Yesterday during lunch I was perusing the New York City Municipal Deaths index (as one does) and happened upon a pair of records that appear to be relevant to a particularly elusive branch of my wife’s Irish Duffy family. Of course, as is usual for this branch these records are not only conflict with each other, they also conflict in a few other ways. So, that will be the subject of a future post as I try to hammer out the dents in my timeline.

To help me clear things up, I immediately ordered the death certificate. But, as any genealogist knows, one can not easily sit still after ordering a record. Especially when afflicted with a bad case of conflictionitis. Luckily, the death index noted the person of record was buried at Calvary cemetery in Queens. It also included a burial date, which is needed to inquire about the plot at Calvary’s office.

So, a quick lunch time field trip to the cemetery was in order. While at Calvary, I always like to wander a bit and investigate any interesting grave markers. I also always seem to find an unrelated Tierney grave when I visit. (I assume unrelated, as my Tierneys are somewhat mysterious in their own right.)

Today was no different. I photographed a grave of Jeremiah and Mary Tierney and added them to Findagrave in an effort to pay it forward for other Tierney folk. I also happened upon a very interesting, but heavily damaged statue at a grave marked only SCOTILLO. I am not sure, but it appears to have been a man in uniform, perhaps World War I era?

It is a shame to see the many broken monuments at Calvary. This one is especially eye-catching in its ruinous state as Mr. Scotillo takes a well-deserved breather behind his stone.

The only name I saw on the stone next to it was the surname SCOTILLO.

I wonder if it is for a Private Paul Scotillo who appears in a list of New Yorkers who died in WWI?

Here’s a related Draft Card: familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K6JZ-GVK
…and likely that same Paul Scotillo in the 1910 census: familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M57M-5NT
…and his 1896 NYC birth record in the index: familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2WSJ-HG8