How to Find a Burial in
Alan Greenberg, alan.greenberg@mcgill.ca
Finding out when and where a person was buried is often a critical
next-step in genealogy. Unlike most other North American cities, the vast
majority of Montreal synagogues were (and are) Orthodox. As a result, locating
a burial not only gives you the date of death, but in most cases, the tombstone
will also have a Hebrew inscription including the father’s name. There is also
a possibility that a family member has arranged for permanent care or is
currently paying for annual flowers to be planted, and that his or her name is
on file with the cemetery. This tutorial will step through your options in
locating a Montreal burial and, as a result, finding family.
Cemeteries
All Montreal Jewish cemeteries were located on farmland, outside of the
city limits. In all but one case, these areas have now become developed,
residential areas. Prior to the 1950’s, there were only five Jewish cemeteries
in use in Montreal, with two of them used for the vast number of burials.
The Baron De Hirsch Affiliated
Cemeteries (formerly United Hebrew Cemeteries) was established in 1892. The
Baron De Hirsch (BdeH) includes a large number of sections affiliated with
synagogues and private burial societies. The cemetery has in the order of
50,000 burials. The BdeH has a computer-based database and will respond to
e-mail, telephone, fax and paper-mail-based requests. E-mail is the recommended
method. Note that the computer-based list does not include the headstones which
have Hebrew-only inscriptions. It may not include burials for which a headstone
was never erected or where the headstone inscription is no longer readable.
Their contact details are – Address: 5015 de la Savane,
The Back River Memorial
Gardens is a few years older than the BdeH, but is smaller. It too is composed
of several sections affiliated with synagogues and burial societies. The Back
River Cemetery (as it is called) is managed by the BdeH. When BdeH receives a
query (above), they will also check the Back River records (the same
qualifications about missing entries mentioned above also apply). However, the records of the
The other three early cemeteries in Montreal are operated by Montreal’s
three founding synagogues. All three are adjacent to each other on the slopes
of Mount Royal in the centre of the Island of Montreal.
The Spanish and Portuguese - Shearith Israel was Montreal’s first
synagogue and for many years its only Sephardic one. Note however, that many of
its members may well have been Ashkenazic. Their records are moderately
complete. Tel: 514-737-3695 (synagogue).
The Congregation Shaar Hashomayim was Montreal’s second synagogue,
founding in 1846 as the English, German and Polish Congregation. Tel:
514-937-9471, Fax: 514-272-6010.
The Temple Emanu-El (now the Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom following a
merger) was formed as Montreal’s first (and still only) Reform Synagogue. The
cemetery is segregated but physically part of the (largely Christian) Mount
Royal Cemetery. Tel: 514-279-7358, Fax: 514-279-0049.
In the 1950’s, as the Jewish population moved into the suburbs, there
was a need for new synagogues and therefore new cemeteries. Several new
cemeteries were concecrated in the outskirts of Montreal, each used by a number
of the new synagogues as well as for expansion for older synagogues or burial
societies.
Eternal Gardens Cemetery, Tel: 514-695-1751
Kehal Israel Memorial Park, Tel: 514-684-3441, Fax: 514-421-2272.
Mount Pleasant Cemetery - Beth Israel, Tel: 450-661-7016.
There are numerous non-Jewish cemeteries in and near Montreal. The largest
two are listed below.
Mount Royal Cemetery (MRC) is largely Christian, but people of all
faiths are buried there. The Temple Emanu-El cemetery is phyisically part of
MRC. The MRC may include Temple Emanu-El burials. The MRC cemetery is fully
indexed. Online access is currently not available but they will respond to
online queries. See http://www.mountroyalcem.com/products_services/genealogy/index.aspx?lang=en-CA.
Among those buried in the MRC is Anna Leonowens, who you may be familiar with
from the novel and film Anna and the King
of Siam and the Broadway show and film The
King and I.
The Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery is the Catholic cemetery also on Mount
Royal, adjacent to the MRC. They support full online searches- http://www.notredamedesneigescemetery.ca/en/research/locate.htm.
Although the search engine is in French, it is easy to use: Défunt means
Deceased and Rechercher means Search. It will also show you others buried in
the same section.
