Version SIX of The Ontario Cemetery Finding Aid, contains more than ONE MILLION additional entries. Please note it is a SUPPLEMENT to the previous OCFA FIVE release. Researchers will require Version 6 *AND* Version 5 to ensure a complete OCFA '98 database, amounting to more than TWO MILLION entries.
This database is intended as a "pointer" database only. It consists of the surnames, given names, cemetery name and location of more than two million interments in Ontario and one county in the province of Quebec. The file does not contain transcriptions or dates, but it does tell the researcher which county, township and cemetery contains a given surname.
The number of historical and genealogical organizations involved in the Ontario Cemetery Finding Aid project has grown considerably since the release of Version Five. The growing popularity of the OCFA database as an Ontario research tool has been greatly enhanced, thanks to the Grenville County Historical Society, the St Joseph Island Historical Society, the Rideau Township Historical Society, the Muskoka-Parry Sound Genealogy Group, the Pittsburgh Township Historical Society, the Lakeshore Genealogy Society, the West Elgin Genealogical & Historical Society and the Lanark County Genealogical Society. Also joining the OCFA project with this version of OCFA, are several more branches of the OGS, including Bruce & Grey, Elgin, Hamilton, Huron, Kent, Leeds & Grenville and Nipissing District. I would also like to publicly thank Larry Empey and Ross Cotton who contributed a significant number of cemeteries respresenting the counties of Dundas and Prescott. Researchers will also discover that many of the organizations who joined the OCFA project prior to this version, have continued to contribute to the database. There are tens of thousands of additional entries from the Upper Ottawa Valley Genealogical Group, the Temiskaming Genealogy Group and the Perth, Lambton, Kingston, Ottawa and Niagara Branches of the OGS.
While that growing list of organizations might seem impressive, it is the efforts of the OCFA volunteers who spent hundreds of hours converting the data from "paper to computer" or modifying existing computer formats, who deserve very special recognition. Without their support, the growth of the OCFA database might have stagnated several editions ago. The project owes much of its success to the extraordinary sacrifice of leisure time displayed by Cindy Miller, Marjorie Wilson, Marianne Wilkat, Fay Bertrand, Don Pettit, Sherri Pettit, Darryl Bonk, Charles Dobie, Earl Ross, Jim McKane, Larry Empey, Ross Cotton, Max Doan, Ron Freeman and Don Grisenthwaite.
I would like to extend my very sincere thanks to each and every
volunteer whose name appears on the "OCFA Honour Roll". All of
them have contributed to the growth of the OCFA database.
Gordon V. Ambrose Brian Hurdle
Hugh Armstrong Janet Iles
Thelma Barnes Leonard Jenks
Marjorie Beattie Christine Kemp
Fay Bertrand Glenn King
Garry Bishop Elizabeth Ladouceur
Roger Boardman Peggy Leader
Darryl A. Bonk Kate MacKay
Barbara K. A. Brown Pat McCabe
Dave Browne Jim McKane
Anna Joan Buxton Ian McKenzie
Tom Carkner Cindy Miller
Wayne Caverley Jane Miller
Lynne Cook Don Park
Ross G. H. Cotton Barbara Paterson
Maridel Crawford-Brown Don Pettit
Art Dainton Sherri Pettit
Ralph Davis Lois Richardson
Ron Demaray Earl Ross
Max Doan Suzanne Schaller
Charles Dobie Lorne Shunk
Larry Empey Dianne Skinner
Ron Freeman Howie Skinner
Dan Gilbert Ron Smith
George Goos Ken Smy
Don Grisenthwaite Jessica Veinot
Leslie P. Higginson Marianne Wilkat
Brian Hinz Marjorie Wilson
Norma Huber George Winfield
Rosemary Ambrose Ian McKenzie
Anne Ashton David McKnight
Thelma Barnes Barbara McMahon-Dainton
Roger Boardman Tom Miller
Darryl A. Bonk David Oxland
Barbara K. A. Brown Don Park
Anna Joan Buxton Charles Patterson
Gordon Carter Pat Patterson
Lyle Clements Tina Patterson
Art Dainton Paul Pepper
Ron Demaray Don Pettit
Charles Dobie Eva Pettit
Fred Drew Sherri Pettit
David Fahner May Prang
Cecelia Gellman Price & Keeler
Bryan Gidley Lois Richardson
George Goos Dennis Robertson
Steve Gray Earl Robichaud
Brian Hinz Lorne Shunk
Robert Horslen Dianne Skinner
Peter House Ken Smy
Norma Huber Cynthia Sytnyk
Leonard Jenks Barry Taylor
Christine Kemp Darren Thomson
Dave Koch Lynda Toneri
Denis F. Lawless Steve Trincanati
Karen Linneberg Jessica Veinot
Donna Longhurst Marianne Wilkat
Dona Madill Wayne Willson
Ron Marshall Marjorie Wilson
Ken McEvoy Kathy Witheridge
Jim McKane Stuart Wright
The enthusiasm and energy displayed by all these individuals and organizations have helped make the Ontario Cemetery Finding Aid project a continuing success. I thank you all. - Ron Demaray
If you have access to cemetery transcription indices, or have transcribed a cemetery or have collected cemetery data in the course of your pursuit of Ontario ancestors and want to share your efforts, please contact me:
Internet - Email - ocfa@islandnet.com
Email - rsd@islandnet.com
URL - http://www.islandnet.com/ocfa
Snail mail - Metchosin Central
Box 48058,
3575 Douglas St,
Victoria, BC, Canada, V8Z 7H5.
It would be naive to believe that the OCFA database does not contain a growing number of inaccuracies. The process of data transfer from headstone to OCFA includes many steps and comes from many sources and is beyond my control.... errors are inevitable. Please do not hesitate to point out any errors or omissions that you encounter.
Good luck with your research. I hope this latest version of the Ontario Cemetery Finding Aid helps you in that elusive search for your ancestors.
Enjoy.......... Ron Demaray