I remember as a child going to visit my grandfather's grave in Calvary Cemetery in Altoona and wandering over to a section of the cemetery that was all baby graves. I don't know if they were separated because they weren't baptized or whether they were separated because their parents would have been young at the time of the baby's death and didn't have a family plot. I was fascinated with the markers as some had little cherubs and angels on them. I still like to wander cemeteries and read the markers to this day. I guess that is why I am into genealogy. ________________________________ From: slbearer <slbearer@comcast.net> To: pacambri@rootsweb.com Sent: Saturday, January 10, 2009 4:53:38 PM Subject: Re: [PACAMBRI] Potters Field & Catholics I agree with Mike that unbaptized babies were rare. Also the people buried in St. Bernard's really don't appear to be separated from their families & they most certainly did have decent burials. I never would have known the part across the top was any different then the rest of the cemetery if someone from that area would not have explained what it was. I have different areas of the family all over that whole cemetery so if I were to have found someone there, I never would have thought anything of it. There is nothing that says or stands out to make anyone think it isn't part of the cemetery. I however would have preferred finding a family member close (in what appears to be the same cemetery then having to go across or to a completely different town to find them. Catholics also have the option of being buried in a non catholic cemetery with their non catholic spouse. If my husband wasn't Catholic I think I would also prefer a place like that so we could be buried together & still in the same cemetery where the rest of my family is.

I went looking in the Calvary Cemetery last summer & I was amazed at how huge a place this really was. I had no idea. I did not see these babies mentioned in the note below but am interested to find out also why they might have a section just for babies. Can someone on the Blair list possibly answer why there is a section just for babies in the Calvary cemetery as noted below? ----- Original Message ----- From: M Jenner To: slbearer ; pacambri@rootsweb.com Sent: Saturday, January 10, 2009 10:33 PM Subject: Re: [PACAMBRI] Potters Field & Catholics I remember as a child going to visit my grandfather's grave in Calvary Cemetery in Altoona and wandering over to a section of the cemetery that was all baby graves. I don't know if they were separated because they weren't baptized or whether they were separated because their parents would have been young at the time of the baby's death and didn't have a family plot. I was fascinated with the markers as some had little cherubs and angels on them. I still like to wander cemeteries and read the markers to this day. I guess that is why I am into genealogy.

Here in Columbus, Ohio at St. Joseph's Cemetery there is a section for babies called The Guardian Angel section. I have a cousin who is baried there (I think she was just a few weeks old). Their parents told me the baby was buried there because they could not afford to buy graves for themselves and burial in the Guardian Angel section was very inexpensive. Whether this is the same for Calvary mentioned below I don't know but many years ago I believe non-baptized babies were probably not allowed to be buried in a Catholic Cemetery. Marilynn would know...WHERE IS SHE BY THE WAY????? Robert McGonigle Columbus, Ohio> From: slbearer@comcast.net> To: pacambri@rootsweb.com; pablair@rootsweb.com> Date: Sat, 10 Jan 2009 22:58:35 -0500> Subject: [PACAMBRI] Calvary Cemetery, Altoona> > I went looking in the Calvary Cemetery last summer & I was amazed at how huge a place this really was. I had no idea. I did not see these babies mentioned in the note below but am interested to find out also why they might have a section just for babies. Can someone on the Blair list possibly answer why there is a section just for babies in the Calvary cemetery as noted below? > ----- Original Message ----- > From: M Jenner > To: slbearer ; pacambri@rootsweb.com > Sent: Saturday, January 10, 2009 10:33 PM> Subject: Re: [PACAMBRI] Potters Field & Catholics> > > I remember as a child going to visit my grandfather's grave in Calvary Cemetery in Altoona and wandering over to a section of the cemetery that was all baby graves. I don't know if they were separated because they weren't baptized or whether they were separated because their parents would have been young at the time of the baby's death and didn't have a family plot. I was fascinated with the markers as some had little cherubs and angels on them. I still like to wander cemeteries and read the markers to this day. I guess that is why I am into genealogy. > - - - - - - - - - -> > Search for more Cambria County information on our webpage:> http://www.camgenpa.com/> -------------------------------> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to PACAMBRI-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

