Showing posts with label Massachusetts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Massachusetts. Show all posts

Friday, August 2, 2013

Find A Grave: McCormack, McRae, Doherty, Newell (Calvary Cemetery, Brockton)

The following is a video detailing how to get to the grave of Mary McCormack, Fred J. McRae, John Doherty, and Kevin Newell in Calvary Cemetery, Brockton, Massachusetts.



Video taken on July 15, 2013.



Copyright © 2013, David J. McRae

Find A Grave: Miranda (Calvary Cemetery, Brockton)

The following is a video showing how to get the grave of Rose M. (Guyette) Miranda. Buried alongside Rose are Albert Bertocci and her granduncle, Nelson Guyette, who's name is not on the headstone.

Photo taken on July 15, 2013 via iTouch.



Video taken on July 15, 2013.


Copyright © 2013, David J. McRae

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Getting Around South Easton Cemetery

The following video is a guide to get to certain graves located in South Easton Cemetery, South Easton, Massachusetts. I will most likely have to redo this video at some point in the future because I know I missed a few.

The graves included in this video are the following:

MONROE
- Harvey
- Olive
- Maude M. McRae

MOUREY
- Claude L.
- Helen C.

LEONARD
- George H.
- Elsie J.

VAN WORMER
- William E.
- Mildred E.

HOLMES
- Francis E.
- Ethel L.

FEENER
- Lemuel J.
- Rosella F.

ABBE
- Maud M.

ANDERSON
- Martin
- Augusta
- Charles
- Selma
- Ethel

PETERSON
- Carl
- Sigrid
- Arnold

PEARSON
- Nils
- Ottelina

LARSON
- John L.
- Anna M.


Video taken June 25, 2013.


Copyright © 2013, David J. McRae

Monday, January 23, 2012

Motivation Monday - Follow Up Visits to Pine Hill Cemetery and Brockton

There were two things I planned to do today - visit Pine Hill Cemetery in West Bridgewater and Brockton Public Library, 


I've been wanting to visit Pine Hill Cemetery for the past couple weeks after discovering that there are a few more family members of mine buried there. Once I got there, I spoke with a woman at the cemetery office who gave me the section and plot numbers of the graves I was looking for along with a free map of the cemetery. After this, I was able to find the graves I was looking for quite easily. However, these past few days, Massachusetts has received quite a few inches of snow. And although it didn't snow today, the clouds in the sky combined with the snow left on the ground did make it difficult to get decent pictures. So I need to go back at some point when the sun is out and take new photos. 


One surprising thing that happened while at the cemetery was that I located the grave of John A. McRae. John was the son of Walter L. McRae and Laura Belle Spaulding. I knew John had died before Walter (Walter died in 1966; John is not listed as a survivor in his obituary). I called Pine Hill Cemetery the other week and asked if John happened to be buried there. They checked and told me he wasn't. And that was that.


So today, as the woman was going through the files, she pulled out the card that listed all the McRae's buried in Pine Hill. I glanced at it and noticed Walter's name, Laura's name, and two others. One was a female named Gracie whom I have never heard of. And the other was of a John Alton McRae. Curious, I asked her if John was buried with Walter and Laura. She looked it over and told me he was! So much for him not being buried there. . . 


Following my trip to the cemetery, I went to Brockton Public Library so that I could search through some newspaper articles and look through the Brockton Poll Taxes once more. On my top list of priorities was finding John's obituary (I now had a death date), the obituary of his niece, Cheryl Scibetta, and some "In This City" articles (articles that tell of the activities of Brockton residents). 


But when I got there, I started out looking through the poll taxes and got so wrapped up in them that I didn't have time to find search through the newspapers. 


I have been trying to figure out more about the marriage between my great-grandparents, Fred J. McRae and Maude Monroe, and when my great-grandmother would have been committed. I had a breakthrough today thanks to the poll taxes. 


