My Most Recently Departed at Calverton National Cemetery

In pursuit of visiting the burial location of my known direct ancestors it dawned on me that I had not visited a few of my more recently very dear departed family; all of which are buried at Calverton National Cemetery which is located in eastern Suffolk County on Long Island, NY. Until very recently it was the largest National Cemetery in the United States.

Other than my most recent visit on March 3, 2021, I have only been to Calverton on two other occasions; one time for the funeral of my Great Uncle Bobby and the other for the funeral of my Great Uncle Bill.

Like many National Cemeteries the funeral services are not done graveside. The services are held in a little covered pavilion area. So I had never been to Bobby's or Bill's gravesites, just to the service pavilion on the day of their respective funerals. In April 2020, both of their wives succumbed to COVID-19 while living in different nursing home facilities on Long Island. The extended family was unable to have any funeral services for Aunt Ann or Aunt Margaret. Along with these two sets of great-aunts & great-uncles, I have also really wanted to visit the grave of my father's Cousin Brian who lost his battle to lung cancer in December 2018. I had souls to see in Calverton.

Calverton is unusual in that they permit brief epitaphs on their headstones. Most National Cemeteries don't offer this option; or at least they haven't in the past as my Grandma Gardner doesn't have one not do the ones around her.

So this past Wednesday, March 3 was a beautiful day. I had the afternoon off and my Godmother, Aunt Jo, was able to make the trip out to Calverton with me. Calverton is a little over an hour away from me so it a trip but we trekked out there to locate the graves of these five beloved family members:

1. My Great Uncle Robert "Bobby" Henry, my grandma's older brother, who passed on 30 April 2011 at the age of 85. He was such a quiet soul; always so happy to see me. When prompted he would share great family stories rich in detail that helped my research so much. His epitaph reads: "Strong and Kind Loved by All"

2. My Great Uncle William "Bill" Cramer, my grandma's brother-in-law, who passed on 1 October 2012 at the age of 90. he had a wonderful sense of humor and will be forever remembered in my mind as a hard working Fuller Brush salesman. I think he worked until he was nearly 80. His epitaph made me laugh out loud in the cemetery. It reads: " Friendship Ceases in a Card Game"

3. The youngest of my father's first cousin and dad's godson, Brian Henry, who passed on 22 December 2018 at just 51 years-old. Like his dad, Uncle Bobby, Brian was such a quiet soul. I loved him so much. I loved them all but I really adored any time I spent with Brian. Our visits were few and far between but they always felt as though no time had passed at all. His epitaph reads: "Our Beloved Son and Brother. Rest in Peace."

4. My Great Aunt Anna Henry-Cramer, my grandma's sister, who passes on 6 April 2020 at the age of 92. An antique dealer for some time, she bequeathed to me my most prized family heirloom; a photo of my great grandfather, Charles Aloysius Henry, taken when he was about 2 or 3. Her epitaph reads: "Loving Wife Mother Grandma and Holy Roller"

and 5. My Great Aunt Margaret Joyce-Henry, my grandma's sister-in-law, who passed on 14 April 2020 at the age of 91. My Aunt Margaret had the gift of gab. While attending Nassau Community College in the early 1990s, I'd occasionally visit her and Uncle Bobby when I passed their street on my way home from school. She's chat and chat and chat while Uncle Bobby would quietly prepare to have me stay for dinner. Such a sweet woman. She was born in Montreal but grew up in Scotland. I can still hear the lilt of her voice. Her epitaph read: "Beloved Wife Mother Devoted To Faith Family"

When I say I had souls to see at Calverton, I know they are not there. I know they are undeniably with me and their other loved ones in ways we do not comprehend. The effort to make the trip and see their final resting places though, makes one cognizant of their physical absence and ever present meaning they hold in our lives.