Join the Genealogical Society of Bergen County on a FIELD TRIP in August!

Instead of its regular monthly meeting, GSBC will be visiting the Garden State Crematory (formerly the New York and New Jersey Crematory) on Kennedy Blvd., North Bergen, NJ, Saturday, 3 August, at 10:00 am.

Although mostly forbidden by local and/or religious law previously, cremation has been a popular choice for many beginning around the turn of the twentieth century. If you have family who were living in Bergen or Hudson counties, or in Manhattan, and cannot figure out where they were buried, maybe they weren’t buried! Joan Rivers, among other notables, was cremated at this facility.

The crematory is housed in Becker’s Castle, an imposing brownstone building that overlooks Weehawken Cemetery. Part of the crematory is a columbarium, which is akin to a mausoleum or indoor cemetery. The columbarium holds the cremated remains (aka cremains) of thousands of north Jersey and New York City residents in individual or family niches which are available for visiting, much like a cemetery.

Registration

Registration is necessary, as tour space is limited. Please sign-up for this fascinating and informative event at https://forms.gle/MkqBYRLaMcLWw8NK6. Use a separate form for each attendee.

Parking is available on-site. Please advise if you are interested in carpooling—either riding or driving.

Note that GSBC Members may receive priority but we will work to accommodate everyone. Capacity for the tour is limited and outside of our control. You will receive a confirmation after signing up online. If you need to cancel, please contact us so we can open the space to another. (The Hudson County Genealogical and Historical Society held a tour of this facility last year, and due to the overwhelming response, the HCGS tour is also being repeated.)

Questions?

Use the sign-up form or the email link above to contact Lauren Maehrlein, GSBC Programming Chair.

Thanks to the Hudson County Genealogical & Historical Society for the images—and for the inspiration for this tour! (https://www.hudsoncountynjgenealogy.org)