Funeral Homes
In recent years, almost all Jewish funerals have been conducted by Paperman
& Sons Inc., with some going back as far as 1913. They have a computerized
database for later funerals. In some cases, they have “Burial Permits” which
are roughly equivalent to traditional death certificates in content. However,
privacy laws may make it difficult to obtain these. Contact information - 3888
Jean Talon St. W., Montreal, QC H3R 2G8 Tel: 514-733 7101, Fax: 514-733 1775,
E-mail: information@paperman.com, www.paperman.com.
Beth Olam Levayah operated from December 1997 to October 2001. Records
for 550 funerals conducted by Beth Olam Levayah are available from parent
company, Service Corporation Inc. (SCI). Contact: Mr. Harold Laxer - Tel:
514-342-8000 or 1-888-342-6565, Fax: 514-342-6910.
Chesed Shel Emes, 935 Beaumont Ave., Montreal, QC, Tel:
514-273-3211. Serves Hasidic community.
Prior to the existence of Paperman & Sons, but extending to recent
years, funerals were often conducted by non-Jewish funeral homes. In
particular, the Spanish & Portuguese used the services of Joseph Wray and the
Shaar Hashomayim worked with William Wray. The Temple Emanu-El had similar
arrangements. These two firms have since merged into the Wray, Walton
& Wray Funeral Home. , 1459 Towers, Montreal, QC
H3H 2E2, Tel: 514-483-2320, Fax: 514-938-4242, Contact: Mr. Kevin
MacDonald. Records of Joseph Wray Funeral Home, established 1907, include many
Jewish burials pre-dating the founding of Paperman's. Pre-1995 records
are not computerized. Information in their records varied over the years
with the newer ones having more complete data. The records are organized
variously depending on the year and which company conducted the service. An
extract or copy of the Burial Permit may be available. There is no charge
for this service for requests for one or two records.
Park Maintenance Corporation manages the Kehal Israel Memorial Park and
Eternal Gardens cemeteries and has some indices. Contact info - 460 Isabey, St.
Laurent, Quebec H4T 1V3; Tel: 514-738-5356, Fax: 514-738-3244.
Note that there is a synagogue in Montreal called the Chevra Kadisha –
the traditional name for the group providing Jewish funerals. However, although
they originally had plans to perform these rituals, it never materialized, and
they have no funeral-related functions or records (other than those related to
their own synagogue’s cemetery).
Newspaper Obituaries
Starting in the 1940s (and sometimes before), most Jewish deaths were announced
with paid obituaries in the Montreal Star and/or the Montreal Gazette. Until it
went out of business in 1979, the Montreal Star was more typically used, but
the time of death and the funeral schedule also influenced where the
announcement was made (the Star published in the afternoon, and the Gazette in
the morning). Note that newspaper
obituaries will very often include the names of children, grandchildren,
brothers and sisters and occasionally parents. Locating obituaries is easy
once you have the date of death, but will typically require local Montreal
research or Inter-Library Loan as online listings only cover 2002-present.
Online records for the Gazette can be found at http://classifieds.canada.com/montreal/archives/index.aspx?cls_id=34482&goback=30.
Other resources
The Jewish Genealogical Society of Montreal holds more than 70,000 vital
records for the period from 1842-1942. These records do include some (but not
many) burial records. The records sometimes give little more information than
the name of the deceased and the date, but at times provide a wealth of
information. http://jgs-montreal.org/vital/.
If you know the year of death, the Quebec government can issue a formal death
certificate, but for deaths prior to 1994, the certificate has virtually no
usable genealogical data on it. http://www.etatcivil.gouv.qc.ca/English/Death.htm.
The government will not normally accept genealogy as a valid reason for
ordering a death record.
Death records more than 100 years old are held by the Quebec National
Archives. They do not offer a research service, and all research must be
conducted in person or by hiring a local researcher.
Cemeteries
Baron de Hirsch Affiliated
Cemeteries
5015 de
la Savanne
Montreal,
Quebec
Tel:
514-735-4696
Established: 1892
Directions: The cemetery is located
on de la Savane between Mountain Sights and Kindersley Avenues (just west of
the Decarie Expressway (15) and south of the
Note: Formerly called United Hebrew Cemeteries
Estimated burial count: 55,000 (52,200 known names –
the rest unmarked or un-recorded)
(click image for full-page printable PDF)
Back River Cemetery -
Corner
Berri and Sauve
Managed
by Baron de Hirsch (see above)
Established:
c 1890
Estimated
burial count: 5,500
Directions:
The cemetery is located north-east of downtown Montreal north of the Trans
Canada Highway (40) and east os St. Laurent Blvd. The older section is
between Berri and Lajeunesse north of Sauve. The newer section is on the
west side of Berri south of Sauve.
