Oakwood Cemetery is, by far, Norfolk's largest cemetery. Established in the early 1870s it is still in use. Approximately 15,000 people had been laid to rest here by mid-2005.

The readability of older surviving stones varies greatly. Although several of the stones can be transcribed by pausing the playback of our video when appropriate, our video is meant only as a partial overview of the cemetery itself, not as an alternative resource to cemetery stone transcriptions.

When it comes to cemetery transcriptions, older is frequently better (unless you are looking for a recent marker). Volunteer transcribers from the Norfolk Historical Society transcribed this cemetery in the late 1970s. A copy of that transcription is on file and available for viewing in the Reading Room of the Norfolk Heritage Centre (www.norfolklore.com).

The Norfolk Branch of the Ontario Genealogy Society subsequently transcribed this cemetery approximately a quarter century. Their transcription is available for sale from their web site: Ontario Genealogy Society/Norfolk Branch. (See their "Published Resources" web page.)

Our videos are merely sneak peeks -- not exhaustive treatments -- of their subject. Hopefully they will provide a touch of perspective for those who live at a distance until they can visit.

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Copyright 2005-2008 John Cardiff