http://www.newsday.com/extras/lihistory/5/hs517a.htm My GG Father's headstone at Calvary in Queens, NY looks like the tall gray stones in the picture in the above link. He died in 1880 and I am trying to determine if it was placed after his death or is the stone too new and was erected years after his burial. Are those stones from the 1880s or some time after?

"Rob Flanagan Stieglitz" <[email protected]> a écrit dans le message de news:[email protected] > http://www.newsday.com/extras/lihistory/5/hs517a.htm > > My GG Father's headstone at Calvary in Queens, NY looks like the tall > gray stones in the picture in the above link. > He died in 1880 and I am trying to determine if it was placed after > his death or is the stone too new and was erected years after his > burial. Are those stones from the 1880s or some time after? Bonsoir, I have seen stones in the Montréal Côte-des-Neiges Cemetery for the same period, but only for a group of firemen or very rich persons. R. Ouimet

Rob Flanagan Stieglitz wrote: > http://www.newsday.com/extras/lihistory/5/hs517a.htm > > My GG Father's headstone at Calvary in Queens, NY looks like the tall > gray stones in the picture in the above link. > He died in 1880 and I am trying to determine if it was placed after > his death or is the stone too new and was erected years after his > burial. Are those stones from the 1880s or some time after? If you're talking about the tall obelisques in the background -- most of the ones I've seen (and that I remember the dates from!) were in the 1860s and '70s. If you're talking about the shorter stone in the foreground with the cross on top, the date is abt right. You mention later in the thread that your people were poor -- note that in the 1880s, there were quite a few groups that would today be referred to as "affinity groups" (fireman, street-sweepers, milk-men, etc) who had benevolent funds to cover "final expenses". Have you visited The Political Graveyard and looked at the stones pictures there? No, there aren't a lot, but a few and it might help. Cheryl

If you're talking about the shorter stone in the > foreground with the cross on top, the date is abt right. > > You mention later in the thread that your people were poor -- note that > in the 1880s, there were quite a few groups that would today be referred > to as "affinity groups" (fireman, street-sweepers, milk-men, etc) who > had benevolent funds to cover "final expenses". > Cheryl, It is the headstone in the foreground with the cross on top. My GG GF was a Coachman and did not work for the city. Although he had taken on another job with a friend on June 28, 1880. They were picking up lumber and traveling on the Steamer Seawanhaka. The Sewanhaka was passing through an area on the East River called Little Hellgate. The boiler on the ship exploded and both my gg gf and his friend (along with 40 passenegers) were killed. The deaths were either by drowning or burning. The ship was run agound and completely burned. It was front page news in the NY Times and also found in Harper's Weekly. May be the city helped out with the funerals? Rob

Rob Flanagan Stieglitz wrote: > If you're talking about the shorter stone in the > >>foreground with the cross on top, the date is abt right. >> >>You mention later in the thread that your people were poor -- note that >>in the 1880s, there were quite a few groups that would today be referred >>to as "affinity groups" (fireman, street-sweepers, milk-men, etc) who >>had benevolent funds to cover "final expenses". >> > > Cheryl, > > It is the headstone in the foreground with the cross on top. > > My GG GF was a Coachman and did not work for the city. Although he > had taken on another job with a friend on June 28, 1880. They were > picking up lumber and traveling on the Steamer Seawanhaka. The > Sewanhaka was passing through an area on the East River called Little > Hellgate. The boiler on the ship exploded and both my gg gf and his > friend (along with 40 passenegers) were killed. The deaths were > either by drowning or burning. The ship was run agound and completely > burned. It was front page news in the NY Times and also found in > Harper's Weekly. May be the city helped out with the funerals? > > Rob The 1880s weren't known for their progressive labor policies (g), so it's unlikely the Steamer company helped out; no good reason for the city to help out; POSSIBLE that public contributions for the "victims' families" occurred. The benevolent associations could have been "Irish Catholics", "Polish Protestants", "people from Dry-Prong Germany", "Graduates of PS 49", "we all work as harness-makers" -- anything of that nature. OTOH, his wife's brother's wife's uncle might have been a stone-mason? Cheryl

"Rob Flanagan Stieglitz" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected] > If you're talking about the shorter stone in the > > foreground with the cross on top, the date is abt right. > > > > You mention later in the thread that your people were poor -- note that > > in the 1880s, there were quite a few groups that would today be referred > > to as "affinity groups" (fireman, street-sweepers, milk-men, etc) who > > had benevolent funds to cover "final expenses". > > > Cheryl, > > It is the headstone in the foreground with the cross on top. > > My GG GF was a Coachman and did not work for the city. Although he > had taken on another job with a friend on June 28, 1880. They were > picking up lumber and traveling on the Steamer Seawanhaka. The > Sewanhaka was passing through an area on the East River called Little > Hellgate. The boiler on the ship exploded and both my gg gf and his > friend (along with 40 passenegers) were killed. The deaths were > either by drowning or burning. The ship was run agound and completely > burned. It was front page news in the NY Times and also found in > Harper's Weekly. May be the city helped out with the funerals? > Yes of course, and/or private donors certainly would.