Calvary Cemetary in New York

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deejasmine
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Calvary Cemetary in New York

Post by deejasmine »

I have received my GG-Grandfather's death certificate from the state of NY - Place Of Burial is listed as Calvary. Singulary the largest cemetary in NY with over 3 mil burials - Apparently you can request info on a burial site and there is a cost - I can find no web site for the cemetary and am wondering if anyone has been through this process - looking for some feedback!

Thanks;
Denise
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Tessa78
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Re: Calvary Cemetary in New York

Post by Tessa78 »

Hi Denise :-)

Maybe the "Find a Grave" website will provide what your want...

Here is their link for Calvary Cemetery in Queens County, NY
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cg ... =4&CSst=36&

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amerital43
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Re: Calvary Cemetary in New York

Post by amerital43 »

You might also like to try this link:

http://www.interment.net/data/us/ny/que ... metery.htm

This cemetery is divided into 4 sections with Section 1 being the oldest. It IS a huge place so it is good to know where you're going as there are entrances in other places. To walk through without destination is a very big walk. Good Luck!
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Re: Calvary Cemetary in New York

Post by joegov »

I am new to this site and just saw your post from August... My Grandparents are buried in Calvary and I had very good luck calling the cemetary up for grave information information...if you know the date of death, they can identify the grave...it is a huge cemetary...also, an interesting fact, it is the cemetary used in Godfather I...good luck
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Re: Calvary Cemetary in New York

Post by erudita74 »

My one great grandmother is also buried in Calvary Cemetery, and years ago I also was able to get the exact location of her burial by phoning the cemetery office. I did have her date of death, and date of burial though, from her NYC death record. What I sadly discovered was that she was buried in a potter's field section of the cemetery where there are no headstones. Just a sign near the road, which runs through the cemetery, marks this section in the cemetery. A cousin visited the cemetery and took a photo of this "potter's field" section of the cemetery for me. It looks like a small area in someone's backyard, with just a few trees on the perimeter and the rest is just an open grassy area.

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Re: Calvary Cemetary in New York

Post by gentilejoy@yahoo.com »

My understanding is that if you have the specifics off of the death certificate like the full name and date of death and /or date of burial- you can call the cemetery office for the plot location information. About a year ago, I was able to locate my great-grandmother's grave by calling the cemetery with the information off of the death certificate. Basically, they need the full name and exact date of death. Good Luck, Joy.
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Re: Calvary Cemetary in New York

Post by lilbees »

I recently had a family member write for information from Calvary.

"Calvary Cemetery is a cemetery in Queens, New York City, New York, United States. With more than 3 million burials, it has the largest number of interments of any cemetery in the United States; it is also one of the oldest cemeteries in the United States. It is owned by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York and managed by the Trustees of St. Patrick's Cathedral."

The wrote or called about the Trustees. I do not remember the address or the phone number but they certainly can be some help. One thing the family member learned was that the cost of the information he needed would be a little over $100.00.

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Re: Calvary Cemetary in New York

Post by carmine1917 »

My grandparents are buried in Calvary, as well as other relatives. Also, my cousins great-uncle is in the potters field.

When you call Calvary, they might do one free look up, but when you call give the list of every name you are looking for, because they could be in the same plot, easier for the person to look up. Everything is on microfilm, so the person you speak to has to go and roll up the film. Otherwise they are charging 167.00 for a look up. A lot of people put pictures up on findagrave.

Another way to find the grave location would be to find the death record. NYC Vital records office has death certificates up to 1948 and that is how I find the burial locations for other relatives, it is listed on the death certificates.

There is only 1 flower shop left at Calvary, they are really nice and the prices are reasonable. They will give you a map and will go and place flowers on a grave, they may have access to the microfilms, that was my impression when I went there last time.
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deejasmine
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Re: Calvary Cemetary in New York

Post by deejasmine »

Carmine;
Thank you for the information - can you give me more information on "potters field" - assuming that is for the extensively poor - did they keep records for that area? - are there even markers?

I have his death certificate - but unfortunately the plot information is not listed - just the cemetary name. I will have to call for the free lookup and see if I can get anywhere with that.

Thanks again;
~Denise
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Re: Calvary Cemetary in New York

Post by erudita74 »

deejasmine wrote:Carmine;
Thank you for the information - can you give me more information on "potters field" - assuming that is for the extensively poor - did they keep records for that area? - are there even markers?

I have his death certificate - but unfortunately the plot information is not listed - just the cemetary name. I will have to call for the free lookup and see if I can get anywhere with that.

Thanks again;
~Denise

Denise
The info I got from Calvary concerning my great grandmother's grave in the Potter's Field there is as follows:

3rd Calvary, section 39, range 16, plot M, Grave 1.

