Cemetery research and compulsiveness

Many of the questions directed at me involve finding where an ancestor might be buried in Minnesota. "Where would my great-great-grandmother be buried?" While that may sound relatively simple, finding the right cemetery and analyzing all the available information can require dogged research. Lots of us are hooked on cemeteries, love to walk them looking for ancestors, and volunteer for them in some capacity. I've done it all!

Questions about cemetery record transcriptions came up as I was preparing the September 2009 issue of the Minnesota Genealogical Journal, I found some Quartermaster record books in the National Archives microfilm for Fort Snelling. (The September 2009 issue has an article about the cemetery there, and transcriptions of the records.) Fort Snelling was built circa 1820, in an extremely strategic location. It was built where what is now the Minnesota River from the western part of Minnesota pours into the Mississippi River. Years ago, far more than I want to admit, I checked out the burials where Rev. Ezekiel Gear officiated. Besides serving as chaplain at the fort, he also served settlers at Christ Church Episcopal, in St. Paul. That congregation had its own cemetery at the time. The cemetery became a part of what is now Oakland Cemetery, the oldest and largest non-denominational cemetery in St. Paul, founded in 1853.

I was Publications Chair for the Minnesota Genealogical Society, and we had a volunteer who offered to help put together records for Oakland Cemetery. Because I'm compulsive, especially when it comes to understanding the context of what I'm working on, I decided to look at both the records kept by the congregation and those kept at the fort while the early cemetery interment records were transcribed.

One might imagine that the records, at least for the Episcopalians, would match up. They didn't. I could understand that non-Episcopalians would be buried at the Fort or in other places. But during Gear's time as Army chaplain, there were some that showed up in only one of the three places, others that showed up in two, along with some that were in all three. All three sets were original records, kept at the time of death/burial, and yet there were differences!

That discovery, combined with my experience in Maine with multiple transcriptions for my husband's family, convinced me that it was very unlikely that I would ever be able to 'finish' my family research. There would always be more to do, more brick walls, etc. to accompany the never ending multiplication of ancestors. I realized that people make mistakes; people don't always follow through on what they are supposed to do; people misunderstand, misread, misidentify, and set those of us who follow up for chasing the wrong path. It's not intentional, but sometimes those little discrepancies among sources open up fascinating new possibilities.

My latest research note goes through some of the analysis steps for finding the right cemetery, and a couple of the available resources that can help. Sometimes, especially for family, old or abandoned cemeteries, a researcher is dependent on other people's transcriptions. Perhaps the only grave marker was made of wood. Even stones can be damaged or just wear away with time and not photo exists. Vandals can help that process along, too. Finding multiple transcriptions for the same burials was an eye-opener in my research process. More than anything else, it showed me the benefit of a friend's instruction: "Turn over every rock when doing your research. You never know what you may find." Compulsiveness can be good!

Forest Lawn Cemetery tour (Ramsey County)

The Forest Lawn Cemetery is located at 1800 Edgerton Street, just south of Minnesota Hwy. 36 in Maplewood. It is relatively small, especially compared to the enormous Calvary and Oakland cemeteries, both in St. Paul. But in terms of beautiful tombstones, it's one of the nicest in the area. Established in 1893, there are about 15,000 burials, many of which have unique artistic Victorian-era stones.

On Saturday, June 13, 2009 at 1 p.m., the Maplewood Area Historical Society is sponsoring a guided walking tour, titled "Cemetery Symbols and Superstitions." Ever wondered about the use of anchors on stones in Minnesota, far from the ocean? Or why some are tree trunks and others stumps? Here's your chance! The beliefs and superstitions behind those symbols will be explained, and costumed characters reminiscing about their lives will appear.

Advance reservations are $6, and should be mailed directly to Forest Lawn Cemetery, 1800 Edgerton St., Maplewood, MN 55117. Registration the day of the tour will be $8. This is a fund raiser for the Society.