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