
80 YEARS

HANNAH
WIFE OF
STEPHEN HAYWARD
DIED
FEB 24 1839
AGED 78 YEARS
AND 5 MOS

We found two Revoluntionary War soldiers and one Civil War Soldier and I found a Mason. The cemetery needs work, some of the stones are in pieces. As always, we enjoyed figuring out families and wondered about them but I will say, I was not disturbed in this cemetery but did not experience my usual calm of my graveyard rabbit visits. Maybe a day of over active imagination..

View from the back (though would like front from the road) as we left.

Gift of Quiet

2009-02-23T09:26:00.001-08:00

I was reading a blog this morning, a knitters blog. I knit among other hobbies that I am desperately trying to whittle down to manageable numbers. There are just not enough hours in the day... I do not have time for a full time job! And so on. But this blog post was about the quiet. It comes after yesterday, being Sunday, and my day filled with Walmart, Gamestop, the grocery store and the laundromat and a couple of computers running, a Wii game and and and and.... no quiet. And even a loud cat!

This is why I like cemeteries so much I think. In them I respect the resting place of the departed. This is their place, not mine and so I am quiet. What do I get as a reward for respectful behavior? Well, I get quiet. The perfect gift. Within this gift is a so much. Within the quiet is time to think and time to hear yourself think. Decisions come much easier without ten other things that you are trying to multi-task with. The hectic life is outside the walls or fence of the cemetery and all I have with me is being one with time and place. I slow down and I don't feel I have to rush.

When I was in Glenwood Cemetery a week and a half ago I did that sudden, "What am I missing out there!?" but then I had to remind myself that it did not matter, this was time for me, a time for quiet and so I let it go and found myself so refreshed by putting all the noise and keeping watch of time out and away from me and outside of that cemetery. The only thing that needed to tell me anything was my body when it got too cold, at least that was sensible. A cemetery puts me in a different time as well. What were the days like for the people I visit. Granted their lives were hectic but in such a different way. Did they find time to sit on the front porch and enjoy the breeze? I can not even remember the last time I did that..

Of late I am on this mission to simplify my life.. I need this badly and I don't know why. Perhaps it is the current state of the economy and my economy. I have so much "stuff".. so many hobbies and everything that goes with it. I personally need to downsize. I want to be fantastic at a couple of things, not so so at too many things. All of this was decided in the quiet of a cemetery on a winter day and I am much happier for it and do not feel so stressed. I am boldly culling through my collection of things. If my ancestors could do without, why can't I? And really, getting rid of one half of what I own? I won't be doing without.

And so.. more head stones from where I go for my personal mental health days. *smile*

From the Washington Street Cemetery, Geneva, New York:

Geneva, New York – Washington Street Cemetery

2009-02-16T06:28:00.001-08:00

The one thing I can say, my sciatic nerve does not like cemetery excursions. It has already been bothersome for a while now and x-rays cleared me of any wrong bone doing and now I have to go for physical therapy which I have not done yet. I do not know if it is being in the cold for so long or if the uneven terrain kicks it off at its worst.

The second cemetery I visited in my Geneva outing was the Washington Street Cemetery and I gave a description in my last post. I like it so much. I didn't see any current stones but I didn't go very far off the main road that is down the middle. It is no larger than a village Square really. A couple of names I saw in both cemeteries so already have the idea of some of the more prominent names of Geneva.

In my last post I talked about Sarah Ketchum and how I found her stone and right next to her was this fenced in family plot and I saw the symbol on the back side of a monument where I was standing so went to investigate the front of the monument.

