Willard Cemetery at FIND A GRAVE

Posted on by

New York State Hospitals at FIND A GRAVE

As I find more, I will add them to this list.

Willard State Hospital Cemetery: Willard Asylum Cemetery in Willard, New York – Find a Grave Cemetery

Gowanda State Hospital Cemetery: Gowanda State Hospital Cemetery in Collins, New York – Find a Grave Cemetery

Binghamton State Hospital Cemetery: Binghamton State Hospital Cemetery in Binghamton, New York – Find a Grave Cemetery

Central Islip State Hospital (No Names-Only Numbered Graves): Central Islip State Hospital Grounds Cemetery in Central Islip, New York – Find a Grave Cemetery

15 thoughts on “Willard Cemetery at FIND A GRAVE”

  1. Pingback: Willard State Hospital & Cemetery | The Inmates of Willard 1870 to 1900 / A Genealogy Resource

  2. Do you know of anyone who has been able to find and obtain the medical records of a close relative who was housed at Willard for a long period of time? Any information on this would be much appreciated. >

    Like

    Reply ↓

    • I know that before the HIPAA Laws people were able to get medical records. You cannot get them now even if your ancestor died in 1869. Although I wanted to get the medical records of my great-great-grandmother, I thought if I got the names released of the people buried in the cemetery, it would open the door to releasing the medical records. Of course, neither happened. If you want to find your relative in the cemetery, go to Find A Grave. Someone, not I, has obtained the cemetery records and put them on the internet.

      Like

      Reply ↓

  3. I am looking for my great aunts grave at Central Islip state hospital. How do I find her grave if there are only numbers? I have reached out to the state several times to no response.

    Like

    Reply ↓

      • I am not sure if she was transferred to kings park, I spoke to someone who works there and they said burials were stopped at a certain point in time on the property. She may be buried at kings park or a local cemetery.

        Like

        Reply ↓

          • When King’s Park first opened in the late 1800’s, they used a small community cemetery for burial of hospital patients, later expanding it. In the early 1960’s that property was sold to Kings Park School District and the bodies were moved to the Indian Head Road Cemetery. Understandably, the location of all bodies in the ~100-year-old cemetery were not recorded and were missed in the move, some later discovered during construction. That former cemetery has since become part of the school athletic field, something that frequently happens over the course of time when cemeteries are abandoned (with or without moving the bodies) and new construction takes over. In my recent FOIL request, OMH denied having any records of the move.

            I think it’s fair to say they did the best they could at the time. As far as how they re-buried the bodies, that’s another story.

            Like

            Reply ↓

            • According to Darby Penny who worked for the OMH at the time and who has now passed, the bodies were not moved. According to the New York Times reporter who covered the Willard Cemetery, states that this is common knowledge. I know that in Rochester, NY, my hometown, they left the bodies of hundreds of people who were buried from the county poorhouse and asylum on what is now the “Remember Garden” on South Avenue. I spoke to an archeologist who actually found the bodies, they left them there because they felt the bodies were buried deep enough. This “Bone Yard” which I wrote about years ago, was unknown to the City of Rochester and the people who were excavating the site. I found it so I guess they didn’t look very hard!

              1872 “Bone Yard” The Remember Garden – Rochester, NY

              Like

              Reply ↓

                • Look up the New York Times article on Willard. I contacted that man, reporter, years ago. He said it was common knowledge that people are buried there. The city council basically said, no one cares about them anyway. So, children are running and playing baseball on graves. That’s all I know. Please remember that I have doing this for 17 years. I can’t remember everything and everyone that I’ve spoken to. Sorry. -Lin

                  Like

                  Reply ↓

                  • No need to apologize! You have provided endless info on the situations at these hospitals and helped many people. I’m just trying to separate internet rumor from fact and provide documentation. I contacted Dan Barry and he replied: “I have to be honest with you, I have no memory of speaking with Lin or Darby about this — though, granted, it’s been a few years since I was in this terrain.” Let me know if anything else comes to mind.

                    Like

                    Reply ↓

                    • Thank you for the nice comment! As soon as I read the piece that he wrote on the Willard Cemetery, I emailed him and asked him the question. He said in the email that it was common knowledge that the bodies were buried under the youth baseball field. I probably have the email on a flash drive but I don’t have the time to look though those at this time. I wouldn’t lie. That is what he said. Long time ago. -Lin

                      Like

Please Share Your Thoughts!