I ain’t got no body

Don’t you just hate it when you can’t find that 1880’s relative. “I ain’t got no body.”

Well maybe he was a member of the O. U. A. M., or she was a family member of someone who belonged to the O. U. A. M.

The initials “O. U. A. M.” stands for “The Order of United American Mechanics” and according to the following article they operated a cemetery from 1848 until 1950. When they stopped operations, the bodies in the cemetery were moved.

“…in November 1950 the Cemetery Association voted to sell the property to the Philadelphia Housing Authority.

The bodies were removed and reinterred at Philadelphia Memorial Park in Frazer, Chester County, … Along with the remains of people from United American Mechanics Cemetery, three other Philadelphia area cemeteries have also moved to Philadelphia Memorial Park; German Lutheran Cemetery, Union Burial Ground and Belvue Cemetery.”

So you might want to review the files of the 1880’s missing relatives to see if they belonged to O. U. A. M.

While you’re at it you might want to check to see if they were once buried in one of the three other Philadelphia cemeteries; German Lutheran Cemetery, Union Burial Ground and Belvue Cemetery.

I hope this little clue will help you solve some family mysteries.

Thank You.

Jose from Clarkston, Michigan