I found out that in 1923, my great-grandparents, Fred McRae and Maude Monroe, were living at 136 Myrtle Street, Brockton, Massachusetts. But in the 1924 Poll Taxes, Maude disappeared. She was no longer living with Fred and wasn't listed as living with her parents either so I can only guess that some time between 1923 and 1924, she was committed. Maude shows up again in the Poll Taxes for 1940. It lists her living with her parents and half-brother and her occupation is listed as "At Home". It said she had been living with them in 1939 too but she didn't actually appear in the 1939 Poll Taxes. So based on evidence, Maude was released between 1939 and 1940, meaning she was institutionalized for about sixteen years. 


I also discovered that Maude's father, Harvey, was a restaurant proprietor. I'm not sure how long the restaurant lasted but I'm very interested in finding more information about it (such as a name, for starters). 


The other thing I'm interested in finding more about is the death place of my great-great grandfather, James R. McRae. His death certificate (he died in Brockton on March 5, 1910) lists his death place as "City Farm". When I first read it, I simply assumed it meant he owned a farm in the city. But I've heard recently that a city farm was a type of jail for people with debts and such. I want to look more into it and figure out what exactly a city farm was and why James would have been in it.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Sunday's Obituary - Walter L. McRae

On December 10, 1966, Walter L. McRae passed away in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts. He was 77. Funeral services were held Monday, December 12, at the Delano Funeral Home in Brockton, Massachusetts at 2 P. M. Interment was in Pine Hill Cemetery, West Bridgewater.

Born on August 17, 1889 in Brockton, Walter was the son of James R. and Bridget T./Theresa (Kane) McRae. He married Laura Belle Spaulding and had two children, Rhoda McRae and John A. McRae (the latter who predeceased him). Walter was a lifelong resident of Brockton.


  • Saturday, December 10, 1966 , Brockton Daily Enterprise - Page eleven


  • December 10, 1966 , Brockton Daily Enterpise - Page sixteen

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Tuesday's Tip - Brockton Poll Taxes

If you had an ancestor who lived in Brockton, Massachusetts at one point or another and are trying to find out more information on them, a good place to go for information would be the "Brockton Poll Taxes" books, which can be found in the Historical Room of the Brockton Public Library. 


The poll taxes date back to 1891 and are kind of like census records. They provide the address of where your ancestor was living that certain year, the ancestor's name, his or her age, occupation, and where he or she resided the previous year (sometimes an address will be provided while other times only a city is given). The poll taxes also list who else was living at the address at the time (with the exception of children).


The streets are organized by Ward and Precinct. And the streets are listed within each precinct in alphabetical order. If you don't know what ward and precinct the street you're looking for is a part of, I highly suggest scanning one of the books (it doesn't matter which year), find the streets you are looking for, and copy down the ward and precinct. That way, you can save yourself a lot of time in the future and will know where to look when searching through other books. 


Due to women not being allowed to vote until 1920, only the men are listed in poll taxes prior. The first poll tax to include women is 1922. 

Monday, January 16, 2012

Military Monday - PFC Fred J. McRae

My great-grandfather, Fred J. McRae served in World War I as a Private First Class. A military funeral was held for him following his death in February of 1952. 

Friday, March 2, 1951 , Brockton Daily Enterprise - Page Two

Calvary Cemetery, Brockton, Mass, 2011

Calvary Cemetery, Brockton, Mass, 2011


Sunday, January 15, 2012

Sunday's Obituary - Lemuel Raymond Monroe

On Tuesday, January 9, 1973, Lemuel Raymond Monroe, my great-grandmother's brother, passed away at Brockton Hospital. His obituary was printed the same day. Funeral services were on Thursday, January 11, at the Waitt Funeral Home in Brockton. Interment was in Melrose Cemetery, Brockton. 


Tuesday, January 9, 1973 , Brockton Daily Enterprise - Page 15

Tuesday, January 9, 1973 , Brockton Daily Enterprise - Page 15

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Tombstone Tuesday - Henry & Lucile Anderson

Pine Hill Cemetery is the eternal resting place for many of my ancestors. Among them are Henry G. R. & Lucile (Garfield) Anderson, my great-great grandparents. 

