Life From The Roots: Jul 12, 2011

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Tombstone Tuesday -- ROBERT CHAPMAN

Ancient Burying Ground

Hartford, Connecticut

Robert Chapman

Born: September 16, 1646

Died: November 10, 1711

Robert was my 8th great-grandfather.
--------------------

Plaque on a tree at Cypress Cemetery, Saybrook, Connecticut

TO THE
HONOURED MEMORY
OF
ROBERT CHAPMAN (FATHER OF ABOVE ROBERT CHAPMAN)
1612 -- 1887
NATHANIEL CHAPMAN
1653 -- 1726
CALEB CHAPMAN
1706 -- 1785
ELISHA CHAPMAN
1740 -- 1825
GEORGE HENRY CHAPMAN
1789 -- 1877
ROBERT CHAPMAN
1831 -- 1923

SIX PLAIN MEN
WHO FOUNDED AND MAINTAINED IN THIS COMMUNITY A HOME THAT HAS OUTLIVED
THREE CENTURIES HANDING ON FROM FATHER
TO SON AN UNBROKEN TRADITION OF
SERVICE IN CHURCH AND CIVIL STATE

THIS TABLET IS DEDICATED
IN FILIAL GRATITUDE
BY
THEIR CHILDRENS CHILDREN

THE FATHER TO THE CHILDREN SHALL ALL KNOW.

Tombstone Tuesday -- What Would You Do?

My June 7, 2011 post was a request for help. I'd love to have somebody take a photo of my grandparent's graves. This came about because I went through some old correspondence with the cemetery, dated 1998 and 1999. The thought came to my mind, what if I hadn't written the letter, what if I had used email instead and didn't print out the reply. A few what if's, but I'm thinking that is what is happening these days. No hard copies anywhere, and surely none coming in the mail.

Below are two sections of a letter Memorial Park Cemetery sent to me. The first section tells me that William Frederick Poole and Charles Poole are not buried there. When I received that, it was an eye opener and within a few weeks, I discovered where they were. William is buried just 35 miles from me, and Charles is buried in Washington, DC. Both died in Illinois. It is important to not assume where they died, if you don't know for sure.

Then I was informed there were two spaces available in the plot of my grandparents. Both of their children are deceased (my aunt and father), and there are now six grandchildren. Perhaps I read that 12 or so years ago, but I was probably more intent in finding where William and Charles were buried. Now, reading it again, I'm wondering what to do. Perhaps try to contact some of the cousins, we all live in different states, but until I get the addresses, I'll write the cemetery and put in writing that it is my desire to donate the plot.

The letter below proves it is necessary to contact cemeteries when looking for a more recent ancestor's burial. You never know what they have in their files. (I enlarged the print so you could read it easily.)

----------------------