I found Find A Grave while researching my Berks County, PA family but could not find many of my Philadelphia ancestors. So, I decided to join and add their memorials. Many of them are interred in MHR -- Most Holy Redeemer Cemetery in the Frankford / Bridesburg section of Philadelphia. I became interested in the cemetery and neighborhood.

I photographed large sections of MHR and added those memorials. I learned a lot about the history, people, and neighborhoods that my grandparents and their parents experienced in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. I’ve learned a lot about their lives through the people around them. The cemetery itself tells the story of migration and world history, starting with German migrants, then Polish, Austrian, Russian, Italian, then Eastern Europe.

Reading through hundreds of death certificates has given me new appreciation for modern medicine. So many diseases and conditions are now detected early and treated or prevented altogether. Modern safety regulations also prevent the horrendous accidents that took place in Philadelphia’s factories.

Please feel free to use and share my photos. I will gladly transfer memorials over to family members. Let me know of any typos or corrections needed -- some handwriting is difficult to decipher; many records also have conflicting information.

LL.

I found Find A Grave while researching my Berks County, PA family but could not find many of my Philadelphia ancestors. So, I decided to join and add their memorials. Many of them are interred in MHR -- Most Holy Redeemer Cemetery in the Frankford / Bridesburg section of Philadelphia. I became interested in the cemetery and neighborhood.

I photographed large sections of MHR and added those memorials. I learned a lot about the history, people, and neighborhoods that my grandparents and their parents experienced in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. I’ve learned a lot about their lives through the people around them. The cemetery itself tells the story of migration and world history, starting with German migrants, then Polish, Austrian, Russian, Italian, then Eastern Europe.

Reading through hundreds of death certificates has given me new appreciation for modern medicine. So many diseases and conditions are now detected early and treated or prevented altogether. Modern safety regulations also prevent the horrendous accidents that took place in Philadelphia’s factories.

Please feel free to use and share my photos. I will gladly transfer memorials over to family members. Let me know of any typos or corrections needed -- some handwriting is difficult to decipher; many records also have conflicting information.

LL.