Every parish had a cemetery, the oldest grave was the first to be used,
families that had means could by the grave and any family member could
be buried there after 7 years, the length of time differed between
cemeteries. Some areas decomposed the body faster than others. In
Madalena for example, they used to add lime to the graves to speed the
process. Now 4 vases with liquid are added to the coffins, this is done
because now a days many pass away in Horta, Terceira or Sao Miguel and
by law for the body to travel it has to be inside a zinc box inside the
coffin, before the coffin is lowered it is opened and a whole is cut in
the zinc box this starts the decomposing process.
In the old days if a grave is dug and the body was still intact, it was
reburied for another 7 years, if it is still intact the body after that
time the body it taken and put on a boat and taken out to sea where they
would beat the body and dump it in the ocean. I do not know what is the
current process after 7 years.
Most families knew where their loved ones were buried, some marked the
graves with a cross others stopped by once in a while to drop flowers or
prayed. But people mostly offered masses or donated to the poor in the
deceased name. Visiting the grave site was not the tradition that I
remember.
A paid grave can be reused in times of need or when there are no other
graves available.
Manny
On 4/22/2014 11:36 PM, p...@dholmes.com wrote:
Same happens in Hungary.
I did a search for my great-great-grandfather there and found the
cemetery, but no sign of his remains or headstone (if he ever had one)
from the 1860s.
But one way to look at it is also beneficial. I found in one Hungarian
village someone with the same rather unique surname and it turned out
to be the brother of my great-great-grandmother. I think the headstone
was from the early 1900s and the fact it's still there (a very nice
and tall tombstone) tells me someone has been paying for it and I have
yet to track them down. They would be fairly close cousins.
Same thing for me in Piedade, Pico. I found a Leal da Rosa headstone,
pretty new, and knew there was a cousin not far away. I did find them
and they were 4th or 5th cousins, I believe.
I wonder if the cemetery makes some kind of notification before
removal. Otherwise, I think many more might be gone if people forgot
to renew.
Doug da Rocha Holmes
Sacramento, California
Pico & Terceira Genealogist
916-550-1618
www.dholmes.com <http://www.dholmes.com>
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [AZORES-Genealogy] Bizarre...but is it true?
From: Herb <herbandj...@verizon.net <mailto:herbandj...@verizon.net>>
Date: Tue, April 22, 2014 6:32 pm
To: azores@googlegroups.com <mailto:azores@googlegroups.com>
Yes it's true. I have lived and travelled to dozens of countries
and this practice is common all over the world. There isn't enough
room for all the bodies. My grandfather died in Terceira and was
buried there in 1940, aged 40. When I lived in Terceira I went to
the cemeteries to search for his headstone or some information on
him and found out his bones had been removed 7 years after the
burial. In Terceira it was 7 years I don't know about the other
islands. In Guam I think it was 11 years after burial when I lived
there. When I lived in the UK they leased plots for a period of 25
50 or 99 years. It's the same in Australia. Paris and Rome have
famous ossuaries and catacombs
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