As to whether you record tombstones or go for the records, there is a big advantage to using the records, as you probably already know. When I looked for my family at Cathedral, I checked the records at the office first. They had a card that listed my grandfather, two great aunts, grandmother and my aunt, with their last address and date of burial. The date of burial helped me get several obituaries. Also, when I went to the plot there was just one tombstone, for my aunt who died in 1993. For all the rest there was just a nice patch of lawn.I would not have known the others were there. Of course, to use the records you will need the permission of the cemetery. ----- Original Message ----- From: <AnneTullar@aol.com> To: <PALACKAW-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, June 29, 2001 7:19 AM Subject: Re: [PA-LAC] Re: V01 #205 Cathedral Cemetery and Tombstone Transcription > Walt and all interested in the subject: Thanks so much for your reply. The > last thing I want to do is something redundant or competitive with another > effort. There is so much to be done, and I don't know in detail about > others' projects unless I happen to have used a source in my research. > > I'm going to go back now and study messages from others, maybe all interested > listers who read this can contribute follow-up thoughts if they have any. > > I wrote the above a couple of days ago. Since then I have pulled out the > Winter 1997 newsletter of the NE PA Genealogical Society ( I am a member only > of the GRSNP, but had ordered some of NEPGS's old newsletters). In it I see > a description of a records preservation project in the diocese, quoting The > Catholic Light of Oct. 9, 1997:"With the approval of Bishop James C. Timlin > in consultation with Chancellor James Earley, who is canonically responsible > for diocesan archives, the Northeast Pensylvania Genealogical Society of > Shavertown will begin preserving burial records at cemeteries around the > diocese....The society will place the St. Mary's [where the project is > starting, Hanover Twp.] Cemetery records...on microfilm using a computerized > process that also tracks and indexes the records.....the Genealogical Society > will make the records available in its library for people doing genealogical > research, saving the parish staff members hour of time looking for records]. > > It sounds as though they will be doing the Wilkes-Barre area first. > > So there is a precedent in place for cooperation from the Diocese, a good > thing. > > It seems a first task (I've never worked on a project other than > face-to-face, so do not know how we will organize ourselves--all ideas > welcome) will be to define the scope of the project: are we going to read > tombstones, or also try for the records? > > My initial thought is to get the tombstones read, since the old records are > so sparse, and it may be that others will be filming the records, at least > someday, but then I confuse easily and tend to need simplicity--at least at > the outset! I also don't want my ideas to have undue weight, particularly > since I'm no great shakes at genealogy and my computer skills are laughable. > Also, I live in North-for cryin' out loud--Carolina, so am remote from the > scene not only of Scranton but of the history of the two regional gen. > societies. Does anybody know more about this project that would be helpful > for us to be aware of? > > We have had wonderful offers of leadership and technical assistance from > Bob Walsh and Laura S. (would you two be willing to address your ideas to > the group as a whole?) > > After hearing from Laura and Bob, I knew we had what it takes to get > launched. I was so impressed by their generosity and energy. > > I think Joe Bryer is a regular reader of this list. Joe, whaddya think of > all this? Do you have some thoughts for us about it? > > Anne > > P.S. to Laura and Bob: I am just learning to cut and paste or I would have > shared your messages with the group. That's why I'm asking you to resend to > everybody. Thanks so much. > > > > > > > > > ==== PALACKAW Mailing List ==== > Have you seen the USGenWeb Pennsylvania Page? http://www.usgenweb.org/pa/ > To unsubscribe: http://www.rootsweb.com/~palackaw/index.html#MailingList > >