My Tombstone Collection: June 2009

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Tombstone Tuesday - Fritts Headstone

Tranquility Cemetery
Kennedy Road and Maple Lane
Green Township, New Jersey
07879

Tombstone Tuesday - Fritts, Mary S. Rose

Mary S. Rose
Wife of
Carmin P. Fritts
Oct. 28, 1879 - Aug. 26, 1948

Tranquility Cemetery
Kennedy Road and Maple Lane
Green Township, New Jersey
07879

Tombstone Tuesday - Kerr, Herbert H.

Herbert H.Kerr
Aug. 13, 1905 - May 15, 1986

Tranquility Cemetery
Kennedy Road and Maple Lane
Green Township, New Jersey
07879

Tombstone Tuesday - Kerr, Edna F. Fritts

Edna F. Fritts
Wife Of
Herbert H. Kerr
Sept. 5, 1906 - May 19, 1965

Tranquility Cemetery
Kennedy Road and Maple Lane
Green Township, New Jersey
07879

Tombstone Tuesday - Fritts, Carmin P

Carmin P. Fritts
Aug. 16, 1975 - Jan. 11, 1951

Tranquility Cemetery
Kennedy Road and Maple Lane
Green Township, New Jersey
07879

Tombstone Tuesday - McNear, Alberta M. Erbach

Alberta M. Erbach
wife of
Harold T. McNear
1906 - 1984

Tranquility Cemetery
Kennedy Road and Maple Lane
Green Township, New Jersey
07879

Tombstone Tuesday - Erbach, Albert V.

Albert V. Erbach
1878 - 1941

Tranquility Cemetery
Kennedy Road and Maple Lane
Green Township, New Jersey
07879

Tombstone Tuesday - Erbach, Nora M Dunn

Nora M. Dunn
Wife of
Albert V. Erback
1881 - 1953

Tranquility Cemetery
Kennedy Road and Maple Lane
Green Township, New Jersey
07879

Tombstone Tuesday - Tranquality Cemetery, Green Township, New Jersey

Tranquility Cemetery
Kennedy Road and Maple Lane
Green Township, New Jersey
07879

Green Township
http://www.greentwp.com/

Interactive map and GPS data:
GPS Coordinates: Latitude: 40.94924, Longitude: -74.80394

Intersection of Kennedy Road and Maple Lane

Cemetery Transcripts
http://www.sussexcountyhistory.org/pascal/Tranqudx.html

Headstones - Iconography and Symbolism

In looking through some old bookmarks in my browser, I re-discovered a list from Cyndislist that has a really great list of links to websites that discuss Iconography and Symbolism. This list can be found here http://www.cyndislist.com/cemetery.htm#Iconography. Rather then reinventing this list, a summary is here.

Iconograph; Symbolism

Cemeteries and Cemetery Symbols
Exploring the meaning of cemetery symbols and other graveyard mysteries. For genealogy sleuths, taphophiles and goth kids.
Cemetery Iconography
Article by George G. Morgan.
Emblems of Belief
Emblems shown on veterans gravestones and what church they belong to.
Forgotten Faces: A Window into our Immigrant Past
Forgotten Faces is the first book and site to present collections of early 20th Century Photo-Ceramic Memorial Portraits on tombstones. It explores early memorial portraiture as an art form and as valued historical artifact. It presents the unique beauty of this funerary art as related to immigrant traditions at the turn of the 20th century.
Headstone Abbreviations
Kolel: Reb on the Web Archives
Why stones or pebbles are placed on Jewish tombstones.
Monument Emblem Index
An index of images of some emblems engraved by stonecutters on headstones.
Monument Typology and Grave Markers
Mourning Matters
Educational & special programs dedicated to Victorian mourning.
- Grave Marker Symbols
- Widow's Weeds
  Mourning fashions of the Victorian era.
The Olive Tree Genealogy: Graven Images
Describes the symbolism of motifs on gravestones - from The Olive Tree.
The Olive Tree Genealogy: Grave Symbols
Describes the symbolism of motifs on gravestones.
Taphophilia.com
Thanatology and taphophile issues, cemetery, funeral industry and death related news.
- Taphophilia.com: Encyclopedia
  - Death/Funeral Industry Terms
  - Symbolism found on Memorial Art
How to Read a Hebrew Tombstone
Information on reading Hebrew tombstones, including the Jewish calendar, numbers, common phrases, and special symbols.
International Black Sheep Society / Grave Marker Acronyms
Welsh Words and Phrases on Gravestones
Why Do Jews Put Stones On Tombstones?

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Headstone - Symbols

With the encouragement from some friends, I will be posting some images of headstones and will attempt to provide some information as to what the symbol on the headstone is all about. The pictures using the "Symbol" TAG will not include genealogy information, though there may be some. The cemetery where the image can be found will be included in the TAG for the Blog entry .

There are many other websites and bloggers who have done this, and links will be provided along the way.

A group of Genealogists who are active in "Second Life", and online community, have been building, within Second Life, resources for genealogists. The Tag "Symbols", on this Blog will be used as a reference for the Second Life community.

For further information on this, please check out:

Second Life

and search for Genealogy, Family History, Live Roots, to mention a few.

Within Second Life, there are scheduled Online Chats and presentations by genealogists, including an open forum to help some of us 'unwind'.

Enjoy.

