Write a letter. It these days of emotionless email, the art of letter writing is getting lost. Pick one of your information needs or queries and write a letter requesting information. You may want to write to a small library or a relative asking for family history information. If you’re requesting a return reply, be sure to include any forms that are required, funds (if necessary) or a self-addressed, stamped envelope for return correspondence. If you write a genealogy blog, include a post about the information you requested and from whom.
To be perfectly honest, I had pretty much decided not to do this week's challenge just because I'm so busy. But then this turned up:
Our theory is that since he was cremated, the marker may have been too large (its dimensions are about 12” by 24”). But then one asks the question, does he have a marker? No one can remember and anyone who should remember is no longer with us.
So, I've written a letter to Riverside Memorial Park in Spokane, Washington where my grandparents are interred, asking if they have a marker of any sort for my grandparents and if not how we can go about rectifying the situation. It seemed like this warranted a letter, rather than a phone call, and the timing of this week's challenge couldn't have been better!
© 2010, copyright Michelle Goodrum
I hope you get an answer.
ReplyDeleteLook forward to you finding out about this mystery and the reply you get. Amazing how your hand was forced into writign the letter and in doing so keeping up with the chalenge
ReplyDeleteWe have some family members who have these markers, and I see them everywhere in the cemeteries here.
ReplyDeleteI believe, (though am not 100% sure) that the military or government pays for the bronze marker that you see above.
One of our family members on my husband's side, this is his whole marker, and another of our family members, it is attached to the back of the upright stone that is in the cemetery, even though right before he died the man ended up deciding to be cremated and have his ashes spread over the farm that he farmed for years and loved. (His wife is still living.)
When my husband and I were recording the tombstones/burials in a small cemetery, we saw many of these, and for many others who have a primary stone, this stone serves as a footstone.
Hope this helps in some way!
After looking through the home and garage with you, I am amazed of all the things you have found. How interesting to find an "unused" bronze marker with your grandpa's name!
ReplyDeleteDid you ever hear back from Riverside? It is part of Fairmount Memorial Association, which owns five cemeteries in the Spokane area.
ReplyDeleteMiriam, No I haven't heard back from them. It's probably time for a follow-up. Thanks for reminding me!
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