Looking for burial site of Nicholas Belokon (Jehovah's Witnesses Minister in NYC)
To Whom It May Concern,
My name is Rubi. I am writing to you from Tacoma, WA.
I am looking for historical or burial records of my grandfather, Nicholas Belokon.
Recently, I found his name listed in the 1947 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses on page 24, under the section "Ordained Ministers Appointed to Special Service."
Because he served in the Brooklyn headquarters (Bethel) during the 1920s–1960s, I would like to know if your historical archives have any information about him, specifically:
- His date of passing.
- The location of his grave (burial site).
As his granddaughter, it is very important to me and my family to find his resting place and honor his memory.
I have attached a screenshot from the 1947 Yearbook for your reference. Any help, guidance, or information you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you very much for your time and assistance.
Sincerely,
Rubi
Answers
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@Olena2270
According to his draft registration in 1942, Nicholas Belokon, Minister of Gospel, was age 53 years and 8 months. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F3CZ-MZS?lang=enHaving an exact or close date of birth can be very helpful in narrowing down a death record or newspaper obituary.
New York death records are not online, but there are some indexes. There is a Nick or Nichol Belekon who died at age 76 on 19 November 1965 in Brooklyn. The age and location would be a close fit.1 -
The address on his naturalization record matches the one on his draft registration. And it has an exact date of birth.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:65JL-WR57?lang=enAnd here is his profile in the FamilySearch Family Tree:
https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/person/details/G6K5-8MK1 -
@Olena2270 - I wasn't able to find a burial location for , but I found a couple of additional naturalization papers for him, as well as a 1950 Census record (see https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/person/sources/G6K5-8MK). One of the records mentioned his wife, Emdokia, who he married in 1911 in Russia, who I added to the tree. He said in the 1936 naturalization record, "I divorced her by mail in Russia according to Russian Custom in 1929." The same record says he arrived in the U.S. on February 28, 1913, so presumably he mailed her from the U.S. for the divorce. His address from at least 1929-1950 was 124 Columbia Heights in Brooklyn, which was the residential headquarters for headquarters staff of the Jehovah's Witnesses, where he was a linotyper for a bible publication (I assume The Watchtower). Here's some history on the building where he lived - https://www.jw.org/en/news/region/united-states/witnesses-sell-property-124-columbia-heights/. I'm wondering if being in Brooklyn he may have been cremated rather than buried, as I understand either option is a typical practice for Jehovah's Witnesses. Best of luck in your search! If you have any additional information on any of his family, I'm happy to help search more, just direct message me.
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