Headstones - Hearts

While taking pictures in the Union Cemetery, Hackettstown, New Jersey, for this Blog, a couple of similar headstones were easy to spot. They were not all together, but around this cemetery

Union Cemetery
Mountain Avenue
Hackettstown, NJ 07840

(908) 852-3800

Headstones - Occupations

Various Occupations reflected on Headstones

Not knowing that family, it would appear that the there is Church related occupation

The Donaldson's have a family farm, just outside of Hackettstown, in Mansfield Township

Not knowing this family, but this headstone is in the shape of a tree trunk.

Must be a golfer. Right across the street from this cemetery is a Golf Driving Range that is very near to a Golf Course.

Union Cemetery
Mountain Avenue
Hackettstown, NJ 07840

(908) 852-3800

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Mapping Your Route

The Hooked on Ancestry group on Facebook posted this message to the group:

Mapping Your Route:

When you’re visiting an ancestral hometown, you’ll want to map out cemeteries, churches and other locations you’d like to visit. Online mapping services like MapQuest (http://email.ancestry.com/cgi-bin13/DM/y/n5x50ZPyZl0HHn0Lt0Gs) or GoogleMaps (http://email.ancestry.com/cgi-bin13/DM/y/n5x50ZPyZl0HHn0joL0GZ) can help with this. For some features, you may want to try the U.S. Geological Service’s Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).

Don’t overlook the local municipality websites for other interesting information about the area. They may have detailed local maps and other helpful information for planning your trip.

I use Outlook to track the Cemeteries that I have visited or plan to visit. In the blog entry:

Tombstone Tuesday and Find-A-Grave Follow Up

I talked about what I track in EXCEL, but I also record the information in Microsoft Outlook. Most of the information on a cemetery that you will find on this Blog, under the Cemetery Listing and what I would post on Find-A-Grave I put in outlook. The nice thing is the there is a Mapping Feature built into it. so the direction are easy to optain and print. The information on that Cemetery can also be printed directly from Outlook. I put this into my Cemetery Notebook.

Before I go visit a cemetery, I make sure that Outlook is up to date, I have directions and a print out from EXCEL to see who I already have and any notation that I might want to re-take a picture.

I then make a list minute check at Find-A-Grave to get a list of internments and any photo requests that might be listed there. At this point, I don't "claim" the assignment, but will do that if I am able to find the headstone requested.

If the town that I am visiting has any local Church, Historical Society, Library with a Genealogy section, that might be of interest, I enter that into Outlook as well and print what I need. The printed paper lets me "take notes".

Just a couple of thoughts on planning a research trip.

Cemetery Visit Planning

The Mapping Your Route question fit right in to an Online Chat that a number of us participate it. All that were on the chat agreed that the online discussion could be posted on Second Life.

This past week (Tuesday Evening, June 2th) the Just Genealogy Second Life group had an online Chat on Cemeteries.

I lead the Chat and thought I would summarize the Chat, based on the format that I used to expand on what to consider when preparing for a Cemetery Visit.

As the group was gathering, another member of the Chat asked this question:

Did you know we have a name for what we are?

Taphophilia.

ORIGIN:

From the Greek words taphos, meaning "tomb" or "sepulcher" and philia, meaning "attraction or affinity to something, in particular the love or obsession with something"

Before I get to far I should note that I am new at this, so please bear with me as we Chat about Cemeteries and Genealogy. What I hope to do, this evening, is to post some questions, then Chat about them for a few minutes. I will post some websites for you to look at along the way. I am NOT an expert, but a learner

If you want to find a little more about me, The Graveyard Rabbit Association posted some information here:

http://www.thegraveyardrabbit.com/2009/05/meet-russ-worthington-author-of-my.html

1 - What do you do on a cemetery visit?

Photograph
Sweat :)
Weep?
Walk a lot
Pause for a Vet
Go through the records. If I am able to get there to do anything

2 - What do you take with you?

Spray bottle, towel
Camera - Some mentioned Digital others mentioned Film
One even mentioned Black and White file for a historical society
Photos
Brush
Foil
Take away trach if I find it
Insect repellent
Light weight paper and pencil for possible rubbings
Notebook
Money to pay for any copies
Sheets of paper and charcoal
Mini tape recorder
Antihistamine
Pruning shears, to cut back the overgrown plants
Cell Phone or Walkie-Talkie

3 - How do you record information?

Paper and Pencil / Pen
Mini recorder
Lots of Pictures - many of the same headstone for best use of shadows

4 - How do you share information found?

One has a very large cemetery / headstone database, so "My dbase" about 10 gigs
findagrave.com
interment.net
USGenweb has a cemetery transcription project

5 - What do you do with the information that is found?

Transcribe
Check facts
Birth and death dates
Relationships
Veteran status
Symbols
Firefighers, Police, Military

6 - Would like to talk a little about Headstone Maintenance

One of the GYR (Grave Yard Rabbits) posted a blog about this
The Blog is: The Peripatetic Graveyard Rabbit by Craig Manson
Another has to do with Sandstone Headstones: Don't Rub Sandstone
The Blog is here:
There are some Headstone Photos post on the http://brickwalls.ning.com/photo website
Dick Eastman had a show on Rootstelevision recently

7 - What Tricks do you use to capture the information that you want?

Tin foil to bring out the inscriptions on a very worn stone
Water and a Soft Brush
Piece of cardboard wrapped in (cheap) foil. Impromptu mirror for throwing light into shadows
Foil - Gently wrap it around the stone and press into the carving

8- Some Resources