Page 13 - NYS_ESS_05-2022

Robert G. Cross
1931– 2022 TECH

Robert Glenn Cross, 91, of Bearsville died TALK
peacefully Monday at his residence surrounded
by his loving family. He was born March 6,
1931 in Jewett, son of the late Alton and Grace Historical Mapping
Sweet Cross. Bob served as a U.S. Marine Corps
Korean War Veteran (Marksman), and was a graduate of the Surveying By Ashley Metz
Program at Wanakena Ranger School. He was a Professional Land Young Professional Committee Member
Surveyor Entrepreneur (over 50 years), President of Mid- Hudson While performing a retracement survey, the job of a Land
Valley and New York State Association of Professional Land Surveyors Surveyor is to follow the footsteps of the original surveyor
(received the Pillar of Excellence Award), Chairman of the Woodstock
Zoning Board of Appeals, Governor appointed (6 term) charter member to recreate the original parcel of the land being surveyed.
of NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Advisory Fund Land Surveyors must exert every reasonable effort to recover
Council, Volunteer fireman, President of Phoenicia Fish and Game the corners of the parcel in question. In order to accomplish
Association, honorary lifetime member of the Wittenberg Sportsman this, Land Surveyors use every technology available to them.
Club and Upper Esopus Fish and Game Club, lifetime NRA member, Today’s technology has made an overwhelming amount
NYS Hunter Safety Instructor, Surveying Subject Matter Expert for the of information available for surveyors to access and use as
NYS Education Department. Bob had a great appreciation of nature a resource to complete their survey. One resource that is
and enjoyed hunting and fishing, traveling to Canada and the Western
U.S., an avid NY Mets Fan, playing guitar while singing true western available is an online company called Historic Map Works
songs, and exploring the majestic Catskill Mountains. Bob Cross was Online, LLC, which has historical atlases and maps available
born and raised in the Catskill Mountains, which he truly loved. He was online to be viewed.
a friend to everyone he met, and often referred to as the Salt of the Earth.
The unique thing about land surveying is that history and
Surviving are his wife Marguerite Place Cross whom he married Jan. surveying go hand in hand in many cases. Land titles can be
1, 1953. Two Sons: Robert (Vicky Tabler-Cross), Gary (Darcy) Cross, traced back centuries and hold important information about
two daughters: Bonnie (Vernon) Depee and Karen Dunn, his sister
Sandra (Ed) Reap, 7 grandchildren: Jessica, Vernon, Kyle, Chad, the land and how it was laid out by the original surveyor.
Nathan, Nicholas, and Skyler. 10 great grandchildren and several Historical deeds often call out names of adjoiner parcels as a
nieces and nephews also survive. He was predeceased by his sister way to describe the outbounds of a parcel. The maps available
Marguerite Goodrich. online through Historic Map Works Online, LLC can be a
Friends were received on on April 14th at the E. B. Gormley Funeral useful tool to help see the historical context of deed calls. There
Home in Phoenicia, NY. A Service to Celebrate the Life of Bob Cross are atlas maps available for the counties of New York State,
was held April 15th at the E. B. Gormley Funeral Home with Rev. Lee these maps can be zoomed into with an incredible amount
Stowe. Burial with military honors in the Lexington Cemetery. The of clarity. One of the most useful aspects of this website is the
family suggests memorial con-tributions may be made to the Woodstock program that allows some maps to be superimposed over a
Rescue Squad.
current street map to allow the viewer to better understand
the existing conditions at the time that the map was made.
Editor’s note: Robert began his service to NYSAPLS Executive
Board in 1968 as Treasurer, working his way up to President This can then be used to understand deed calls from historical
from 1972-1973 as the 5th President of NYSAPLS. We are so deeds or other records. Using the maps and the overlays you
very thankful for can see where names called for in deeds are compared to the
his service to our modern conditions.
organization and
offer our sincere The historical mapping available can help surveyors trace
condolences to the back titles faster and more accurately. Technology can be a
Cross family. big help while doing a retracement survey, online records
are available at most county clerks offices and websites like
Historic Map Works Online, LLC have historical mapping
to help understand and conceptualize the information
gathered during research. It is important for a surveyor to
use every resource available to them to determine the original
surveyor’s intent while laying out the parcel. The website can
be found here: http://www.historicmapworks.com/.

EMPIRE STATE SURVEYOR / VOL. 58• NO 3/ 2022 • MAY/JUNE 11