Showing posts with label Hillside. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hillside. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Tombstone Tuesday: The Browns, Galligans, RAOGK, and Findagrave

In yesterday's post I described my search for Raymond Peterson, husband of Ruth Margaret Brown. Today I'll continue with that family line and post pictures of Ruth Margaret Brown's grave as well as her parents, Clarence Clifton Brown (no, not the ice cream sundae guy...) and Elizabeth Brown (nee Galligan).

All three are interred at the beautiful Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Hillside, Cook County, Illinois, and are also posted on Findagrave. Luckily, Queen of Heaven and a couple of other Catholic cemeteries in Chicago have a computer kiosk in which you can search for your ancestor and get a print out of the exact location where he or she is buried.

Ruth Margaret Brown 1908-1992

Whenever I go to a cemetery, I not only take photos of the graves I am looking for, but also a couple (ok...more than a couple) graves nearby. I post them on findagrave, and hopefully, others who are searching for their family, can find them. I am thankful for all of the contributers and volunteers at findagrave. I've received pictures of graves located in different states across the country.

When I'm not searching for family or posting on findagrave, I also volunteer through Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness (RAOGK) to take pictures of tombstones from Queen of Heaven and Mount Carmel Cemetery and do free obituary look-ups in the Historical Chicago Tribune Database. If you live in Chicago or a suburb of Chicago and have access to a library card, you may also have access to this rich source of information. I can access it free from the comfort of my home through my local library's website. The database contains obits from the mid-1800's to 1989. A quick call or visit to your local library or its website to determine if you can access the database may help end your search for that elusive ancestor.




Elizabeth Brown nee Galligan 1886-1954









Clarence Clifton Brown 1882-1962


Note: All three pictures taken by me, April 2010, Queen of Heaven Cemetery, Hillside, Illinois

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Tombstone Tuesday: D'Orazio Family in Chicago, Illinois


I love tombstones with pictures! Above is a picture of the tombstone for my great great grandparents: Maria D'Orazio (nee Di Bartolomeo) and Nunziato (aka Annunziato) D'Orazio and three of their children. This is the only picture I have seen of either of them. Nunziato and Maria had three other children, Lucia "Lucy" Vitraelli (my great grandma), buried in another location of the cemetery, and Josephine "Jo" Ragagli and Vincenzo D'Orazio, both buried in an unknown location. The D'Orazio's were originally from Alfadena, Region: Abruzzo, Province: L'Aquila, Italy. Nunziato arrived at Ellis Island in New York in 1899. Maria and her children arrived later in 1905. I assume Nunziato travelled to Italy between 1900-1905, as one son was born in 1903, although I have not found records to prove that assumption. The family later moved to Chicago, Illinois.
Tombstone is located in Mout Carmel Cemetery, Hillside, Cook County, Illinois
(Picture taken by me in April 2010)
Tombstone reads:
Alfred [D'Orazio]
1906-1968
Michele [D'Orazio]
1909-1929
Nunziato [D'Orazio]
1872-1919
Maria [D'Orazio nee Di Bartolomeo]
1874-1947
James C [D'Orazio]
1903-1987
Margaret ["Marge" D'Orazio, nee Fuoco, wife of James]
1912-1989