GRAVES SINKING IN ALLENTOWN PENNSYLVANIA
Brenda Kellow
January 15, 2012
Allentown has a major problem with a constantly growing sinkhole on North 10th Street affecting homes and the Union and West End Cemetery. At least 54 graves are over 100 years old. It has affected a multitude of homes causing at least 25 residents to be evacuated to hotels or to homes of friends’ and family’s. Some homes are so unstable the residents are not allowed to return to remove their valuables including family history and memorabilia. Many will have to be demolished. All of this is thought to be caused by a water main break while others speculate the hole had been there and growing undetected for a long time.
This tragedy is just another reason for genealogists to upload their data to the ‘cloud’ or other means of protecting their family’s history. Make safeguarding your data and keepsakes a lasting resolution that you will keep.
BACCUS CEMETERY RESTORATION: The Baccus family is working on restoring the old historic cemetery. In the early years, reports David Baccus, the family owned the land around the cemetery and the church. David would like to add to his own collection of photographs on his family, additional photographs, documents and books on the family. He asks for help in locating anyone who has previously worked on the cemetery or has it currently as a project. One of his treasures is a songbook used at the church in the 1800s. If you have any information on this cemetery or have any pictures of the Baccus family or of the cemetery and church, please contact Cheryl Smith at the genealogy library, [email protected], or call her at 972-941-7175. It is delightful that so many people are taking an interest in Collin County’s historic people, cemeteries and churches.
VOLUNTEER INFORMATION ON TEXAS CEMETERIES: Do you have information on any of our Texas cemeteries? Males die with the same surname with which they were born. Not so for the females. They change their last name with each marriage.
Do you know the maiden names of any of the women buried in these old Texas bone yards? If you do, please contact Gloria B. Mayfield and Gary M. Webb on their website, Cemeteries of Texas, to help identify the females buried in our state. Gloria and Gary created a free website where they plan to cover all the cemeteries in the state. They are adding cemetery histories, inscriptions records, directions and photographs. It had only nine counties in the beginning but is much larger now. Check out the site for yourself. I know you will like it and want to participate. The URL for Cemeteries of Texas is www.usgennet.org/usa/tx/topic/cemeteries/.
WYLIE HISTORICAL SOCIETY: The society has a web presence to introduce their new and growing group to the public. Randall Cross made this site available for anyone searching Wylie’s past. In time, the site will contain all the upcoming projects. Visit the site at https://sites.google.com/site/wyliehistoricalsociety/.
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY: Recently at least 64,000 burials at the cemetery have been found to be misidentified, names misspelled, incorrect ranks as well as birth and death dates. Additionally, in cases where the wife was buried next to her husband, the spouse’s name was not recorded. Currently, the spouse’s name should be on the back of the soldier’s headstone. I hope the families of those buried there will continue to keep updated on the corrections as well as the military lineage societies.
IGHR OPENS FOR REGISTRATION: Samford University Institute of Genealogical and Historical Research (IGHR) opens registration on January 17 for the summer courses held June 10-15. The IGHR provides an educational forum for the discovery, critical evaluation, and use of genealogical sources and methodology through a week of intensive study led by nationally prominent genealogical educators. For more on this foremost week of study and course availability, go to www4.samford.edu/schools/ighr/.
Brenda Kellow has a bachelor's degree in history, teaches, and lectures on genealogy. Before retiring to publish her family’s histories in 2007, Brenda held certification as a Certified Genealogist and as a Certified Genealogical Instructor. Send reunion announcements, books to review, and genealogy queries to: [email protected].