Slingerland Vault Update

Much has happen since my last post about the Slingerland Vault in Slingerlands off New Scotland Road behind the former Mangia restaurant. In January the Town of Bethlehem has pledged to restore old Slingerland Family Burial Vault.

Last month a GoFundMe page was set up to defray the costs of restoring the vault. The page can be found here. Below are preliminary estimates for stabilizing and protecting the vault while retaining the vault’s historic character. These estimates do not include labor and materials provided by the Town.

$50,000 Rebuild stonework at front of vault
$10,000 Replacement of vault door (current door is beyond restoration)
$3,000 Replacement of vault identifying entablature
$10,000 Restoration of entrance (re-set pillars, replace chain, address drainage concerns)
$13,000 Installation of perimeter fence
$1,200 Historical marker
$25,000 Analyze and repair depression on top of vault
$112,200 Total

Another web site was recently created, The Slingerland Family Burial Vault was created and it details the progress of the vault restoration. The web site is very informative with a tab that holds numerous photos showing past and present work of the work in progress. Another tab offers a history of the Slingerland family. A donate tab is present that links directly to the GoFundMe page for this worthy project.

Please check out The Slingerland Family Burial Vault web page and consider donating to this long overdue project!

Stephentown Historical Society Ceremony

The following articles came to me today via the Rensselaer County newspaper, The Advertiser.

STEPHENTOWN HISTORICAL SOCIETY CEREMONY
The Stephentown Historical Society is holding a ceremony for the unveiling of a new historical marker on Saturday, May 19, at 2:00 p.m. The marker commemorates the original Methodist Episcopal Church building which been restored, beginning in 1988, by the Stephentown Historical Society as the Stephentown Heritage Center. The building is at 4 Staples Road at the corner of Garfield Road in Stephentown. The rain date is Sunday, May 20. All are invited to the ceremony and a reception afterward. The historic marker was given through the generosity of the William G. Pomeroy Foundation.

NORTH GREENBUSH TOWN HISTORIAN DISCUSSION
Why are Wynantskill and Defreestville considered hamlets? What are hamlets? Jim Greenfield, the North Greenbush Town Historian, will discuss the naming and growth of these two areas from the 1600s to the 21st century at the next Greenbush Historical Society meeting. Join us Sunday, May 20th, 2PM, at the East Greenbush Library for a most informative and lively presentation by Jim. Learn about some interesting local characters; the West Point grad with adeep, dark secret, the man who was a friend of George Washington, the owner of what was Wynantskills' version of "Walmart." Country life could also be quite surprising - hear about the night that Wynantskil was "bombed," learn about "a murder most foul" and much more. All meetings are free and open to the public, but please register with the East Greenbush Library since seating is limited. For more information, call 518.477.7476. You might also enjoy our new website: www.greenbushhistoricalsociety.org

Update

The last two months have been tough. With a death in the family, other responsibilities, shoulder surgery recuperation, and Winter refusing to loosen its grip blog posts and inspiration have been low. But now the warmer weather and good health appear to have reinvigorated my genealogy, cemetery, and blog pursuits.

The shoulder appears to be well on its way which has gotten me out into the cemeteries for quick work already. Although my little unwanted friends have already found me (ticks). I was bit again and although the tick was only attached to me for an hour max, the bite still became infected. Just finished another round of 21 days of Doxycycline. All is well. A batch of homemade natural tick repellent was concocted for my use which makes me smell like peppermint, eucalyptus, and vinegar when its on my clothes. Hopefully I do not find anymore new friends.

Last week I was contacted by a woman from Ohio who found me on both Ancestry and MyHeritage who we though was a relative. She turns out not to be a blood relative to me but we do have common blood relatives. Her half-brothers are my third cousins. She was adopted but through DNA she also found that she has a niece who lives local to me. The three of us met over the weekend. Turns out that the niece's mom was also adopted and she also recently took a DNA test but the results are not in yet. This mom and the woman from Ohio will most likely turn out to be full sisters and they never knew of each other until less than a month ago. I was glad to be part of this genealogy caper. Both families are excited and just grew because of DNA testing.

