I am not sure why but on October 21st, 1890, my Gr Gr Gr Gr Uncle, Patrick Dolan, paid to have several of his sister’s Kelly kin reburied. They were originally buried at Calvary Cemetery (I am assuming this was Calvary Cross?) and reburied at Holy Cross Cemetery in Colma, CA.
The cemetery sent me a bunch of xeroxed cards. Right from the start the information caused me indigestion.
First, why did Patrick Dolan pay for all these reburials for his sister, Catherine’s, family? If there was some sort of necessity, why didn’t Catherine’s husband, Martin Kelly, pay for the reburial?
Second, why did Patrick Dolan purchase 3 other plots when his wife and Mother-in-law died before him? Why wasn’t his wife, Mary (Kelley) Dolan, buried with him?
Those questions were only the beginning. As I analyzed the cards, I realized that some of the information didn’t add up. It was going to be a challenge to sort it out with the death records for the period I needed non-existent.