I saw a section of Calvary way at the back, almost where the cemetery drops off into a ravine - could that be the section you saw?  It has a lot of old baby burials, from the looks of some of the dates.  However, there aren't just babies there, as my gg-gf is also there, in the very last, or bottom, row, before the ravine.  I think the answer about the possibility of the families just not having a family plot is probably correct, but since my gg-gf is there also, perhaps it was just cheaper for anyone who didn't have a lot of money.  He had been in the Civil War, and there is a marker for that on his grave also.  Later I saw a list somewhere of moneys that the city or the county, I forget which, had paid for various miscellaneous items, and some of them appeared to be for burials of veterans.  His name was on that list, or at least someone with the same name, so I'm wondering if that was just the cheaper area of the cemetery.  It's certainly not in easy proximity to the road or the more desirable and more level plots elsewhere in the cemetery.   In regards to non-Catholics being buried in Catholic cemeteries, when my grandmother, a Lutheran, died in 1978, she was allowed to be buried in a Catholic cemetery (already consecrated ground) in Pittsburgh with my grandfather and other Catholic members of the family.  The rules must have changed somewhere along the line, as my g-gm could not be buried with her Catholic husband in that same plot in 1936.   That cemetery also has a section for baby burials, but I don't know if they are for baptized or unbaptized or both.   Janet  --- On Sat, 1/10/09, slbearer <slbearer@comcast.net> wrote: From: slbearer <slbearer@comcast.net> Subject: [PABLAIR] Calvary Cemetery, Altoona To: pacambri@rootsweb.com, pablair@rootsweb.com Date: Saturday, January 10, 2009, 10:58 PM I went looking in the Calvary Cemetery last summer & I was amazed at how huge a place this really was. I had no idea. I did not see these babies mentioned in the note below but am interested to find out also why they might have a section just for babies. Can someone on the Blair list possibly answer why there is a section just for babies in the Calvary cemetery as noted below? ----- Original Message ----- From: M Jenner To: slbearer ; pacambri@rootsweb.com Sent: Saturday, January 10, 2009 10:33 PM Subject: Re: [PACAMBRI] Potters Field & Catholics I remember as a child going to visit my grandfather's grave in Calvary Cemetery in Altoona and wandering over to a section of the cemetery that was all baby graves. I don't know if they were separated because they weren't baptized or whether they were separated because their parents would have been young at the time of the baby's death and didn't have a family plot. I was fascinated with the markers as some had little cherubs and angels on them. I still like to wander cemeteries and read the markers to this day. I guess that is why I am into genealogy. To subscribe, unsubscribe or visit the PABLAIR mailing list archives, go to http://lists.rootsweb.ancestry.com/index/usa/PA/blair.html To sign up for the Daily Uploads mailing list of PA USGenWeb Archives, go to http://www.usgwarchives.net/mailman/listinfo/padailyuploads ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to PABLAIR-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Click here http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/blair/1picts/cemeteries/ctombs.htm and look for Calvary Cemetery, then click on photos 1 and 2. Those are taken from my grandfather's grave at the back of Calvary Cemetery, in what the office clerk called the section of the cemetery where poorer folks were buried. One was taken facing the ravine, and the other facing the front/side part of the cemetery. I don't see any baby tombstones, though. Does this look like what you saw? My grandmother died young, leaving seven small children, and I'm sure my grandfather didn't have much money to spend on burying her. I'll check my Calvary photos to see if I took any more views from the Rogers' tombstone. Judy ----- Original Message ----- From: "J Ebaugh" <jke32039@yahoo.com> To: <pablair@rootsweb.com>; <pacambri@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, January 11, 2009 7:28 AM Subject: Re: [PABLAIR] Calvary Cemetery, Altoona I saw a section of Calvary way at the back, almost where the cemetery drops off into a ravine - could that be the section you saw? It has a lot of old baby burials, from the looks of some of the dates. However, there aren't just babies there, as my gg-gf is also there, in the very last, or bottom, row, before the ravine. I think the answer about the possibility of the families just not having a family plot is probably correct, but since my gg-gf is there also, perhaps it was just cheaper for anyone who didn't have a lot of money. He had been in the Civil War, and there is a marker for that on his grave also. Later I saw a list somewhere of moneys that the city or the county, I forget which, had paid for various miscellaneous items, and some of them appeared to be for burials of veterans. His name was on that list, or at least someone with the same name, so I'm wondering if that was just the cheaper area of the cemetery. It's certainly not in easy proximity to the road or the more desirable and more level plots elsewhere in the cemetery. In regards to non-Catholics being buried in Catholic cemeteries, when my grandmother, a Lutheran, died in 1978, she was allowed to be buried in a Catholic cemetery (already consecrated ground) in Pittsburgh with my grandfather and other Catholic members of the family. The rules must have changed somewhere along the line, as my g-gm could not be buried with her Catholic husband in that same plot in 1936. That cemetery also has a section for baby burials, but I don't know if they are for baptized or unbaptized or both. Janet --- On Sat, 1/10/09, slbearer <slbearer@comcast.net> wrote: From: slbearer <slbearer@comcast.net> Subject: [PABLAIR] Calvary Cemetery, Altoona To: pacambri@rootsweb.com, pablair@rootsweb.com Date: Saturday, January 10, 2009, 10:58 PM I went looking in the Calvary Cemetery last summer & I was amazed at how huge a place this really was. I had no idea. I did not see these babies mentioned in the note below but am interested to find out also why they might have a section just for babies. Can someone on the Blair list possibly answer why there is a section just for babies in the Calvary cemetery as noted below? ----- Original Message ----- From: M Jenner To: slbearer ; pacambri@rootsweb.com Sent: Saturday, January 10, 2009 10:33 PM Subject: Re: [PACAMBRI] Potters Field & Catholics I remember as a child going to visit my grandfather's grave in Calvary Cemetery in Altoona and wandering over to a section of the cemetery that was all baby graves. I don't know if they were separated because they weren't baptized or whether they were separated because their parents would have been young at the time of the baby's death and didn't have a family plot. I was fascinated with the markers as some had little cherubs and angels on them. I still like to wander cemeteries and read the markers to this day. I guess that is why I am into genealogy.