(click image for full-page printable PDF)
(Congregation)
Shaar Hashomayim Cemetery (founded 1846)
1250 Chemin de la Foret
Outrement, Quebec H2V 4T6
Tel: 514-937-9471 #111
Fax:
514-272-6010
Directions:
The Cemetery is located on the slopes of Mount Royal. de la Foret is a small,
dead-end street just of
Estimated
burial count: 6,000
Spanish
and Portuguese - Shearith Israel (founded 1768)
Chemin de la Foret
Outrement, Quebec
Synagogue
Tel: 514-737-3695
Directions:
The Cemetery is located on the slopes of Mount Royal. de la Foret is a
small, dead-end street just of of
Temple Emanuel Cemetery
1297 Chemin de la Foret
Mount
Royal Cemetery Tel: 514-279-7358
Mount
Royal Cemetery Fax: 514-279-0049
Synagogue
Tel: 514-937-3575
Directions:
The Cemetery is located on the slopes of Mount Royal. de la Foret is a
small, dead-end street just of of Mount Royal Blvd. The cemetery is
within the larger (primarily Protestant) Mount Royal Cemetery. Enter
through the gates at the end of the street, keep to the left after the entrance
area. The designation on the cemetery map is D3.
Elm
Street,
Tel:
450-695-1751
Directions:
Take Trans Canada Highway (40) to Exit 50 (St. Charles Road). Turn left
(south) on St. Charles Road to Evergreen Drive (last street on right before
Highway 20 underpass). Turn right on Evergreen Drive to Elm Avenue.
Left on Elm Avenue past station to cemetery.
Sections:
|------------|
1. Beth El
|
9 | | 2. Beth Zion
|
| 4 | 3. Reconstructionist - Congregation Dorshei Emet
|
2 | | 4. Shaare Zedek
|
| | 5. Shaare Zion
|
| | 6. Temple Emanu-el / Beth Sholom (2 sections)
|
6 | 3 | 7. Spanish and Portuguese
| | | 8.
Communaute Shepharde du Quebec
| 7 |
| includes: Association des Juif Iraniens,
| | 6
| Centre Communautiaire Juif, Hekhal
Shalom,
|
| | Or
Hahayim, Or Sepharad, Or Shalom,
|
5 | 1 | Petah Tikua
|
| |
|------A-----|
\
Street entrance
MONTREAL:
4189
Sources Road,
Tel:
514-684-3441
Fax:
514-421-2272
Directions:
Take Trans Canada Highway (40) to Exit 55 (Sources Road). Turn right
(north) on Sources Road. Cemetery is approximately 1 mile (1.6 km).
(click image for full-page printable PDF)
5505
bas
Tel:
450-661-7016
Established:
about 1959
Directions:
Take the Laurentien Autoroute (15) north. Exit on Highway 440 East.
Exit at Montee St. Francois. Turn left at stop sign, go over hill until
Bas St. Francois (about 2 miles, 3 km). Turn right on Bas St.
Francois. Cemetery is about 1/2 mile (3/4 km) on left.
Note:
Mount Pleasant is a multi-demoninational cemetery. The Jewish section is
immediately past Mausoleums at entrance.
|
# |
|
^ # ^ |
|
16 # 16 | 1. Zawiercie & Vicinity Relief Society of
Mtl
| # | 2.
Krakower Society
| 15 #
| 3. Les Amis de France et de Belgique
|
# | 4. Yishitzer Young Men's Sick Benefit
Assoc.
|
# 14 | 5. Lodzer Farband of Montreal
|
# 13 | 6. Chelmer Society
|
#######| 7. Young Israel of Val Royal
|
# 12 | 8. Beth Israel -
|
10 # 11 | 9. Radomer Mutual Aid Society
|
# 9 | 10. Knights of Pythias
|
#######| 11. Zaglembie Association
|
# 8 | 12.
|
6 # 7 | 13. Young Israel of Chomedy
|
4 # 5 | 14. King Edward Benefit
|
3 # | 15. Congregation Shaar Shalom
|
2 # | 16. Non-Jewish sections
|
1 # |
|
# |
|
# |
|
# |
|------A------|
\
Street entrance
Copyright © 2009 by Alan
Greenberg, Montreal. All rights reserved