Saturday, June 9 10 AM to 5 PM
Rain or shine

WHO: The Calvary Cemetery Association
WHAT: 138th Annual Memorial Day Mass Celebrating American Patriots
WHEN: Sunday, May 27 beginning at Noon
WHERE: Calvary Cemetery, 1625 Calvary Drive, Dayton, OH 45409
Details:
Boy Scout Troop 516 will unfold and flourish an acre size flag beginning at noon on Calvary’s front hill, then retire the colors at about 12:20 PM.
Uniformed Members of the 4th Degree Knights of Columbus will escort Father Scott Wright into the service and stand in salute.
Launch of 300 red, white and blue balloons immediately following the service.
History of Memorial Day at Calvary Cemetery
Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The first Decoration Day march and mass at Calvary Cemetery was organized by Civil War Veteran and GAR Earnshaw Post member John Deis in 1874.

On June 1, 2012, from 3:30 to 3:35 PM, Calvary Cemetery’s chapel bill will ring as a part of the city wide tribute to the extraordinary life of Wilbur Wright. Flags will fly at half-mast and employees will observe a moment of silence in sodality with other Miami Valley businesses and organizations commemorating Wright’s death.
Wilbur Wright and his brother Orville had a profound effect on the world, of course, but also changed the destiny of many Daytonians lives. Among them is Bernard Whelan, one of the 119 Early Birds, trained by the Wright brothers at Huffman Prairie. Whelan went on to become Colonel Deed’s private pilot and broke altitude records testing new airplanes for Dayton-Wright. Whelan trained other pilots in the signal corps during WWI and assisted in the development of practical helicopter technology. He eventually founded United Aircraft and over the years was President of the Early Birds, promoting aviation all over the globe. Whelan lived to be 93, passed away in 1983, and is buried at Calvary Cemetery.

White birds were released at the end of the ceremony

Visitors enjoying the new garden

Video Link: http://abc.daytonsnewssource.com/shared/newsroom/top_stories/videos/wkef_vid_6230.shtml

Philip Zenni, Titanic survivor, in a picture contributed by his family

April 15th, 2012 is the 100th Anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. Calvary plans to mark this anniversary by tolling historic St Henry’s Memorial Chapel bells 100 times to remember all those lost and celebrate those who survived. There is a Titanic survivor buried here named Philip Zenni. His descendants are still here in Dayton.
Zenni was originally from Syria, and his Syrian name was Fahim Leeni. Like the names of so many other immigrants, his name was Anglicized by a well-meaning entry officer at Ellis Island. Zenni had left his wife and young son in his native country and sent for them after he reached Dayton, Ohio.
Zenni boarded the Titanic from France as a third class passenger. The rooms for third class passengers were located very close to the bottom of the boat. Zenni somehow managed to make his way up and sneak onto a lifeboat after repeatedly being told they were saving the women and children first. The passengers in the lifeboat rowed for two miles and were finally saved by the Carpathia around 5 a.m.
After the tragic accident, Zenni toured around Ohio retelling stories of his time on the Titanic. These tours led him to be known as “Mr. Titanic.” There is some speculation that he was on the same lifeboat as Margaret “Unsinkable Molly” Brown. Zenni passed away in 1927 from pneumonia as a complication of typhoid fever.
Zenni’s great grandson, Tom Heiser, lives in the Dayton area and will be joining us, accompanied by his family, on this day to celebrate the anniversary. Calvary will be hosting a luncheon for the family and following lunch, the family will assist in ringing the chapel bells 100 times, one ring for each year.
Heiser and his family also plan to see the Titanic musical in honor of this anniversary year.
We hope others will visit Calvary on April 15th to remember all of the lives lost on that dreadful day.

Clemmens Great grand nephew poses with his ancestor's statue at the unvieling

Edward Focke Breen and the statue of Clemment he and his family have placed in Calvary Cemetery

Dodds Monument delivers new statue and base

“Clement Focke Comes Home”
Child’s Memorial Statue from 1888 Replaced by Descendants

Clement Focke was seven years old when he drowned in his grandparent’s farm pond in 1888. The bereaved family created a beautiful life-size marble statue to mark his grave in Calvary Cemetery. Over a century later, the statue fell apart and disappeared. The members of the Focke family spent three years planning and raising money to replace it.
Today their hopes of “bringing Clement home” have been realized. Dodd’s Monument delivered and installed the new statue with a larger base. The original statue was fashioned after a photograph of the young man leaning against a tree stump. The new statue is the same, but it is made of granite for increased longevity and a bas relief instead of a full body form for durability.
Edward Breen, family spokesperson and a great grand cousin of Clement said “This project brought together many Focke descendants who did not know each other. I started off by sending a letter to every Focke in the Dayton phone book, found some and then they contacted others. It has been nice to meet these folks and work with them to restore the statue.”
The family is planning an official blessing of the statue on Saturday, April 28 at 9:30 AM. Father Joseph Goetz will bestow the blessing. The Statue will be unveiled by Clements’s great grandnephew; a ten year old who will be dressed in period clothes like Clement is wearing in the photograph.

Statue brings Dayton family together: wdtn.com

genealogy workshop brochure (3)

Nationally Known Genealogist to Lead Seminar at Calvary Cemetery

Professional genealogist and author Sharon DeBartolo Carmack of Salt Lake City, Utah,  will share tips and research resources for family historians in an all day workshop here on Saturday, May 19. Carmack is known for her educational and entertaining style, presenting her material in way that is useful for both beginners as well as advanced in their knowledge of geneaology.

There will be two sessions in the morning, an hour and a half box lunch break with a tour of the cemetery and two sessions in the afternoon. The titles of her lessons include: “Cryptic Clues in the Boneyard”, “Flesh on Bones, Putting Your Ancestors into Historical Perspective”, “From Yawner to Page Turner; Writing a Compelling Family History”, and”Love Letters, Diaries and Autobiographies: Let’s Leave Them Something to Talk About” . As a bonus, Carmack will do a  ” Primetime 20/20 interview” the world’s oldest living genealogist, “Ole Smirnoff Bernatelli”. 

Doors open at 8:30 AM, sessions begin at 9 AM. Last session concludes at 4:15 PM. Work shop and tour to be held rain or shine in Calvary’s historic St Henry’s Chapel.

Pre-registration for the event is strongly suggested as seating is limited. click here to download our mail-in registration form. Call 293-1221 for more information and call-in reservations. Advanced registration is $40. Box lunch is $12. Attendees paying at the door, $50. Members of the Montgomery County Genealogy Society rate is $28.

Registration Form

Sharon DeBartolo Carmack, professional genealogist and author

Tracing your family roots: wdtn.com

Whelan was also the owner and founder of United Technology, the parent corporation of United Aircraft. Colonel E. A. Deeds requested Whelan become a test pilot for Pratt and Whitney. Whelan also served as Col. Deeds’ personal pilot. Whelan later became General Manager of Vought-Sikorsky, a division of United Aircraft, until he retired in 1958.

 Among his other accomplishments he was a key player in the development and use of helicopters. Whelan was also the president of the Early Birds, an organization of pilots who soloed in the first thirteen years of powered flight.