Once around to the front, I saw this…

ELIAKIM SHERRILL
COL 126 REGT. INFANTRY N.Y. STATE VOLS.
REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS 1847-8
STATE SENATOR 1854-5
BORN AT GREENVILLE N.Y.
FEB. 16, 1813,
FELL MORTALLY WOUNDED AT THE BATTLE OF
GETTYSBURG, PA. JULY 3, 1863
COMMANDING THE 3RD BRIGADE 3RD DIVISION
2ND CORPS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC
DIED AT GETTYSBURG
JULY 4, 1863
---------------
IN PRIVATE LIFE
SIMPLE IN MANNERS; STRONG IN INTELLECT
IN CHARACTER BENEVOLENT; IN RELIGION SINCERE
HIS PUBLIC LIFE
WAS MARKED BY HIGH TRUSTS FAITHFULLY
PERFORMED. THE MEMORY OF HIS SERVICES
IS HALLOWED BY THE CROWN OF MARTYRDOM
IN HIS COUNTRY'S CAUSE.

Within this plot is his wife, assumed since they were both born within a year of each other and then the man she married after the loss of Eliakim.

EMILY ELDRIDGE
SHERRILL
WIDOW OF
SIMEON M GALLUP
DEC 25, 1814
JAN 13, 1894

SIMEON M GALLUP
BORN
SCHOHARIE, N.Y.
SEPT 3O, 1816.
DIED
EAST ORANGE, N.J.
APRIL 14, 1883

This stone is situated in between Emily and Simeon. In the picture above, Emily is the front stone on the right side, then this stone, then Simeon in the back corner.

Geneva, New York – Glenwood Cemetery and Washington Street Cemetery

2009-02-13T14:00:00.001-08:00

Today I headed for Geneva, New York. It is about 17 miles east from Canandaigua and in the heart of wine country of the Finger Lakes Region of NY. This is a beautiful and old town once you get passed the retail mile. I was enjoying a nice drive through farm land, there are a lot of cabbage farms this way, open space, lots of fields.. So peaceful.. and then suddenly I was smacked by BJ's Wholesaler, Walmart and so on.. I kind of went into shock for a moment but once through the retail area and into the heart of Geneva you simply fall in love.. The homes are beautiful and old and some of those older homes along the Seneca Lake shore you can almost see how it might have been there in earlier times. There was one house I passed that had a construction a bit different than the rest in close proximity and I could just see a family having a party there during the roaring '20's, having friends in to enjoy the lake. I feel oddly intuitive today; I have another story to share further in this post.

Two cemeteries were on my radar, I had figured out where they might be and had my maps and made my way. I found the first one, Glenwood Cemetery. Long ago there was a cemetery on Pulteney Street and the inhabitants were exhumed to a section of Glenwood Cemetery to build a school. The second cemetery on my list was the Washington Street Cemetery which I fell in love with!

So finding Glenwood Cemetery wasn't so hard, it is on Route 14 but the first drive you come to for it is like the back end entry I guess I will call it. I went that way thinking it was the main entrance and followed the road up to a small group of sections and drove around but nothing stuck out as being the "Pulteney-in-Glenwood" section. So turning the car around to go back, there had to be more, I saw passed a line of trees the rest of the cemetery but could not figure out how to get "over there." I should say that everything is messy right now. We had way too much snow in January and early February, to a huge thaw the last five days to a freeze yesterday and an inch of new snow overnight so I was not sure what I was driving on for roads really and a few times backed up thinking I might get stuck. But then! I found a rough road that cut over to the other section. I looked, then got out of the car and really looked… would you take your car down there? Though look! We had blue skies!!

So I followed some foot prints down the right side of the picture thinking that person was wise because under that snow is ice. And I see that my camera thinks it is yesterday. This adventure was really 2/13/2009. So I followed the footprints and suddenly they went off to the right. I wonder where that person went.

So I walked up into the other side of the cemetery and walked, then walked and once I was to the furthest point from my car I found the Pulteney-in-Glenwood section.

Note.. In the above picture, my camera now seems to know the date.. The power of battery changes *nod*

There are many stones laying flat on the ground, some broken. They all lean in a forward pitch as the back of the stones get the wind. I am so glad they were placed back to the west to preserve the stone face. As you can see standing water was an issue and I could hear the ground working on sucking up the melt off.

And a few stones from this cemetery..

