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From: Jim Garrity <>
Subject: Re: [Bklyn] Calvary Cemetery fees solutions
Date: Fri, 05 Aug 2005 10:07:31 -0400
References: <200508051327.j75DRYlZ026596@mail.rootsweb.com>


Calvary Cemetery (administered by the Archdiocese of New York) actually
has been a "follower" when it comes to hiking the prices on interment
lists in the NYC area.

The Diocese of Brooklyn and Queens (which administers Saint John's, Holy
Cross, Most Holy Trinity and several other cemeteries) raised their
rates about 2 years ago. And it was a *major* hike in dollars, very
similar to the new Calvary fees--they also became more restrictive as to
whether a "genealogist" can get an interment list for the same price as
a family member of someone buried in the grave--genealogists are
immediately told (if they send in a request which honestly identifies
their profession) that they must pay a much higher price for interment
lists and for research than do "civilians"!

So, the bottom line is: these organizations know that they have
something that we, the genealogical community, want---and they see that
we, for the most part, are willing to pay for the information they can
provide to us---and they will charge us as much as they can reasonably
get away with.

Remember, these are *private* records, and the cemeteries really do not
*have* to provide us with their data if they choose not to, unless we
can reasonably prove that we have some solid family connection to
someone buried in the grave in question. What if they started asking us
to see the deed for the plot in question before they divulged any
information to us? What would we do then?

There are NO simple solutions--they will charge us as they see fit.We
can choose to patronize them, or we can choose not to.

Good Luck,

Jim Garrity

--
James Garrity
NYC Genealogy Research Service, Cemetery Research & Photography
http://www.NYCgen.com
http://www.JimGarrity.com
E-mail:
Vice-President for Family History and Webmaster, New York Irish History
Roundtable, http://www.irishnyhistory.org
Member, Association of Professional Genealogists
Member, Godfrey Memorial Library, http://www.godfrey.org



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