In the spring of 1986 Linda DiDomenico, president of the Chautauqua County Genealogy Society, received permission from the caretaker of this cemetery to copy the book of burial records. This copying was done by Lois Barris using an early version of the PCFile computer data program. This record became Parts II and III of this book. We hope all our readers find, as we did, some interesting genealogical facts are learned when these records are organized by lot number, showing lot ownership, as in Part III.
It soon became apparent that this record was incomplete, but if other records are in existence, we were unable to gain access to to them. We thank Mr. Boltz, Sexton of Portland Evergreen Cemetery , for his cooperation in the fall of 1988 and spring of 1989 as CCGS made a major project of copying every tombstone in this large cemetery up to the line of trees which separates the older sections from more recent burials. Virginia Barden, Lois and Norwood Barris, Patricia Dake, Grace Grimes and James Lyons worked many hours on this and again Lois put the combined results into PCFile using physical landmarks to describe the location each marker. This work became Part I of this book. When one is fortunate enough to find an ancestor in Part land in II and III, much can be learned by comparing the records.
In early spring of 1990, when publication was being considered, Lois and Norwood Barris returned to copy the newer West and South sections of this cemetery, this becoming Part IV. About this same time Virginia Barden copied all of Pecor Street Cemetery for Part V. Letters to the Society from members who had purchased the book sent us back to Pecor Street in March of 1991 when we found and copied a few broken stones piled up at the side of the cemetery. These inscriptions are included in this 1991 version of our record of Portland Cemeteries.