I just don't know if there are other potter's field sections in this cemetery. I have never been there. Normally the poor who couldn't afford a burial were buried in a potter's field. Interesting is that her stillborn child, who was born/died three days before her, was buried in the potter's field of City Cemetery, located on Hart Island off of the Long Island Sound (the Bronx). I only know this because I found this info on microfilm. Anyway, my great grandparents were living in Manhattan at the time that my great grandmother died in 1904-and my great grandfather was left with three young girls, including an 18 month old. So I'm sure he didn't have money to bury both his wife and stillborn child. It is my understanding that he would have needed the help of a local priest (financial or otherwise), to have had his wife buried in Calvary rather than in City Cemetery like his stillborn daughter.

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Re: Calvary Cemetary in New York

Post by carmine1917 »

I will look at my map. I am busy this morning, if I don't get back to you, please remind me later. If it is the same, which I am sure it is, my cousin has pictures from last fall, I can send you.
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Re: Calvary Cemetary in New York

Post by sarge736 »

Calvary Cemetery in Queens and the other large cemeteries in Brooklyn and Queens were basically created to re-claim valuable Manhattan real estate.

Before the late 1840's people were buried in Church graveyards or small cemeteries where they lived. Manhattan was quickly running of graves by the 1840's

Real Estate developers also wanted that property. So the City of New York offered the Churches of all denominations free 250 acres of land in the Boroughs of Queens and Brooklyn if they would agree to use them for all burials. Calvary original first 71 acres was originally purchased by St. Patrick's Cathedral. The rest the City gave them. The City thought this was a good deal. But with the building of bridges, invention of the car and the subway going into Queens and Brooklyn in the early 20th Century circa 1910 the Churches made out like bandits. With he subway and the bridges the wastelands of Queens with few inhabitants exploded with new building of towns. So did the Bronx and Brooklyn. By the 1950's river navigation was finished.

In the late 1840's the only way to get a body out of Manhattan was by ferry boat. Traveling on the water was the main means of moving goods. The Ferry Boat business ruled the day. Calvary was accessible by ferryboat from 23rd Street and the East River. It cost an adult seven dollars to be buried there. There were no bridges or tunnels back then. So once the large cemeteries were established if a person died the wake was usually held in the home, often the kitchen. Then the body and casket would be taken by horse drawn wagon to the docks, placed on a ferry which crossed the East River. On the other side the casket would be net by another wagon which would take it to the cemetery, be it Calvary, Lutheran, Evergreen etc. The first Calvary Cemetery burial occurred on July 31, 1848. The name of the deceased was Esther Ennis, who reportedly “died of a broken heart.” By 1852 there were 50 burials a day, half of them poor Irish under seven years of age. In the early 20th century, influenza and tuberculosis epidemics caused a shortage of gravediggers, and people dug graves for their own loved ones. The entire number of interments from the cemetery's opening in August 1848 until January 1898, was 644,761. From January 1898 until 1907 there were about 200,000 interments, thus yielding roughly 850,000 interments at Calvary Cemetery by 1907. Today an estimated 3.5 million people are buried in Calvary Cemetery.

By the 1860's the home wakes started to disappear as Funeral Parlors were opened to handle burials. Although many New York city Funeral Parlors are corporate owned today many date back in families to the 1860's. The Civil War created embalming. The politicians didn't not miss new business being created this and the alliance of funeral parlors/metricizes and poliical legilsastion soon took over.

This sis just a brief history of the huge cemeteries in Queens and Brooklyn.

Originally and since pine boxes were used which deteriorated quickly there was no limit to how many bodies could be placed in a grave. I once found 8 bodies in one grave. The parents and 6 children.

St. John's Cemetery in Queens was once filled with creeks and streams that were re-routed underground to claim the land for a cemetery. But the streams are still down there and many a family has had problems with headstones sinking into the ground. These streams also moved the oak coffins so your relative might not be exactly where they were buried.

FREE LAND - Then the City of New York offered the various churches FREE LAND in Brooklyn and Queens to expand the cemeteries. The Churches could have either 250 cares in Queens or Brooklyn. Now the churches were not stupid. By claiming adjacent 250 acres in Queens and Brooklyn gave then huge 500 acre cemeteries. But why the City did this is quite a story.

To reclaim valuable real estate the City passed legislation with the blessing of the Churches to disinter bodies in entire cemeteries in Manhattan and move the bodies to Queens. For over 10 years City Workers worked on this project. So yes there are Mass Graves in these cemeteries. But they are not Potter field sections. Nobody gets buried in a Queens/Brroklyn Cemetery unless there is a paid for grave. But there are "Charity Graves" where people donated space to the indigent or friends in their graves. "R.C.B." Requested Charity Graves. Especially for children. If a child died Pastors and Priests would ask parishioners if they had a grave. My original paternal GGG Grandfather lost twins at the age of 3 and although they were Catholics those two children are buried in Lutheran Cemetery in Brooklyn in a Charity Grave.

