As genealogist we have questions about our ancestors and we search for the answers. When the answers come, we are happy and we move on to the next question to answer. Every once in a while, we have questions we just can’t seem to find the answer to. The question may continue to gnaw at us even though we know there probably never will be an answer. Why is it that there are some questions that we just can’t let go of? We know realistically that there is so much about our ancestors we will never know but there is that one question that we just can’t let go of! Well, I had such an experience but finally found the answer in the most unusual place. What a sense of relief to finally find the answer to a question that others may never care about but for some unknown reason was very important to me. This was a question about my paternal great grandmother Carrie Terry Warner that I just couldn’t let go of. Where is Carrie’s final resting place?
Known facts:
- Carrie's husband John purchased a cemetery plot on 4 Jun 1902 in the Baiting Hollow Cemetery, Baiting Hollow, New York.
- Carrie Terry Warner (my paternal great grandmother) passed away suddenly on 2 Jun 1910 of Apoplexy.
- According to one of Carrie’s obituaries she was buried on 5 Jun 1902 in the Baiting Hollow Cemetery.
- A few years after Carrie passed her husband moved to a nearby area, Aquebogue, with the younger boys until his passing ten years later in June 1920. There is a cemetery stone in the Aquebogue Cemetery with John and Carrie’s names on it. But a genealogist knows that a cemetery stone doesn’t necessarily mean someone was buried there. After all, Carrie died ten years earlier and was buried in the Baiting Hollow Cemetery.
I have walked the cemetery at Baiting Hollow for years in search of Carrie’s burial spot. In researching the records for the cemetery, I found the records for the older part of the cemetery are gone and Suffolk County maps are not available for the older section of the cemetery either. After reading Carrie’s Letters (see tab marked Carrie’s Letters) over and over as I compiled the book of her letters, I could never accept the fact that her husband John did not put a headstone for his beloved wife at the Baiting Hollow cemetery. So, I continued to search. One day when discussing this with a cousin (also a great grandchild of Carrie’s) I heard a family story. The story was that John wanted to have Carrie’s body moved to the Aquebogue Cemetery, close to where he lived, but when they went to move her coffin there was nothing left to move. I just couldn't let this end without confirmation so I continued to research. Family stories may not be exactly true but usually there is at least a thread of truth in the story that has been passed down. Could a body/coffin be moved in the early 1900s, if so, what did it take? I learned there would have to be a court order even then. So, I searched and still found nothing…until recently.
Another cousin of mine (also a
great grandchild of Carrie’s) happens to own a local tombstone business in the
town I grew up in and where my paternal ancestral line lived for hundreds of
years. While we were talking one day
about the business, he happened to mention that he had found old ledgers at the
business, upstairs in an attic, left from the previous owner’s time. He said along with orders for tombstones
there were drawings of tombstones. WOW!!
I’m sure you can imagine my excitement about the value of such ledgers for
genealogical reasons. Imagine some of
the old tombstones that are unreadable.
Perhaps in these ledgers there would be the answers to reading old
tombstones. Could I possibly learn
anything about my ancestors from these ledgers?
Yes, it can be difficult
to be a cousin of mine when I am on a mission and I think they might be able to
help me. I asked my cousin if I could
look at the ledgers because I had some family questions I was hoping to find
the answers to. I tried to be very
patient waiting for him to have the time to get the ledgers down when I was in town and allow me
to see them. Finally, the day came when
he said he had pulled some of the ledgers for me and he found some things (and
he marked the pages even) he thought I’d be interested in. And oh, my goodness what a find!
More to follow in Part 2 of this story. See tab on Home page marked Carrie’s Letters for additional stories about Carrie.
If you have any corrections or
additions or stories to share, I look forward to hearing them.
Enjoy the journey,
Debby
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