Cemetery Haunts and Jaunts

Over spring break I drove with my parents and brother back to Kansas City to meet new relatives and conduct some research. Our cemetery experience was disappointing, yet rewarding at the same time.

There used to be an old register for Woodlawn Cemetery in KCK, which has seen its fair share of troubles over its 140 year history. My mother has seen this book; now no one knows where it is. Researchers have to rely on the printed cemetery index which doesn’t include helpful information typically found in a register, such as parents’ or spouse’s names, cause of death, place of birth, etc. What a shame this precious book has been misplaced or even destroyed as was suggested by local history staff at KCK’s public library.

On the other hand, Calvary Cemetery in KCMO is well staffed and maintained yet help was very hard to get. Their policy allows two free lookups and each additional lookup costs $10.00. Our two free lookups provided us with only the block and lot numbers and a copy of the cemetery map with highlighted directions to the gravesites. With additional genealogical information from the card file in her hand, the staff member would give us no more. She wouldn’t even take our names to pass on to the lot owners, citing the Privacy Act. But cemeteries are not subject to the Privacy Act unless they are federally owned. Calvary’s staff is either misinformed or lazy.

We did not come away entirely empty-handed from these two cemeteries. At Woodlawn we noticed stones bearing the names of Hoffman next to the empty spot where Albertson markers once stood. Next to a Bright monument lay stones for Pearson and Little. Hoffman, Pearson, and Little are recent discoveries in the family history and finding their graves by accident was a pleasant surprise.

A similar experience awaited us as we unexpectedly happened upon a Corti marker next to a monument for De Mayo—one of our two free lookups.

Challenges aplenty await the researcher without unnecessary obstacles such as lost registers and uncooperative staff. Yet perseverance and patience pay off with gentle little surprises.