Short answer:
Property owner is responsible for cemeteries on private land
Township trustee is responsible for abandoned cemeteries on public land
Cemetery association (or board etc) is responsible for currently used public
cemeteries in towns, cities, etc
Long answer: It doesn't always work that simply. To learn more, try the
folks at the Indiana Pioneers Cemeteries Restoration Project
http://www.rootsweb.com/~inpcrp/
Their site also has helpful tips on what to do (and what not to do!) to help
perserve headstones that are borken, weakened by age, or partially covered.
If you wrote down everything you read off the stones you uncovered, you
really should type the list out, along with directions to that cemetery, and post
the list somewhere it can be seen by anyone looking for relatives. Great
little finds like that often prove to be the one clue someone was looking for and
couldn't find!
In a message dated 9/24/2006 3:34:13 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
A35RAMY(a)aol.com writes:
Cemetery restoration?
Who does it for here in Jackson co? Is there anyone? I know of the tiniest
cemetary that is in need of help very badly. I went there after hunting for
it.
i finally found it. All the markers ( there are not that many there any way)
but they were all covered with dirt. i uncovered a couple that I found. But
I
have no idea as howor what to do about this. This mini cemetary is in a mans
back yard he mows it and by mowing it had coverd all the stones ect... I
would
never of known where it was had he not took me to where it was in his back
yard. He said that the last people who had been there to see it was many
many
years before I came there. The stones are broken and the ones that I
uncovered
were still readable and all. If any one can point me to who I talk to or
where
i begin on this subject that would be great. Thanks, Ruth