To genealogists, cemeteries are repositories of much more
than bodies. In fact, cemeteries may hold information on tombstones and in
sexton records (if we’re really lucky) that gives us parents’ names and dates
of birth and death or other details on those buried there.
To get the most out of a trip to an ancestral cemetery, one
needs a little bit of “cemetery savvy” which I described in a posting of Feb22, 2012. I covered points such as at-home preparation through studying
websites and calling the cemetery or sexton’s office for information. This
communication may help you learn a lot about exactly where your ancestor is
buried and if there are any burial cards available to tell who bought the grave
lot. Also in that posting, I linked to a website which gives instructions on
the do’s and don’ts of tombstone cleaning.
Before I came to Chicago on my September 2012 research trip,
I had found a map of Calvary Cemetery online, and I had talked a few times with
both members of the staff, John F. Geary and Thomas J. Berry. I called before I
left to let them know I was coming.
Also I was fortunate to have met Craig Pfannkuche, a genealogist steeped in Chicago history,
through the Newberry Library’s listing of Chicago area researchers.
Craig had done some on-the-ground research for me in Chicago records a few
years ago. Now it was my opportunity to meet him in person. As a true lover of
Chicago and its rich past, Craig offered to be my guide to Calvary and any
other place in the city.
Photo taken by Bert Schuster 9/24/2012 |
Well, the big day finally came. I was so excited to be
standing in front of the Calvary Cemetery Office, wearing my backpack filled
with tombstone cleaning supplies. So many times I had pictured
myself right here, at the edge of the cemetery, ready to find the grave of
Patrick William Kearney, the
brother of my great grandmother, Mary Kearney Kries Lauer.
Photo taken by Pat Spears 9/24/2012 |
Photo courtesy of Calvary Cemetery |
Our first step was to say hello to Tom Berry who
was on duty the morning of our visit. He directed Craig, my husband Bert, and me
to the kiosk which houses a computer database that gives
grave location information. All you have to do is key in your
ancestor’s name, and a cemetery map comes up with a diagram of the grave
location for this person. I put in the name of Patrick William Kearney and printed
out the map. Then we headed to Section H, Block 25, Lot 191.
Photo taken by Bert Schuster 9/24/2012 |
Patrick William Kearney gravesite, Calvary Cemetery |
Our next stop was to visit the grave site of the Sweeney/Brookins/Dinan
family, a collateral group in the Kearney/Carney network of friends, associates and
neighbors. It took a little longer to find the family plot as there were so
many tombstones in Section U, Lot S18. Unfortunately there was only one marker
for this group of eleven family members.
This
marker was barely visible under the grass that had grown over it and the hard
clumps of dirt that clung to the grass. And here is where I learned that I
needed to bring yet another tool to the cemetery:
Craig was on his knees, busily pulling aside grass and brushing dirt away so that we could more easily read the marker.
At last, we could make out the inscription: Ida M. Schuerman and Walter C. Schuerman.
I believe that Ida was the granddaughter of Catherine Sweeney Brookins Dinan. Catherine was one of the baptismal sponsors, along with her son Charles Dinan, for my great grandmother’s first child, Henrietta Kreis.
Craig was on his knees, busily pulling aside grass and brushing dirt away so that we could more easily read the marker.
Photo taken by Bert Schuster 9/24/2012 |
At last, we could make out the inscription: Ida M. Schuerman and Walter C. Schuerman.
Photo taken by Bert Schuster 9/24/2012 |
I believe that Ida was the granddaughter of Catherine Sweeney Brookins Dinan. Catherine was one of the baptismal sponsors, along with her son Charles Dinan, for my great grandmother’s first child, Henrietta Kreis.
And so ended our day at the cemetery. We had talked first with the staff
of the
cemetery who had given me much information over the years before my visit. We
had printed out maps from a new technology
-- the kiosk -- available at Chicago Catholic cemeteries. Using the
maps, we had found one unmarked grave for an ancestor and a marked grave for a
collateral family member. And best of all, I had reaped the benefits of having
a local person, Craig, show us around the cemetery.
Photo taken by Pat Spears 9/24/2012 |