Thursday, October 20, 2011

A Funny Thing Happened in the Cemetery...

Last Sunday my Dad and I stopped at a cemetery in the Village of Glen, New York to visit the grave of my 3rd great grandfather, John Edwards and his wife Ann Van Schaick.

My Dad had wandered off to a different part of the cemetery while I stood by John and Ann's joint gravestone.  When my Dad came back he asked, "Did I hear someone talking out loud?"

I paused for a moment wondering how to respond. I was so busted. I decided that honesty would be the best policy and decided to come clean.  I laughed a little before I started. "I was having a chat with John," I said.  "I was encouraging him to cough up his secrets."

Without missing a beat my Dad said, "I think you're going to have better luck with the women.  Better start talking to your great grandmother Ann instead!"
on

15 comments:

  1. Kelly ScottisheartOctober 20, 2011 at 8:53 AM

    I talk to my ancestors ALL the time! Occasionally, after a "begging session", some long sought after piece of the puzzle will pop up. I'm a firm believer!!! "Kelly Scottisheart"

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  2. cindyOctober 20, 2011 at 9:14 AM

    I talk to my ancestors too. I don't know that I've received any "help" but I'm not stopping now! I have faith in them. I just have to find the "zone"! :-)
    Cindy (Genealogy Circle)

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  3. Wonderland GirlOctober 20, 2011 at 10:20 AM

    Even my non-genealogist husband talks to his parents, although he doesn't ask them a genealogy-type question. I need to visit my grandmother's grave and ask her to find out what she can about her great grandfather. The guy refuses to be *found!*

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  4. Thomas MacEnteeOctober 20, 2011 at 10:24 AM

    I think I may have found another cousin. How far back have you traced your Van Schaick line? Geertje Van Schaick 1687 - 1735 from the Albany, NY area was my 8th great-grandmother!

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  5. MarianOctober 20, 2011 at 3:58 PM

    Thomas, funny I intentionally put her full name hoping to lure in some Van Schaick cousins. My Van Schaick line (I have not traced this myself) is Ann Van Schaick (John, William, Francis, Iden, Arie2, Cornelis1) Cornelis apparently was born in the Netherlands in 1610 and died in Manhattan in 1669. Again, I haven't verified this line but I did take a quick peek at a Van Schaick book at NEHGS a few weeks ago. [Descendants of Cornelis Aertsen Van Schaick Vol. III by Melwood W Van Scoyoc, 1993] I need to go back and take a closer look at it. I managed to only photocopy a generation or two of my family that first time.

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  6. Bill WestOctober 20, 2011 at 4:10 PM

    Great story. Occasionally when I'm visiting a cemetery looking for a gravestone I'll murmur "Come out, come out where ever you are!"

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  7. Focus Grandma! FOCUS!!October 20, 2011 at 7:59 PM

    I think your husband may be right, it seems it is always the ladies that speak to me ~laughs!~ Of course it could be that the men were not around alot in my family so do not feel as close. I might try them if I could get the woman to stay quiet, but then I sure don't want that. Great story

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  8. Greta KoehlOctober 20, 2011 at 8:56 PM

    Your Dad is a wise man. I think I'm going to try that approach.

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  9. Root DiggerOctober 21, 2011 at 1:14 AM

    Thank you for sharing this great story!!

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  10. Cathi at Stone House ResearchOctober 21, 2011 at 10:42 AM

    Loved this!

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  11. AnonymousOctober 21, 2011 at 2:35 PM

    Oh my gosh! Love it! That's funny that your dad said that. I definitely talk to the women more than the men and I think I get better "responses" from the women! Great post!

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  12. AnonymousNovember 6, 2011 at 6:48 PM

    That was a wonderful story. So funny. Glad you shared that.

    TMW

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  13. ElizabethNovember 8, 2011 at 2:49 PM

    Lovely story, and I have done the exact same thing myself.

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  14. Julie Van Syoc SternerMarch 9, 2014 at 5:58 PM

    I know this is an old post....but I'm a Van Schaick cousin :) Nice to "meet" you!

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