"A Pictorial Tour of Old and Noteworthy Graveyards of Mercer County" will be the presentation program for the Hopewell Valley Historical Society’s March meeting.
Edward J. Raser of Lawrenceville present a 50-minute slide tour of many of the burial places of Mercer County. The meeting will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 15, in the auditorium of Stainton Hall on the grounds of The Pennington School in Pennington.
The tour is in three parts family and community burial grounds; the older churchyards and religious-based cemeteries, by denomination; and selected commercial, institution and ethnic burial grounds. The slides will provide overviews of the grounds, and photographs of old/oldest gravestones and others of noteworthy style or significance. Mr. Raser’s narration will provide brief historical background of many of the places, and will point out their unique features.
Mr. Raser first became interested in genealogy in 1945. By 1950 he was heavily engaged in whole family research of several central New Jersey surnames, including Davison, Bowne and Osborn. During this time he made extensive use of gravestone inscriptions to obtain vital records data and construct family groupings.
In 1953 he began contributing to The Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey, largely from church records, gravestones, and family record collections he came upon during this research. He was associate editor of The Genealogical Magazine for 32 years, from 1957-1988.
In 1986 he proposed that the Genealogical Society encourage compilation of a series of Graveyard and Gravestone Inscriptions Locators, offering to produce volumes for Morris, Mercer and Monmouth counties. His Morris County volume was published in 1994, and the Mercer County volume in 2000. His Monmouth County volume, projected at 350 pages, is nearly completed.
Admission is free and all are welcome to attend. Refreshments will be served. The auditorium is best reached from Delaware Avenue through the school driveway. Turn right at the intersection on the grounds, and Stainton Hall can be seen beyond the parking area.
For further information, call Penny Branham at 737-2380. An inclement weather date of March 16 has been set.