SACRED
TO THE MEMORY OF
MRS. JANET, WIFE OF
GEN. WALTER GRIEVE
NATIVE OF DUMFRIES
SHIRE SCOTLAND
WHO DIED SEPT. 18, 1825.
AGED 48 YEARS (?)

Note: I thought I saw her age as 48 years, then 78 years then again 48 years. Also, her husband, General Walter Grieves was a Revolutionary War Soldier and buried in this cemetery was well but I could not find his stone. Maybe something happened to it and he is next to her. I hope he is, I would have hated to see them separated when their graves were moved. -editors note: I am a hopeless romantic.

CAPT JOHN
SHETHAR
DIED JUNE 19
1835
IN HIS 84TH YEAR

(Capt Shethar was a Revolutionary War Soldier)

And sadness..

IN MEMORY OF
JACOB LARZELERE(?)
WHO DEPARTED
THIS LIFE
JULY 3, 1821
AGED 1 YEAR
7 MONTHS & 4 DAYS

IN MEMORY OF
MARY CAROLINE
WHO DEPARTED
THIS LIFE
MARCH 28, 1826
AGED 1 YEAR
11 MONTHS & 7 DAYS

IN MEMORY OF
ELIAS HARVEY
WHO DEPARTED
THIS LIFE
JULY 18, 1827
AGED 1 YEAR
AND 27 DAYS

CHILDREN OF ELIAS & LUCINDA BEACH

Then one story from the second cemetery visit, Washington Street Cemetery and I will wrap up this post. I have a lot of headstones to post from these two cemeteries in the weeks to come and barely scratched the surface of Washington Street Cemetery.

Washington Street Cemetery is in the middle of Geneva. It is a square and lives in a residential neighborhood and it is an old cemetery. Had a couple very nice finds in here so far but I was getting too cold where a 5 minute break in the warm car was not doing a thing anymore and I gave in before my last set of batteries gave out (see battery story at end).

The cemetery has one grass road that goes down the middle of it and I parked my car and walked in unsure of the driving conditions with the messy weather. I was headed to the south west corner because I felt that was the way I wanted to go but then all of a sudden I was off to the south east, basically I took a sharp left when I was heading a gentle right. I just walked way off my intended path to come upon a stone and I stopped right there and gazed at this white stone. Just a weird little thing, I had no intentions of coming to this side of the cemetery, but there I was so I said to the stone, "Either you wanted me to come here or I watch way too much Ghosthunters." Then proceed to take a snap shot of her grave. She died very young and I did notice she was alone and that her husband's grave never ended up next to her, so I asked, "So, where is the Mister?" To which I got no reply. Perhaps I will find him on my next trip to this cemetery. Right next to her was a family plot which I found interesting. A NY Senator and died at Gettysburg, he will be in the next post. So when I was done in this fenced in plot I ended up back to my new friend. So.. Was it just that it is Friday the 13th? Do I indeed watch Ghosthunters a little bit too much? Or.. Did someone reach out to find a new friend today? Whatever it was, it was nice and she has been heavy on my mind since I saw her stone and perhaps someday I will poke around and find out what happened to her.

SARAH.
WIFE OF
J. B. KETCHUM.
DIED
OCT. 3. 1813.
AGED 26 YEARS.
9 MONTHS.

JESUS CAN MAKE THE DYING BED
FEEL SOFT AS DOWNY PILLOW ARE

WHILE ON HIS BREAST I LAID MY HEAD
AND BREATH MY LIFE OUT SWEETLY THERE

Editor's note: RIP, Sarah Ketchum.

An excerpt from a conversation with myself this morning since my daughter wasn't with me to complain to….

