NYSUFFOL-L Archives

From: "David Roberts" <>
Subject: [NYSUFFOL] Commack Methodist Church & Cemetery records???
Date: Sun, 7 Jul 2002 20:17:51 -0400
References: <MFMBM010j03oHMwVN7m00007143@mfmbm010.myfamilycorp.local>

Dave:

Commack United Methodist Church has an EXCELLENT web page. From it I found
the name of the Church Historian. She sent me two lists of the parish
cemetery. One was done for the Bicentennial of the Methodist Episcopal
Church in 1984; the other was done by a Boy Scout for his merit badge
project in the earely 1990's. This helped me indentify those buried in the
Methodist cemetery and those buried in the MUCH LARGER Commack Cemetery
immediately next to the churchyard, but NOT a part of it ... except
visually.
I had Alice Meigs' mid 1930's list via LDS microfilm.
Please go to the Suffolk GenExchange site.
You will need to search "Commack Cemetery" as well as "Commack United
Methodist Church Cemetery" or just search for the name WITHOUT a cemetery &
see what the GenExchange brings up.
Meigs called all +/- 1,000 or so burials "Commack M. E. Churchyard." I knew
that churchyard only had about 100 people, at the most. Thanks to the church
historian's help, the two cemeteries are separately entered on the Suffolk
GenExchange.
Go to "Place of Worship" and read the history of this historic church. It is
the oldest Methodist congregation in Suffolk County and is the oldest
Methodist church building in New York State.
Were the records burned?
I don't know.
Commack was NOT a "station church" until more recent times, but was on
various circuits. From the late 19th century into the 20th century , it was
connected to Hauppauge & a few others on a circuit. Have you enquired with
Hauppauge about the circuit records? Have you enquired with the helpful
Commack U. M. Church Historian about the actual status of the circuit
records? Have you contacted the Archives of the New York Annual Conference,
United Methodist Church, White Plains, NY on the status of these circuit
records ? All M. E. and even U. M. records today are kept by the "charge."
The "charge" might be one single church ... a "station church" with its own
minister; or a "circuit" of two or more local congregations sharing a
minister. Normally one of the churches on the circuit was the "home base"
for the minister & the records were kept there. I think, but am not sure,
that Hauppauge was the main church of that circuit in the late 19th century
& going into the 20th.

Sometimes circuit records are just missing. Our parish here in Hollywood,
St. Mary's County, MD goes back to ca. 1851. Records begin in the 1870's.
What happened to the rest? Good question. Nobody seems to know. This might
be the status with the Hauppauge-Commack circuit records.

David

David Roberts
Hollywood, MD
Church Historian, Hollywood UMC

----- Original Message -----
From: <>
To: <>
Sent: Saturday, July 06, 2002 12:54 PM
Subject: [NYSUFFOL] Commack Methodist Church & Cemetary records???


> This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list.
>
> Surnames: Nichols, Gentry, Bonner, Donald
> Classification: Query
>
> Message Board URL:
>
> http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/jUB.2ACI/532
>
> Message Board Post:
>
> Looking for the records of the Commack Methodist Church & cemetary. Was
told they were destroyed in a fire some time ago? Have thought that my
NICHOLS family may of been a member of this church...Any records on-line or
any other way available?
>
> Thanks,
> Dave
>
>
>

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