On a Mission!

I have recently been doing research for a cousin on a burial in St. Louis Cemetery No. 2 in New Orleans. In addition, I am interested in looking up some of my own ancestor's tombs....so I made my initial visit to the cemetery. What a shame! Ugh. It is depressing. What's worse is...who is to blame? I have no idea...but I feel frantic about preservation. After all, this is my family's resting place. I don't want to bash the church, that being said, if they still own this historic cemetery, they ought to be ashamed of the condition and to have the nerve to post a sign that asks visitors to respect the "holy..resting place"! Look at the condition it has been left in! How can anyone respect it?
I have decided that my first "mission" is going to be a survey of the three squares. I am talking about a true current map including any inscriptions and photos if possible. I am not going to wait for help from organizations that are busy raising money for the projects. It doesn't cost much to get out of your car, walk in with a camera, pen and paper and get to work. It may take me years, but it will get done. I am thinking that I will need to consult any records, maps, etc at the HNOC and I will do my homework first. I wish there were more I could do, but this will be a great place to start. If anyone out there can think of any tips or ideas that would be helpful please dont hesitate to contact me.

Don't Let Them Crumble Away!

My website has a page dedicated to the cemeteries of New Orleans and a brief explanation of what you can do to help preserve them. This is a subject near and dear to my heart. Many of my ancestors are buried in the cemeteries. It can be heartbreaking to see these tombs crumbling. The historic cemeteries of New Orleans are taken for granted by tourists and locals. People do not realize how unique they really are. The above ground tombs are a testament to Creole culture that has built and rebuilt New Orleans many times. I am just getting started in my quest of preservation, but the more I learn and the more resources I find, the more I can do. I will continue to progress both on my website neworleansancestry.com and on my blogs.