Pam, I have to share with you and everyone a comment that was made to me by a staff member at a huge cemetery which is just a few blocks west of St. John's. I was trying to help someone online find their family in this cemetery. The person there was nice and tried to help as much as possible but said "I really shouldn't be doing this without charging you. The owners don't want us to get involved in 'this genealogy business'. We're supposed to charge you a dollar for every page we copy because we just don't have time for this". Excuse me???????? I'm sure they don't have time for it but if that's the case, they need to turn their records over to someone, like me, that would gladly start the process of documenting everything online so Tate <ptated1@yahoo.com> wrote: Thanks so much for your interest, Pat. And, yes, this is frustrating. We have more than forty members of our family buried at St. John's Cemetery. We are losing headstones and the cemetery has no records...It is awful. I thank you for you contact information. I will be in touch with them. I found several books they have published on local cemeteries this week. At least they are trying...Unlike those businesses that get paid to care for our cemeteries. What a paradox! Thanks so much, Pamela Tate Pat Williams wrote: I completely understand your frustration, however, my understanding is that this message board is exactly that. There is no guarantee that members of the Wyandotte County Genealogical Society will see your post. Many of the people who belong and post are from other states and outlying areas. The address of the Wyandotte County Genealogical Society is: Wyandotte County Genealogy Society PO BOX 4228 Kansas City, KS 66104-0228 You might also let the Wyandotte County Museum and genealogical center with the Trowbridge Library know about your problems. They have a county historian employed. http://www.wycokck.org/gen/wyco_generated_pages/Historical_Museum_m386.html info@wycokck.org Unfortunately, your findings at the Catholic Cemetery are not unusual. I have the same issues in dealing with parishes in Iowa. There are also many old cemeteries in Wyandotte County that are maintained by the Parks Department and are being lost to vandalism and neglect. Good luck! Patricia Williams On 5/15/07, Tate wrote: > > For more than a year now my efforts to identify a grave with a missing > headstone in our family plot has proven unproductive. > > I have found that the miserable state of cemetery records are common place > even in the Catholic Church. At St. John's Cemetery, Catholic Cemeteries > has no idea who is buried where...and the agency Director, Robert Chenoweth, > discourages the research efforts of his staff and deliberately roadblocks > our family efforts. > > The Archdiocese office has little time to attend such matters. Father > Horvat of the parish office at St. Anthony's and St. Mary's parish records > has no burial records from St. Marys...though he has been most kind. So, > Church records have not proven helpful either. > > I had all but given up hope when on a whim I decided to give the Kansas > City Kansas Public Library a try. I found the most delightful book on St. > John's Cemetery written by Wyandotte County Genealogy Society...Wow. > > I wish to thank the incredible people of the Wyandotte County Genealogy > Society for their generous work in helping to preserve our rapidly aging > cemeteries. What irony to find the book was written with cooperation of the > former staff at Catholic Cemeteries. We certainly could use their help now, > believe me. > > With the stone missing and all evidence of records missing, too...our > family member may not be found now that Catholic Cemeteries has lost the > stone. > > I am anxious to see if the evidence from the book will prove beneficial. > At least we have a chance now thanks to your organization! > > I have a question: > Has any work been completed indexing St. John's burial plot/grave > maps? And if so, do they index individual grave records? > > In closing, I have a wish for your website. Wyandotte County has many > exciting historical cemeteries. It would be wonderful if your organization > could present your incredible volume of work online. In this way the scope > of your hard work could make far more impact on human lives. > > Please do relay my deepest thanks to the hard working members of the > Wyandotte County Genealogy Society. As someone who has been a genealogist > for more than thirty years myself, my appreciation is as real as it gets. > > Sincerely, > > Pamela Tate > > > > > Tate Dunham Design Studios > > 9257 Lowell Ave. > Overland Park, KS 66212 > 913.642.6935 > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > KSWYANDO-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to KSWYANDO-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to KSWYANDO-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message