In a small cemetery in the Dutch city of Roermond, one can visit this most unique set of tombstones. It comprises two almost identical pillars on either side of a wall separating the Catholic part from the Protestant part. Each pillar has a carved arm and hand that clasp the other across the wall. The monument marks the graves of Josephina Van Aefferden, a Catholic, and Jacobus Van Gorkum, a Protestant, who were happily married in life but had to be buried in separate sections of the cemetery. This Dutch listed it as a State Monument in 2002 and the “Grave with the Little Hands” proves that love is stronger than death. (And certainly stronger than mens’ rules.)Did you know that Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day? In the spring of 1866, Henry C. Welles, a druggist in the village of Waterloo, NY, suggested that the patriots who died in the Civil War should be honored by decorating their graves. A committee was formed and the plan was implemented. Decoration Day was officially proclaimed on May 5, 1868 and was first observed officially on May 30, 1868. The South did not observe Decoration Day, preferring to honor their dead on separate days until after WWI. In 1882 the name was changed to Memorial Day and soldiers who had died in other wars were also honored. In 1971, Memorial Day was declared a national holiday to be held on the last Monday in May.
While families may use the day for welcome-to-summer-fun, the original intent was to honor those who died for our freedom.
“Italian Municipal and Tax Censuses”
Speaker Bio: Suzanne Russo Adams, MA, AG®, is an Associate Professor of family history and the Director of the Center for Family History and Genealogy at Brigham Young University. An Accredited Genealogist® specializing in Italian research, she holds degrees in Family History/Genealogy and Sociology, as well as a master’s degree in History. With over 25 years of experience in the genealogy field, Suzanne has worked extensively in record acquisition, strategy, and content digitization for Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org. She is the author of “Finding Your Italian Ancestors: A Beginner’s Guide”.
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