"Ugh, the batteries died" (fishes the extra set from her pocket), "Ugh! Again, guess that makes me done for the day and I will never remember to get this other stone to match this one" (insert grunt here) "What is it with all these batteries dying so fast?" (Checks settings on camera but her daughter is the tech savvy child). "Wait! Look in your purse, you might have an extra pair there.." (Tromps back to car, that is another story of why it is so far away.) "Yay! I did have an extra set and now that I see where I should have been driving in, lets do that now." (Drives over to the correct part of the cemetery. Takes maybe 4 pictures.) "Damit!!!! They are dead already? Maybe these were old batteries that died last time, heh, got extra pics from them anyway!" (keeps thinking she is done for the day!) "Wait.. Didn't I see batteries at the bottom of my purse?" (Back to car but it is very close this time! Scrounges up two batteries and grin, there are four down there but! Has to say to herself…) "Sharon, why do you carry so much crap in this purse!" (No lie, it is big and has to much… "stuff" in it..but hey!! It has batteries! Burns through those 4 happily!! And just when she found a fabulous grave marker…) "UGH!!!! Now I am really done for the day.. And cold too. But wait! I kind of remember putting a pair of batteries in the zipper compartment??????" (Huzzah!! And there they were!!! Back to picture taking!!)

But then… the cold just got too cold, I wore out before the 6th set of batteries!!!

Today's very busy Rabbit wishing you all a very pleasant evening!

Mt Hope Civil War Stones - 2

2009-01-17T12:10:00.000-08:00

I find when I drive now I am always 'scouting' out those tucked away cemeteries. Today I found a rather small cemetery along Route 21 between Canandaigua and Manchester, it is a candidate for some snapshots and postings. The stones look rather tilted so I will have to see if it is a cared for cemetery. Also, a work friend told me about a small cemetery down the way from me that might be interesting as well. I was at the Ontario County Historical Society the other night and there on a shelf in their research room was book upon book of cemeteries. So, plenty of resources are at my fingertips.

This post is two more stones from Mt Hope Cemetery in Rochester, New York:

Fredrick Berghaus

Co M
4 NY Cal
Died Apr 22 1894
Aged 80 YRS

Wm H Hampton
Co E
58th NY Vol
Died June 22 1894
Aged 50 YRS

Yowza, is it cold!

2009-01-17T10:50:00.000-08:00

As my daughter told her boyfriend yesterday, "I am spending quality time with my mother, I am going through a graveyard taking pictures". That made us laugh in the car and she is a good sport about these journeys, I wonder what her boyfriend must think of me! Last August we went to Virginia for a week to go to the State Library in Richmond and stayed in Williamsburg to do all of the historic museums. We had a lot of fun but it was a hot hot August, temps at 100 and daring to creep higher. It was only fitting that I dragged her out on a zero degree day! The weather was 2 degrees and -10 wind chill but I didn't feel it really, for the most part I was very warm but stomping through deep snow does aggravate and already touchy sciatica.

We brought the camera, paper and the voice recorder and listened to our voice recordings from the August trip and laughed at how silly we can be at times. We drove to Mount Hope Cemetery and made our way back to the Civil War section to take snap shots of the stones there. There are 18 rows, we braved the cold through 13 rows so I think we did pretty good. A lot of stones are weather worn and will require rubbing's but that will have to wait for warmer weather. On our way there, those small things came to mind.. we should have brought.. *fill in the blank*, broom was one item to brush off the stones but my snow brush stepped right up to the task once I thought about it at row 10!.

A view from the street, the Civil War section has two canon's, one at each end and that large monument in the center:

See how blue the sky is??? This is a treat for Rochester, we don't get a lot of sun.

The monument, full shot, the plaque shot and the sculpture shot. I can not ever promise that I will be a good photographer.

Even in the dead of winter, this cemetery is still breathtaking. On a two degree day we passed a funeral, two people buried a loved one. Even this cold, this cemetery is populated. A car went zipping by with two dogs chasing it.. an odd way to exercise your dogs!

Across the street is a section for firemen. I am very partial to firemen, they are heroes in my mind, every last one of them. They risk all for us no matter what. My dad was a volunteer fireman for over 30 years. When he died in May of 2007 he was escorted to his final resting spot by one of the departments engines. I still get misty whenever I remember watching the engine pull out, the men in their dress blues, to escort the hearse. I believe this section is reserved for those that died in the line of duty but maybe I shouldn't be quoted on that. I will have to look that up again but think that is correct. Those are stones I will document as well.

