Cemeteries are always full of mysteries and that is what makes
doing research in them and about them so interesting. People
are usually shocked when I explain that in Greenridge Cem. in
Saratoga Springs, some of these people have been buried 3 times.
When the first cemetery opened in 1844, older cemeteries were
moved in from around the county. When the newer portion opened
in 1880, the later families bought bigger plots and moved them from
the old cemetery so some of the earlier reburials were moved again.
I am always fascinated to see how many reburials were done in
many cemeteries.

One project I did in Binghamton had an earlier cemetery moved
up into Glenwood Cem. They did not move them in the order of
burial. When I found the old forgotten papers in the City Clerks
office it showed the caretaker removed them in the order that the
papers of approval for removal came in. Thinking in terms of how
you would type on a typewriter, when you get to the end of the line on
the right, you went back to the left margin. The caretaker dug them
up, loaded them on a wagon pulled by horses, drove them from
the North side of Binghamton across the river and up the hill into
Glenwood. He started on the left and went 12 rows. #13 started
back on the left margin and continued to until # 25 which went back
to the left margin. So where he dug up several members of a family,
if the reburials ended up being at the end of the #12 burial in that row,

the family was split up because those remaining were buried starting
on the left margin of the next row. Without finding those papers, it
would have been an unsolved mystery.

By the way, not everyone who is listed on a stone is buried there in
some cases. We do a lot of lettering in cemeteries and families are
having us add additional family members names and dates so that
there is a permanent record that will not burn. Great for genealogists.
One monument was full and a sister was cremated and ashes spread
elsewhere. There was a granite urn with a flat, smooth side as part of
their memorial. They had us put her name and years of birth and death
on that urn.  They felt badly that she was not buried there but feel now
they are all together. Be aware and don't let these things trap you.

The Bible states that when Jesus returns, he will be coming in
the East sky, hence that is why most cemeteries lay them out that
way.

Now that I am employed in the cemetery monument business here
in Saratoga Springs, I have discovered quite a few other reasons
for cemeteries to be laid out as they are. From the earlier sections of
some cemeteries, the dimensions of the graves have changed a lot.
Some caretakers and cemetery boards had laid them out in the past
to get as many burials in so that means more income. Burial policies
dictate that they stay within the those lines but over the years other
factors in the funeral industry have messed up those boundaries.
Today, many cemeteries are remaping so that they are  3 1/2' - 4' wide
by 10 feet long to accomondate the vault or these newer designed
larger caskets. Go look at the earlier grave sizes and see what a
difference there is. People are growing taller than previously
so they are needing to lay them out differently. Cemeteries that sold
lots that were 8' long, many of those with 4 (two front and two back)
plots are needing to bury two the long way and one across those
two in the rows behind. They cannot get a 4th in with the newer vaults
and caskets. Some families have been forced to cremate if they
planned on using the earlier purchased family lots. Tree roots from
earlier plantings cause all kinds of changes and strangely, people
do not want them taken out to get the space back so they bury at angles
instead of where the graves are.

Mike Noonan, a Saratoga photographer, discovered  from a photo
taken in the air of Prospect Hill Cemetery in Schuylerville that the
circled plots are laid out like a Celtic circle AND further back in
the clearing in a field past the Saratoga Monument is a design that
was in vegetation of a Celtic circle. Had these shown up in the Catholic
cemetery across the street from Prospect Hill, one would not think
much of it. But why in Prospect Hill and why the one in the field
next door? Why did the earlier planners of Prospect put in those
Celtic circle designs when the rest of the cemetery is buried in
the traditional style? Just an interesting design with the circles
included or intentionally Celtic circles?

Whatever you discover, make sure that that is in print and placed
into more than one repository to be found by anyone researching
in the future. Keep up the good work.

God Bless
Ruth Ann
[log in to unmask]
[log in to unmask]