My low key cemetery project that was mentioned last month is well on its way and will be complete after two or three more sessions at this plot. Photos and a video will soon follow. By the first week of May the German Evangelical Cemetery project will begin again and continue until November. After this season, the end should be near for its completion. A survey will again be taken and it is thought that there will be very few stones left needing attention.

Memorial Day Ceremony & Meneely Bell Ringing

Oakwood Cemetery in Troy recently sent me a notification on its Memorial Day Ceremony next month. Cut and pasted is their information.

Historic Bell to be rung at Memorial Day Ceremony May 26th

The public is cordially invited to join us at 9AM on Saturday May 26th at Oakwood Cemetery for our annual Memorial Day Ceremony. The historic 3 ton Meneely bell in front of the Earl Chapel will be rung nine times to mark the start of the event. The Friends of Oakwood Cemetery and the Veterans of Lansingburgh will lay wreaths in honor of all deceased veterans. Michael Barrett will MC and Jim Pratt of the Veterans’ Miracle Center will speak. Nikki Osterhout will sing the national anthem. Representatives of the NYS 125th reenactors will fire a musket salute. Local Boy Scouts will place American flags on graves at the Soldiers’ Plot. There is no charge for this event. In case of heavy rain, the ceremony will be moved into the chapel. We hope you’ll join us.

Oakwood Cemetery 

50 101st Street

Troy, New York 12180

Email

Phone: 518.272.7520

DNA Kit Sales

If you are thinking about purchasing a DNA kit to find distant relatives in your genealogical pursuits or you simply want to know your ethnicity, now is the time to buy your DNA kits. All three major DNA players have them on sale this week.

AncestryDNA is on sale for $59 plus shipping until 29 April 2018. This is their lowest price ever! Shop for this kit at Ancestry

23andMe DNA kit is on sale for 30% at $69 until 25 April 2018. Shop for this kit at 23andMe.

The FamilyTreeDNA kit is also on sale for 40% at $49 until 28 April 2018. Shop for this kit at FamilyTreeDNA. Please note that FamilyTreeDNA offers numerous DNA kits. Do your homework and order the appropriate kit for what you are looking for.

Albany Rural Cemetery Talk

Here is short notice on an upcoming talk on Albany Rural Cemetery at the Bach branch of the Albany Public Library. Details are below:

Come to the Bach branch of the Albany NY Library for their monthly Let's Talk About Albany program. This month's topic will be Albany Rural Cemetery and I will be the presenter.

Sponsored by Bach Branch, NNORC and Jewish Family Services.

Space is limited so please RSVP to the Bach Branch at 518-482-2154 or NNORC at 514-2023 for more information and to reserve a place.

There will be light refreshments, too.

Thursday 1 PM to 2:30 PM

Albany Public Library (Bach Branch), 455 New Scotland Avenue, 12208

Stephentown Historical Society Meeting and Lecture on Alexander Hamilton & the Schuyler Family

Just delivered a few minutes ago from the Rensselaer County Advertiser newspaper. A historical lecture this weekend on Sunday, 08 April 2018 on Alexander Hamilton and the Schuyler family.

Stephentown Historical Society Meeting

Heidi Hill will give an illustrated talk about Alexander Hamilton and the Schuyler family at the Stephentown Historical Society meeting on Sunday, April 8, at 2:00 p.m. The event is at the Stephentown Heritage Center, 4 Staples Road (corner of Garfield Road), Stephentown, New York. The program is free and the building is handicapped accessible. For directions, telephone (518) 733-0010.

Alexander Hamilton has reentered popular culture with the musical "Hamilton!" Hill will tell of his connection with the family of General Philip Schuyler of Albany through marriage to Schuyler's daughter Elizabeth.

Hill is Historica Site Manager of Schuyler Mansion and Crailo State Historic Sites in Albany and Rensselaer, new York, respectively. She appeared in the WMHT-TV production "Hamilton's Albany."