The Soldiers:

Wm H DeHart
Co D
28 Penn Vol
Died Jan 19 1894
Aged 55 YRS

Peter Coor
Co K
100 NY Vol
Died Apr 7 1894
Aged 67 YRS

Rummaging

2009-01-11T16:22:00.000-08:00

I keep trying to get myself reorganized to get this family research under way again. I moved, that seemed to just put my focus doing other things than research. I am not knitting very much either so clearly my hobbies are being neglected. Anyway.. I was looking for one thing, then started cleaning out the computer then started on another project but within that I found pictures I took early fall. This is where part of this blog will be focusing. That is the Civil War monument at Mount Hope cemetery and I will be getting over there to take better pictures as soon as the snow cover allows. We have had a lot of snow this winter! The monument is beautiful and I will do it better justice in future posts.

Introduction

2009-01-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

So today we are having this weather event of sorts. An ice storm overnight and today it is just slushy/rainy/icy and a weather warning is in effect until tomorrow at some point. While it messy out now we are supposed to get more snow tonight and more snow tomorrow. Welcome to the area of Rochester, New York on the south shore of Lake Ontario, a very large snow maker when it wants to be. Tromping around cemeteries is not the thing to do on a day like this so I will introduce myself.

My name is Sharon and I have been plugging away at my family history for about twenty five years (off and on) all because my mothers cousin Patsy Louisa Crox Underhill infected me with enthusiasm. Listening to her talk about her research hooked me and I have always been in love with history. I am not great at history but I love it.

I have been living in this area since I was 5 years old when my family moved here from Akron, Ohio. Monroe County is where Rochester sits and for the last 16 years I lived in Wayne County which is directly east and the town I lived in was a 20 minute drive to Rochester. Two months ago I moved to Canandaigua, New York, a very cute and small City and the County seat of Ontario County. I have beeboped through these three counties for much of my life.

I feel that cemeteries are a huge resource and should be preserved in any way possible and so the reason for my addition to The Graveyard Rabbit Association is simply that, cemeteries are a great resource and history.

This past fall I spent a lot of time in Mount Hope Cemetery in Rochester because a friend and I were doing a letter box scavenger hunt. I fell in love with this cemetery. It is old, beautiful and I had not realized that before as I was always there for the purpose to bury someone and was rather focused on the loss, not the beauty of this resting place. This cemetery has famous people like Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglas buried there and Nathaniel Rochester, Rochester's founder is there too.

The history of Mount Home Cemetery from here The Friends of Mount Hope Cemetery. :

"America's First Municipal Victorian CemeteryFormed by glaciers, this cemetery has high hills and deep valleys, winding eskers and almost bottomless kettles. The whole place is a forest of trees, many of them rare and specimen. Since 1838, a third of a million people have taken permanent residence in the cemetery's 197 acres. There are mausoleums dug deep into hillsides and everywhere myriad symbols of Victorian funerary art. In stone and bronze are soaring Egyptian obelisks, miniature Greek temples (one sleeps 20 with a lot of dancing room left over), winged angels of mercy, draped urns and broken columns, Gothic towers, and sculptures of everything from Christian saints to favorite pet dogs. They all gloriously decorate more than 350,000 graves that through the sea of vertical monuments, send a mighty chorus of hope heavenward. In fall and winter, Mount Hope becomes a rookery, and the trees appear to be fully leafed with the black bodies of crows. In summer, a high 1875 Florentine fountain cascades water from lions' mouths down through three basins held up by cast-iron caryatids."

There is a Civil War section of this cemetery and my plan is to
photgraph each stone and post it here. That is a start.

Ontario County has over 200 cemeteries so I think I will be very busy getting out there and bringing these three counties to life by way of tombstones and more.

Let the graveyard hopping begin.

Under Construction

2009-01-05T13:29:00.001-08:00

Soon at a Graveyard near you! One more busy rabbit!