Visiting Older Cemeteries

Since my recent genealogy research trip took me to some older cemeteries, I thought I would share with you some things I learned.

First of all, be prepared to spend a LOT of time (read that as hours) at EACH cemetery. Older cemeteries do not have offices you can visit to ask questions, therefore cannot provide maps of the lot or grave layouts.

Second, the stones are not laid out in even rows and all stones do not face the same direction. This makes it very difficult to walk the rows to read stones.

Third, many of the older stones have deteriorated a great deal and are unreadable, are broken and incomplete, or they are just plain missing.

For one of the cemeteries I was visiting I had found a listing on-line at the County page. It gave the row or section of the cemetery where my ancestors were buried. However, when I got there I discovered the problems listed above, plus there was no way to distinguish the sections. So my daughter and I had to walk the whole cemetery to try and find my ancestors. We found some, but not all that were supposed to be there.

The second cemetery we visited was pretty much the same experience, except I did not have a listing that showed rows or sections, only names. This time I played it smarter and only headed toward the older looking stones. It still involved a great deal of walking and looking. I was about ready to give up finding anything when I practically fell over what I was looking for.

We had planned on visiting 4 cemeteries that day - only made it to 2 of them. We also had planned on spending 3 days visiting 7 to 8 cemeteries, never made it past the first day. The weather was horrible - severe wind and rain kept us in the hotel the other 2 days. Not a completely wasted trip but disappointing just the same.

So Number Four on the list would be to check the weather for the area you are going to before you finalize your plans. If the weatherman say storms are heading that way in a few days, stay home. We had beautiful sunny days driving out to the cemeteries and again driving home. Sometimes you just can't count on the weather staying nice!

The following two gravestones are at the Holy Sepulchre Cemetery (see previous postings) and are for my husband's family.

This stone is in Section 12, Range 10, Lot 44

Mother: K. Stolzer 1890-1918

Father: A. Stolzer 1863-1934

(Note: The Stolzers were my husband's great grandparents - Katherine (Kern)& Andrew)


This stone is flat in the ground in Section 1, Range 5, Lot 38. I do not know the person engraved on the stone (Isabella Friel) but there are 3 burials in the cemetery's records: William Carroll 12/28/1900 age 11 yrs.; William Carroll 1/28/1908 age 3 yrs.; Nora Walsh 11/18/07.

These two gravestones are at the Holy Sepulchre Cemetery (see previous posting) and sit side by side.

PETERS
Jacob - 1886-1929
Mary K. - 1888-1947
Mary Walsh - 1911-1960

(Note: Mary Walsh is the daughter of Jacob and Mary K. Peters)

HARE
Catherine M. - 1908-1970
Joseph T. - 1899-1977

(Note: Catherine M. Hare is the daughter of Jacob and Mary K. Peters)

Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Montgomery County, PA

Sign at entrance to Holy Sepulchre Cemetery on Cheltenham Avenue in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

Walsh family gravestone located in Section 18, Range 5, Lot 14. At time of visit in July of 1998, this lot had three Graves with a total of 9 spaces.

Grave 1 included the following:

• 1F - Mary Walsh, born April 29, 1927, interred February 2, 1929
• 1/6 - Ann A. Campbell, born October 8, 1906, died January 29, 1995, interred February 3, 1995
• 1/8 - James J. Walsh, Jr., born November 24, 1904, died August 16, 1957, interred August 21, 1957
• 1/9 - James Walsh, born June 13, 1928, interred January 29, 1929.

Grave 2 included the following:

• 3C - Julia P. Walsh, born December 27, 1905, interred May 12, 1990
• 3/6 - Margaret M. Shuman, born August 28, 1929, died June 18, 1989, interred June 23, 1989
• 3/8 - James J. Walsh, Sr., born November 19, 1884, died February 15, 1962, interred February 19, 1962

Grave 3 included the following:

• CR/6 - Elsie Murray, interred August 18, 1931
• CR/8 - Rose E. Walsh, born 1886, died July 31, 1926, interred August 4, 1926

I will be away from my computer for about a week doing genealogical research in cemeteries. Hope to come back with lots more information on my ancestors, as well as pictures.

Look for my next posting around the 22nd of October.

If there is some information on a particular relative you are looking for that might connect with one of my lines, please contact me through my email link under my Profile. I am always willing to share information.

Map of Caledonia Cemetery, Sparta, Illinois

The Caledonia Cemetery is located about 1/2 mile east of the town of Sparta on State Route 154, in Randolph County, Illinois. The upper end of the cemetery is bordered by East Mound Street.

Hill Prairie Cemetery, Sparta, Randolph County, Illinois

Samuel W. Lyons
Died Apr. 2, 1862
Aged 19 yrs. 7 ms. 10 ds.

Note: Samuel W. is the son of Robert W. and Bithiak (Patterson) Lyons





Renwick S.
Son of
R.W. & M.A. Lyons
Died Aug. 16, 1861
Aged 1 yr. 5 ms.

Note: Renwick is the son of Robert W. and Mary Ann (Kinkead) Lyons.