Born in Easton, Massachusetts, Henry Gustav Robert was the son of the late August Robert and Hedvig Olivia (Eden) Anderson. August and Hedvig were natives of Sweden, making Henry the first generation of Anderson's to be born in America. Henry went on to marry Lucile Rebecca Garfield, a friend of the family. 

Lucile was the daughter of the late Edward Alton and Mary Louise (Antoine) Garfield. She was born on July 1, 1916 in Medford, Massachusetts. 

Henry and Lucile married on October 16, 1936 at the home of Henry's sister, Lillian Johnson. They moved to Brockton, Mass went on to have three children together, Frederic Robert, David Warren, and a third known as Baby Anderson. Baby Anderson was born prematurely in 1943 and only lived for two minutes. 

Lucile passed away on July 5, 1953 from stomach cancer. Henry remarried a couple years later to a woman named Barbara DeLoid and they both moved to Wareham, Mass. Barbara passed away in 1979 and Henry passed away a few years later on January 4, 1983. 

2 Sep 2011 , Pine Hill Cemetery, West Bridgewater, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA


2 Sep 2011 , Pine Hill Cemetery, West Bridgewater, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Sunday's Obituary - Laura Belle McRae

On Saturday, December 17, 1983, Laura Belle (Spaulding) McRae passed away at Goddard Memorial Hospital in Stoughton, Massachusetts. She was 86.

A graveside service was held on Tuesday, December 20 at Pine Hill Cemetery, West Bridgewater, Mass.

Born in Whitman, Laura was the daughter of Frank and Emma (Adams) Spaulding. She married Walter L. McRae (my great grandfather's brother) and they had two children, Rhoda and John A. McRae, the latter who predeceased her. Walter passed away in December of 1966, leaving her a widow for seventeen years. 



Printed on Monday, Dec. 19, 1983 in The Enterprise.


Printed on Monday, Dec. 19, 1983 in The Enterprise.



Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Tombstone Tuesday - Mary Louise Garfield (1879 - 1957)

Pine Hill Cemetery, West Bridgewater, Massachusetts (2011)

Born in Plattsburgh, New York, Mary Louise Garfield (nee Antoine), my great-great grandmother, was the wife of the late Edward Alton Garfield and mother of the late Henry A. Garfield, Jennie Glover, Mabel Carlson, Edith Clifford, and Lucile Anderson (my great-grandmother). 

Mary was a seamstress. She resided in Brockton, Massachusetts for most of her life.

Her husband, Edward, passed away in 1918 and is buried in West Dennis Cemetery, West Dennis, Massachusetts. Mary was unable to be buried with him because their children could not afford it so they placed her in Pine Hill Cemetery instead. 

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Sunday's Obituary - Mrs. Charles Anderson

On March 11, 1946, Selma Anderson, my great-great grandfather's sister-in-law, passed away at her daughter's home in Brockton, Massachusetts. A funeral service was held two days later and interment was in South Easton Cemetery, South Easton. 


Printed on Tuesday, March 12, 1946 in The Brockton Daily Enterprise

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Sunday's Obituary - "B.F. McCrae Passes Away"

On June 7, 1932, Benjamin F. McRae, my great-grandfather's half-brother, passed away at his home in Brockton, Mass. Born in Brockton, he was the son of the late James R. McRae and Katherine Morrison, both natives of Nova Scotia. 

Wednesday, June 8, 1932 , The Brockton Times - Page Two

Friday, October 7, 2011

Funeral Card Friday - Thomas H. McCormack

On Thursday, December 4, 1941, the funeral of Thomas H. McCormack, son of the late John McCormack and Bridget/Theresa (Kane) McRae, took place at his home in Brockton. Thomas passed away three days prior. Interment took place in Calvary Cemetery, Brockton, Massachusetts.

Thomas was the half-brother of my great-grandfather, Fred McRae. 

Thursday, December 4, 1941 , Brockton Daily Enterprise - Page Two


Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Tombstone Tuesday - One Grave; Eleven Burials (Updated)

I already posted this grave before for Tombstone Tuesday but since then, I've gone back to the cemetery and taken new photos which I like far better. 


