Chat
|
Daily Search
|
My GenForum
|
Community Standards
|
Terms of Service
|
|
|
NOTE: The Salvatore M. Geraci mentioned below is Salvatore Marianna Geraci who was the son of Salvatore and Angelina Geraci. He died in 1945 at the age of 24. He never married and had no children. Grandpa(Salvatore)Geraci and all his sons were members of Archimede Lodge No. 935. The adjacent cemetery plot is presently owned by the children of Pasquale Geraci of Conneticut.
Archimede-Roma Foundation
What it is and when it was started.
The rules and regulations governing the foundation have been published in the Archimede-Roma By-Laws. According to what is available to us in records, conversations, and anecodotes, the proposals, discussion, and planning started in the late 1930's or early 40's, just prior to the start of WWII. The family of Brother Salvatore M. Geraci owned some property in Kensico Cemetery, located in present day Valhalla, New York. Archimede Lodge No 935 then began to focus on the development of a dedicated project to be used exclusively for the burial of Archimede Lodge's members and their wives.
Brother Salvatore M. Geraci, who along with his father and brothers, all members of Arcimede lodge, started the ball rolling. With the onset of WW II discussions of Archimede Lodge purchasing a cemetary were put on hold. On March 17,1945, Brother Salvatore M. Geraci was interred in the Geraci family's plot. The members of the Archimede Lodge felt that a fitting memorial to Brother Salvatore M. Geraci and to other deceased brethern would be to establish a permanent burial place for logde members at Kensico Cemetery, located then in the town of Mount Pleasant, in Westchester County, in the State of New York. The 3,049 square feet that constituted the lodge's cemetery was designated by the number 13848 in section 162/25. Through the generosoty and consideration of the Geraci family, together with the hard work of the members of the Archimede Lodge, we were able to obtain that land for the burial of our bretheren and spouses.
The Master of the lodge during this time was Vincent J. Mandese, by profession an attorney, who was a tremendous help in attending to the legal protocols. Brother Louis Pace, who worked in conjunction with Brother Vincemt J. Mandese, was by profession a funeral director.
In 1960, the Master of Archimede Lodge was Alfred L. Geraci, brother of the late Brother Salvatore M. Geraci. It then became Alfred L. Geraci's project to plan a monument for the plot. The officers were asked to voluntarily donate the sum of $200 per officer for the monument. The past masters, members of the lodge, families, and friends also donated generously, and the monument was erected. The designer of the monument was Brother Joseph J. Savio.
In 1966, the Master of Archimede Lodge was Brother Aro Luisetti. He inserted in one of his communications the following, "Dear Brothers, we are contemplating purchasing a plot adjacent to ours so as to round out our section of land. To do so, however, we require additional contributions in any amount you may deem fitting, so as to defray the cost of the proposed purchase."
However, this plan to purchase the adjacent plot never came to fruition. We in Archimede-Roma Lodge would like some day to purchase that adjacent plot and fulfill the vision first proposed by Brother Aro Luisetti over forty years ago. Since theArchimede Lodge and the Roma Lodge merged in 1987, the Archimede Lodge Foundation became known as the Archimede-Roma Foundation, which currently oversees the handling and the maintenance costs of the lodge's cemetery plot at Kensico through the generous contributions of brethern and their families.
The plot can accomodate 100 graves dug two deep, thus totalling 200 interrments. The space in front of the monument can accomodate cremations. Presently, there are 49 occupied graves and 80 interred persons. Brother Salvatore M. Geraci was the first person to buried at Kensico, and Brother George S. Sanon is the latest. Salvatore and Angelina Geraci are also buried in Kensico as is their other son Vincent Geraci.
The lodge traditionally hosts the Annual Commeremorative Service and the Archimede-Roma Foundation committee would like to thank it's supporters for their faithfulness and generosity.
Notify Administrator about this message?
Followups:
|
| http://genforum.genealogy.com/geraci/messages/184.html | ||
 |
Link to GenForum Add Forum |
|