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:
1905
Directions:
The cemetery is located on de la Savane between
Mountain Sights and Kindersley Avenues (just east 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: 1892, but it was used by
the Temple Emanu-El and other synagogues starting
in about 1883, and about 35 burials date from that era.
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
Outrement, Quebec H2V 2P9
Established: 1892
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