Cemeteries open on Web year round

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You may have seen the Maine Old Cemetery Association Inscription Project records, also known as MIP, on microfilm in several libraries.

The first two series are available at the Bangor Public Library, University of Maine’s Fogler Library, the Maine State Library in Augusta, Penobscot Marine Museum in Searsport, Maine Historical Society in Portland, Patten Free Library in Bath and the DAR Library in Washington, D.C., among others.

The state library also has the three series in book form.

Not all Maine cemeteries are included yet, because the project is the work of countless volunteers. But many of us have had good luck finding burial records for ancestors more quickly than we might by seeking out individual graveyards. And in Maine, of course, there are a few months each year when cemeteries really aren’t walkable.

The MOCA records themselves are not on the Internet, but you will find useful the “under construction” index to the three MIP series on microfilm.

The index is available at www.rootsweb.com/:

. Windham, Maine, Genealogy Project, including cemetery records, marriage indexes 1906-1944, family records compiled by Samuel Dole in 1897, and some death records.

. Cemetery Records of Leeds, Androscoggin County, Maine.

. Togus National Cemetery (veterans), Maine, well-indexed.

. Somerset County Cemeteries.

. Waterboro Cemeteries.

. Cemetery Registration Page.

. The USGenWeb Tombstone Transcription Project.

. A Few Cemeteries in Maine.

. Waldo County Cemeteries. Information only.

. Interment.net: Cemetery Interment Lists. Includes some cemetery listings from other states, Canada.

. VOCA Home, information about the Vermont Old Cemetery Association.

. Bingham Library, with transcriptions of some cemeteries in the area.

. Alton, Argyle, Bradley, Burlington, Chester, Corinna, Edinburg, Enfield, West Enfield, Howland, Lee, Lincoln, Lowell, Milo, Old Town, Passadumkeag, Prentiss, Seboeis Plantation, Saco, Springfield, Winn. This listing also includes death records from the former St. Joseph Catholic Church in Old Town.

You will find that the “A Few Cemeteries in Maine” site covers cemeteries in Ashland, Avon, Byron, Carthage, Chelsea, Chesterville, Dallas Plantation, Eustis, Farmington, Freeman, Garfield, Highland Plantation, Industry, Jay, Kingfield, Lexington, Litchfield, Livermore, Madison, Madrid, Manchester, Masardis, Mercer, Mount Vernon, New Portland, New Sharon, New Vineyard, Oxbow, Palermo, Phillips, Portage, Rangeley, Rome, Salem, Sandy River Plantation, Springfield, Starks, Strong, Temple, Weld, West Gardiner, Wilton and East Wilton, and Windham.

The above list is organized by county on the Web site, but we’ve printed it here as a statewide list to help you decide whether the site offers something for you.

Among all the cemetery projects mentioned on the MOCA site, you will find some cemeteries indexed by surname and some not; some with names listed alphabetically and some not. The number of people involved in these projects is too many for us to name individually, but they deserve a pat on the back for what they have shared.

Is there a cemetery you could copy next spring? Doing so is a great way to honor your ancestors and your community.

Contact MOCA at P.O. Box 641, Augusta, ME 04332-0641. Dues are

$5 a year, or $100 for a life membership.

3043. LISHNESS-SAWYER. Looking for information and birth date for Fred D. Lishness, who md. Laura Frances Sawyer Dec. 8, 1888. He d. Nov. 16, 1941, bearers including Phillip Lishness and Arthus L. Lishness Jr. I don’t know their relationship to Fred, who was son of Rufus Lishness, b. Lexington, and Minerva (Ware) Lishness, b. Augusta. Laura b. Dec. 20, 1864, Machias; d. Jan. 1, 1944, Augusta. Bob Sawyer, HC35 Box 97, Gouldsboro, ME 04607; telephone 963-2945; or e-mail rockyshore@acadia.net.

3044. AYER-SMITH-WOODBRIDGE. Looking for information on Mary Ayer, b. 1778 at Sheepscot, to James and Mary (Woodbridge) Ayer. She md. Oct. 19, 1802, Ebenezer Smith, b. 1768 at St. David’s Parish, New Brunswick. Smith children: Ebenezer Jr., Rhoda, Louisa, Thankful, Jane, Stephen and Andrew, all born at St. David’s. Betty Ann Howard, P.O. Box 4535, Portland, ME 04112.

3045. COCHRAN-GORDON-DAY. Seeking information, descendants, marriage and death dates and places for Etta Mae (Cochran) Gordon. She was b. Sept. 6, 1865, Codyville, to John and Orena (Day) Cochran. Don’t have first name of Etta’s husband. There were two known female children, who md. a Pomroy and a Miller. Deborah Cross, P.O. Box 385, Brooks, ME 04921.

Send queries to Family Ties, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor, ME 04402; or e-mail familyti@bangordailynews.net. Full name and address of sender is required even if e-mail is used.