But each City moved grave was recorded in the records of the Queens and Brooklyn Cemeteries. Churches also disinterred bodies from their Church yards. "Private Cemeteries" that had been donated by wealthy families in Long Island communities also used this procedure to reclaim land. This occurred in places like College Point, Queens to re-claim 3 square blocks for housing . St. Michel's Church in Flushing, Long Island developed St. Mary's Cemetery in Flushing and churchyard graves from various Queens Church graveyards were moved.

But Old Calvary, Old Lutheran are beautiful cemeteries. Calvary does tours every spring of Old Calvary 1 and oit is well worth the tour. One has to see the Johnston Family Mausoleum to believe it . It is the highlight of Mausoleum hill in Old Calvary. http://queens.brownstoner.com/wp-conten ... .com-1.jpg

That's a burial crypt not a church. https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2193/2103 ... 5a37c7.jpg
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Re: Calvary Cemetary in New York

Post by sarge736 »

Finding a grave in New York City. The City of New York did not start keeping official records on birth, death and marriage until the late 1850's. Before 1850 you need to find church records. I have never bothered with that. To arduous a process and to much money.

So to find a grave you need to know when your ancestor died. The exact date of death. You call a city cemetery that is not computerizes and few are and ask if John ?smith is buried there they will not help you.

First place to look is at ancestry.com Family Tree page. Yes some trees are fantastically well documented and others are horrible, full of bad information. But if your work has been done or it gives you a hint then sat there.

The check the census for every ten years. If GGG Grandma was alive in 1850-6-70-80 and then you can't find her in 1900 she probably died between 1880 and 1900. Check seniors are not living with children. GG Grandma may be in Manhatan in 1900 and then you find her with a daughter in 1910 in the Bronx.

Death Certificates:
So where do you look. Always start at the Italian Genealogical Group which has many death records in a searchable database. Know your ancestors age and what Borough they lived in to use this site.

Then Family Search.com (it's free)

Ancestry has some City death records up.

Can't find the parents look for a dead child. If the child died before the parents good chance the parents will be in the grave with the child.

Calling a Cemetery. They will usually only verify one name for you. But always ask "Who owns the grave and how many people are in the grave?" Ask if there is a head stone. If there is and you can go visit it's worth the trip. If you find GG Grandma and GG Grandpa purchased the grave good chance he is there also.

Don't waste money. If you find a death certificate at Family Search and the parents names are not listed good chance they are not on the death certificate. Try family search marriage records for parents names. If you have a last name and parents just enter that at Family search. Sometimes all the sibling birth record pop up.

Always check the Census box for number of children born and number of children alive. If the box says 9 born 5 alive you have 4 other children in a grave somewhere,.
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deejasmine
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Re: Calvary Cemetary in New York

Post by deejasmine »

Thank you sarge736 - looks like it's time to re-establish this search!

Since my GG-Grandfather died and buried in 4/1900 I know he wasn't part of the "moved graves" so that is good news! I have been unsuccessful in finding the death certificate for my GG-Grandmother so that may be where I start to see if it has any additional information about the cemetery (let's hope they are together!!) burial info.

I appreciate the push in the right direction! Happy New Year!
~Denise
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Re: Calvary Cemetary in New York

Post by sarge736 »

Use the following free sites to search for deceased ancestors in New York City.

Always start with this group. Italian Genealogical Group. Search the Municipal Archives section. It only gives an index so know the ancestors approximate year of birth and then you have to to the subtraction.

Also good for marriage records in New York City. Search bride or groom and then click onto the bride/groom cross referencing icon.

http://italiangen.org/records-search/deaths.php

It helps if you have found them on census records or other records and therefore you can eliminate those years from a search.

FamilySearch.com


Once you have a Certificate # you can request a Certified copy of a NYC Death record at the Municipal Archives site. Cost is $18.50 for copy and shipping.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/records/html/ar ... logy.shtml

Many of the Catholic Cemeteries in Queens and Brooklyn are putting their records on line. Calvary is not doing that. Never send for a grave record index from Calvary unless you are 100% sure you have located your ancestor's grave. Initial request is $95.00 + $5.00 for every other name in the grave.

But if you are 100% sure you have found a grave in Calvary call them and verify they also have a record of the burial. Ask them who purchased/owns the grave and how many people are in the grave. You may be shocked to find up to 8 bodies in a grave in the 19th Century. You often find children of your ancestors you never knew existed. We found a Great Great Great aunt with 6 of her children buried with her. They all had died before the age of 3. Since they died between the taking of the census there are no records of their existence unless you go into the NYC Municipal Archives and check the birth record index.
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