EVERWOOD or EVERGREENS Cemetery of Brooklyn, New York

I am obsessed with graveyards or cemeteries. Whenever I am visiting family in other locations far from where I live; I ask for a trip to visit family who have moved on.

My brother does the rubbing, as my cousin looks on.

In 1999, I took a trip to New York to visit my paternal cousins. My cousin, Jack, along with my brother, mother and myself drove out to and walked into the office building of Evergreens Cemetery of Brooklyn, New York, to ask where the PIÑAs were located in the cemetery. The file card was pulled out and I wrote down the EIGHT names and burial dates with the location of the tombstone. We found the tombstone, but to my disappointment, with only three names engraved upon it. The gold attachment with the words “Endowment Fund” caught my attention. I find out that someone paid for the eternal care of this plot with regular care and maintenance which includes the cutting of grass, caring for trees, watering, roads, drainage, etc. of area around paid plot.

Now I want to know who paid for it and when the tombstone was put up. My guess is Aunt Margarite paid for this to be done after her death.Why are the other family members not remembered in such a memorial way? I realize some family members do not like cemeteries as to the sorrowful memories they associate with them. After 3 generations, we are forgotten. 

We later find, in cousin Jack's possession, the legal document from the cemetery stating where everyone is located. These plots were bought on 28 June 1917 by my grandaunt, Margarite Piña, for $170 in the assigned Nazareth 1618 section. There are four graves with the allotment of three per grave. 

In grave 1, there is Fred Walter COOPER (18 Aug 1921-29 Jan 1923) Obituary says Fred Walter Cooper. Death certificate states Fred Walter Cooper. Aunt Margarite labels him as Walter F. My mother overwrites Frederick Walter Cooper. Fred is the second son of John C. COOPER and Sophie R. PIÑA. Fred is my uncle. See blog post, John Carrick Cooper - Part 4, http://familyfilmfabricfood.blogspot.com/2016/06/john-carrick-cooper-1886-1969-part-4.html

Alexander Sisson Cooper

Second is A. Cooper or Alexander Sisson COOPER (3 Oct 1854- 28 Mar 1927). I have a copy of his death certificate. Alexander is my great grandfather.

There is one open plot.

Ramon Piña

In grave 2, with a tombstone, there is Pa or Ramon PIÑA (4 Sept 1847-7 June 1917). With the occurrence of her father’s death, Margarite bought these plots. I have a copy of his death certificate and obituary. Ramon Piña is my great grandfather.

Anna Brazy Gunther

Second is Grandma or Anna Maria BRAZY GUNTHER (24 Jul 1836-3 July 1919). I have a copy of her death certificate and obituary. Anna, Margaret Gunther’s mother, is my 2nd great-grandmother. 

Margaret Gunther Piña

Thirdly, is Mom or Margaret GUNTHER PIÑA (July 1867-26 Oct 1938). I have a copy of her death certificate and obituary. Margaret is my great-grandmother.

This plot is full.

Margarite Piña

In grave 3, Margarite PIÑA (27 July 1887-15 Aug 1980) is buried. She is the one who paid for this gravesite. She is my grandaunt. See blog post, 

Margarite PIÑA (18871980), 

http://familyfilmfabricfood.blogspot.com/2016_11_01_archive.html

There are two open plots.

In grave 4, there is John C. COOPER (5 Nov 1886-15 Jul 1968). I have a copy of his death certificate. Jack is my grandfather. See all six blog posts about John Carrick Cooper.

Sophie Piña Cooper

John Carrick Cooper

Second, is Sophie Ramona PIÑA 
COOPER (8 Dec 1888-29 Aug 1968). I have a copy of her death certificate. She was known as "Honey" and she is my grandmother. See blog post, Sophie Ramona Piña (1886-1969),

http://familyfilmfabricfood.blogspot.com/2016/07/sophie-ramona-pina-1886-1969.html

There is one open plot.

I learned so much about my family from this 1999 visit to Evergreens Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York. Here is Evergreens website. http://www.theevergreenscemetery.com

I also ordered this wonderful book about the history of Evergreens Cemetery from Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Green-Oasis-Brooklyn-Evergreens-1849-2008/dp/0978689941/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235754261&sr=8-1

Margarite PIÑA (1886-1980)

Grandaunt Margarite -1902 - age 15

Aunt Margarite PIÑA---my only grandaunt I met and remember. In the summer of 1968, we took a visit to New York City with her to Radio City Music Hall to see the Rockettes. I have a photo of my brother, Gib, and Margarite with me. I remember this was taken with my first Kodak Instamatic camera. She always made us laugh with her stories. She would remember my birthday with a card and $2 cash every year. She was a great letter writer. She died in 1980. 

In 2000, after my maternal GABUZDA family reunion, I got interested in my father’s family sides. I wrote to my cousin, Jack COOPER, Uncle Bud’s (my father’s older brother) oldest son. Bud had most of the photos and documents of his parents and aunt. Most of these older family photo treasures are copies I made of his pictures.

Margarite PIÑA was the first born in Brooklyn, New York, 27 July 1887. She shared her mother’s name Margaret GUNTHER who married Ramon PIÑA, 20 years her senior, in 1886. Her father was born in Cuba in 1847 and emigrated to New York by 1876. Her mother was born in Brooklyn in 1867 with French/German heritage.

Margarite trained to be a teacher in the New York City public schools. She focused on Remedial Reading Skills. She retired in 1952 after 45 years of teaching. She spent her summers tutoring and traveling with friends. 

Most of her life she lived with her parents or her siblings. She never married.

I remember visiting her weeks before she died. She is buried at Everwood Cemetery in Brooklyn. She bought a dozen plots in 1917 (time of her father’s death) for $170. There are 4 graves with the allotment of 3 per grave. There are 8 family members buried here at this time. There is only one tombstone with 3 names, which includes Margarite with her parents. The gold attachment on the tomb stone says “Endowment Fund.” This means that Margarite paid for eternal care of this area.