Are you a fan of Find-A-Grave?
Then come join our own Bill O’Neil for his take on providing you an illuminating overview of
graveyards and markers, along with his own personal stories of genealogy
discovery, as well as an exploration of the variety of available death-related
documents. Bill's talk will include images of interesting
tombstones from some of his favorite haunts.
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| Bill O'Neil photo courtesy of Jane Knowles Lindsey |
I asked Bill why
cemeteries are such a rich source of material when looking for our ancestors,
as well as the potential pitfalls to be aware of and he explained, “I get records from the
cemeteries and their custodians much of the time, but sometimes they will not
let you see the records because they plot is not fully paid for.”
Sometimes a cemetery can potentially
create a family controversy. Bill
describes one such event, “My cousin sent me a photo of the O’Neil tombstone in
Scotland. She didn’t know the last listed person and assumed that this woman
might have been someone’s mistress because her maiden name was on the stone.
She wasn’t. She was a great, great-grandmother, Mary McIver. In typical
Scottish tradition, I knew that all of the women were listed on the headstones
by their married names and as “wife of’”, yet there was no husband listed
for Mary McIver (my great, great-grandmother). However, obituaries in Scotland
list both the maiden and married names---so that’s how we knew there was no controversy.”
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Funny
things also happen when dealing with cemeteries. Bill said, “I sent a request to the Oakland
Cemetery in Little Falls, MN. It was returned with the following comment":
“ALL DECEASED R(eturn) T(o) S(ender)”
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Lastly, I asked what drew
Bill to cemeteries. He said, “I don’t
really know why they fascinate me, but in addition to the obvious cemetery
documentation that’s available, you can learn more about your relatives just by
observing how their markers were decorated. Were they simple, fanciful, or
morbid? In an odd way, observing how your
loved ones were treated in death actually helps you understand how the family
felt about them when they were alive.”
In Bill’s opinion, “the
bottom line is that the cemetery is the starting point for finding out about
your ancestors”.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Bill O'Neil is a retired high school art teacher who loves
books and cemeteries. He is the chair of the California Genealogical Society
Book Repair Committee. Bill has been researching his family genealogy for over
twenty years.
How do I sign-up?
Pre-registration
is required, but class size is limited so register now.
Are
you a CGS member? Then admission is free.
Not
a member? That’s fine, but the fee is
$30.00 and can be applied towards a new one year CGS membership ($40) the day
of the class.
Bill has a treasure trove
of stories and anecdotes that he can’t wait to share with you. Join him and learn what makes a cemetery a
fascinating place to discover clues about your ancestors.
Copyright © 2016 by California Genealogical Society
