Cemetery Searches

The last couple of months I have been doing research in Lansing's cemeteries. Well I physically haven't as I live on the opposite side of the world. But through the Find a Grave website a couple of volunteers have been doing some arduous leg work finding out information and photographing headstones (if they exist).

One surprise finding was the headstone of Zahia Abraham, wife of Beshara Ibrahim Rizk (Charles Abraham) and daughter of Said Zarka (Abu Tohme). She had been a bit of mystery as I had never really known her proper first name. In the Elia family tree that was given to me she was listed as Zakia and Nadia, I was never able to ascertain her proper name. I came across her immigration papers listing her as Zohia (same as Zahia just different because of pronunciation). Through using Lansing City Directories I was able to find out she named herself Sarah.

A picture of Zahia's gravestone was sent to me among others as the volunteer assumed she was related to me because it was in a section of graves where most were originally from Derdghaya. One problem was that the writing on the headstone was in Arabic. I sent the picture off to a friend and to my cousin to translate it. The first translation came back as "The late Bahia, wife of Beshara Ibrahim. Born 1799 Died 1924". I thought I have not heard of this person so they must not be from Derdghaya. My cousin sent me through her translation "The late Zahia......" Well the 1799 threw me a little, who was this person that lived till they were 125 years old. Later that night for some reason I started thinking about it again and it dawned on me who she was. I disregarded the birth date of 1799 and assumed it was 1899, it had to be Zahia (Sarah) Abraham. I was quite happy with myself solving this little puzzle.

Later someone asked for me to post the picture on the Derdghaya Facebook page. Her grandson even commented on what a great find it was which makes me think nobody knew where was buried.

It turned out in that burial plot 289 there was there was twenty people buried. Out of that twenty: seven of them were originally from Derdghaya. Six of them children.

Buried there are:

Zahia Abraham
Lewis Haddad child of Rizk Khalil Haddad and Martha Hanna Elia
Mary Abraham child of Charles Abraham (Beshara Ibrahim Rizk) & Zahia Said Zarka
Charlie Abraham child of Charles Abraham & Zahia Said Zarka
Lewis Ayoub child of Majed Hanna Ayoub (Rizk) & Nazera Elias Simon (Shamas)
Betty Jane Zarka child of James Khalil Zarka & Leah Mike Ferris
Anna Williams child of Said Williams & Almaza Daher

In Plot 290 six of the twenty people buried are from Derdghaya and again all are children:

Anna Rashid child of Elias Rashid Zarka and Mariam Said Zarka
Melbena John child of Said Hanna Elia & Susan Azar Khoury
Rose John  child of Shaheen Hanna Elia & Martha Khaled Khoury
Laula Jebran child of Khalil Jebran Raad & Hanneh Sleiman Khoury
Mary Ferris child of Mike Ferris (Habib Fares) and Effie (Afife) Assaad Zarka
George John child of Naim Hanna Badawi & Nayfe Badra

Update....

Last post I was talking about the children of Rashid Zarka. Well last week I was speaking to my father about what updates I had made over the last few months. I mentioned how I had brought so many different branches of the Zarka family under one Grandfather.

In between all this banter I mentioned his Great Grandfather Rashid Zarka and his children, when he tells me that his step Grandfather Daoud Zarka is another of his children. I had always suspected something along those line but could never quite find the proof. Well my fathers words are proof enough. They haven't been proven wrong yet.

The conversations I have with my father can prove to be fruitful when doing research, you just need to get him in the right mood poke and prod at the right time. He has wealth of knowledge about Derdghaya, its history and all the families.