Martin and Augusta Anderson were my 3rd great grandparents. Charles, Amando, and Ottelina Anderson were three of their children. Selma Gustafson was Charle's wife and Ethel and Sigrid were their daughters. Carl Peterson was Sigrid's husband and Arnold was their son. Nils Pearson was Ottelina's husband.

August 2011 - South Easton Cemetery

Martin Anderson (1842 - 1915)
Augusta His Wife (1849 - 1903)
Amanda (1877 - 1908)
Charles Anderson (1870 - 1952)
Selma His Wife (1870 - 1946)
Ethel (1897 - 1908)
Carl Peterson (1891 - 1952)
Sigrid His Wife (1893 - 1988)
Arnold Peterson (1919 - 1919)
Nils Pearson (1882 - 1913)
Ottelina His Wife (1886 - 1932)

World War I Marker - Believed to be Carl Peterson's.

Monday, October 3, 2011

Mystery Monday - No Birth Year for Olive

One thing I find to be rather odd is that my great-great grandmother, Olive Feener Monroe, has no birth year listed next to her name on the family headstone. Both her husband, Harvey, and their daughter, Maude, do. But not her. I don't know why and just find it to be rather weird.


4 Aug 2011South Easton Cemetery, Easton, Bristol, Massachusetts, USA



Sunday, September 25, 2011

Sunday's Obituary - "Maude M. McCrae, 86, resident of Brockton"

On November 9, 1988, my great-grandmother, Maude M. (Monroe) McRae, passed away. 

Born in 1902, Maude was originally from Nova Scotia and arrived here with her family in the early part of the 20th century. She made her home in Brockton, Mass and was a lifelong resident of the city. She married Frederick J. McRae, a man ten years her senior, in the early 1920's and gave birth to their only child together, Clayton Frederick McRae, on June 9, 1921. 

At some point after that, Maude went insane. In one instance, Maude was found selling pencils on the side of a street. Maude ended up being committed and remained so for the rest of her life. By the time Maude died in 1988, both Clayton and Fred were dead (Clayton in 1982; Fred in 1951). 

Following her death, a funeral service was held at South Easton Cemetery on November 22. 

As well as being survived by a sister and several nieces and nephews, Maude was also survived by several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Monday, Nov. 21, 1988 , The Enterprise - Page 15

Friday, September 23, 2011

Funeral Card Friday - Mrs. Harvey D. Monroe

On Saturday, May 4, 1963, the funeral of my great-great grandmother, Mrs. Olive (Feener) Monroe, took place at her home in Brockton, Mass. Interment followed in South Easton Cemetery, South Easton, Mass.

Olive passed away two days before.

Monday, May 6, 1963, Brockton Daily Enterprise


Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Tombstone Tuesday - Monroe's in South Easton Cemetery

For many years, I had been searching for the grave of my great-grandmother, Maude M. McRae. All I knew about her was that she had passed away in November of 1988  in Brockton, Mass after being institutionalized for many years. I didn't have her obituary to tell me where she was buried nor did any family member know. 

So imagine my luck and surprise when I went to South Easton Cemetery on August 4th, to retake some pictures of another grave as well as search for a couple others, and stumbled upon this! I was shocked and incredibly pleased. And I was even more pleased when I saw that she was buried with her parents! 

I've always said that I usually stumble across the most important things I need by accident. And that day was proof!





Sunday, September 18, 2011

Sunday's Obituary - Harvey D. Monroe

On Thursday, January 8, 1948, my great-great grandfather, Harvey D. Monroe, passed away unexpectedly at his home. Originally from Nova Scotia, Harvey emigrated to America with his family in the early 1900's and made his home in Brockton, where he remained until his death. 

Harvey operated an fuel, oil business in Quincy, Massachusetts alongside his son, Lemuel R. Monroe, and stepson, William Wentzell.

Funeral services were held on Sunday, January 11 from the funeral home located at 81 Green St. Brockton. Interment followed at South Easton Cemetery, South Easton, Mass.

Friday, January 9, 1948 , Brockton Daily Enterprise - Page Two



Friday, January 9, 1948 , Brockton Daily Enterprise - Page Two