Albany Grave Digger Genealogical Services

04/07/2025

Due to a serious medical condition, my professional genealogy and gravestone conservation pursuits are on hold. I will update in mid/late summer.

04/10/2024

Installed this morning in the rain with my 83 year-old grave digger sidekick.

Abraham L. Witbeck served in the Rev War with his father Luycas Witbeck and younger brother John L. Witbeck.

Abraham's gravestone deteriorated and disappeared years ago. A new stone was acquired from the VA. Now he stands upright for eternity.

03/30/2024

Genealogist's who are interested in German genealogy are suggested to check out the link below. The Palatines to America German Genealogy Society are hosting their 2024 National Conference on 6-9 June 2024 in Albany.

The New York Chapter of PalAm is hosting the event. Our keynote speaker will be PHILIP L. OTTERNESS, PhD. Professor Otterness earned his PhD in History at the University of Iowa. He is a professor of history at Warren Wilson College in North Carolina.

10/21/2023

Coming up next Sunday, 10/29, 2 pm, Town of Colonie Library, 629 Albany-Shaker Rd.

01/15/2023

RootsTech 2023 is getting closer and closer! March 2-4, 2023
Register now!

A family history conference. An on-demand learning library. A way to grow closer to the people, places, and stories that matter most. RootsTech is all that and so much more. Join us as we celebrate the joy of connection together.

09/09/2022

At NYG&B Family History Conference with cousin Dori.

08/17/2022

The NYG&B Family History Conference is coming up soon. Who is planning on attending?

Register for the 2022 New York State Family History Conference

08/07/2022

Saturday August 27th @ 1pm I will be giving a presentation on gravestone conservation on Zoom through the Capital District Genealogical Society. Check the web page for further information and instructions.

https://www.capitaldistrictgenealogicalsociety.org/

04/17/2022

Hands-on Gravestone Conservation Workshop

When: Saturday, 23 April 2022

Where: Beverwyck Cemetery, Washington Ave., Rensselaer, near Doane Stuart School

Time: 8:30 AM till 1 PM



In our outdoor classroom, the Beverwyck Cemetery, learn hands-on, the proper methods and what materials are used to correctly conserve gravestones. Christopher White, genealogist, historian, and gravestone conservator will lecture, demonstrate, and instruct one-on-one with attendees the following:

∙ Different types and styles of gravestones

∙ Problems associated with gravestones

∙ Knowing your limitations

∙ Proper method for cleaning gravestones

∙ Resetting tablet style gravestones

∙ Resetting mortise and tenon gravestones

∙ Repairing broken gravestones

12/27/2021

Extraordinary Opportunity - The Hank Jones Collection

- please consider supporting this Everyone studying or researching Germans who emigrated from the Palatinate during the colonial period has referenced books written by Hank Jones or saw him speak at genealogy conferences.
Hank has been researching 18th century Palatines since 1960. He is the author of The Palatine Families of Ireland, The Palatine Families of New York – 1710 and a recent supplement.

Much of his research was done on-site, village-to-village in collaboration with Carla Mittelstaedt-Kubaseck. Together they documented over 600 of the ancestral origins of the 847 families who arrived in New York in 1710.

During his research, Hank assembled quite a collection of reference books. To be more specific, approximately 850 book volumes, 1970 thru 2020 issues of The New York Genealogical & Biographical Record and filing cabinets full of Carla Mittelstaedt – Kubaseck’s many reports. He used these re sources to do his own research to document and share information about the colonial period Palatines.

Hank would like to donate his library to the NYS chapter of Palam. Arrangements have already been made to house the collection at the Germantown, NY Library and the Germantown, NY History Department in the old Reformed Parsonage. The library will be assisting with cataloging, shelving, and preserving this collection to make it available to the public.

Our NY Chapter needs to raise the funds to have the collection boxed and delivered 3,000+ miles from Hank’s home in California to Germantown by professional movers. In addition, once the collection is here, we will have additional costs to shelve, index and preserve the items so they can be accessed.

This is a wonderful opportunity to make Hank’s private resources available to the public for their own research. This is a one-of-a-kind collection.

Please consider a monetary donation to make this possible. The NY Chapter of PalAm is a non-profit 501 (c ) (3) organization so your donation is tax deductible. I
f you have any ques tions, please email: palamny@gmail.com. We appreciate your donation supporting this wonderful effort!
PayPal contributions can be made to our account at Palamny@gmail.com please note it is for the Hank Jones collection
or make checks payable to:
NY Chapter Palatines to America, please write on the check “Hank Jones Collection”.
Mail to: Garry Finkell, Treasurer NY Chapter PalAm
PO Box 8811
Albany, NY 12208