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Hurray for Dearborn County!
Mark Kreps
Delaware County
On 6/25/07, Chris McHenry <cmchenry(a)seidata.com> wrote:
>
> There's at least one success story.
>
> Thanks to a wonderful man named Art Wenzel, two cemetery areas have been
> located on the former County Asylum for the Poor grounds in Dearborn County.
>
> County officials were alerted and immediately funded a non invasive study
> of the areas and located a number of graves. They have surveyed them and are
> now planning to fence both cemeteries to protect them in the future.
>
> Chris McHenry, Dearborn County Historian
> This list is for sharing pioneer cemetery questions, ideas and restoration
> projects.
> -------------------------------
> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to
> INPCRP-request(a)rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes
> in the subject and the body of the message
>
I did that and even asked what types of testing they had done of historic era gravestones and asked the kinds of stone they had tested.
No answer! I'm not surprised. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
My sense is that this stuff will harm older gravestones. I'd rather error on the side of caution.
Sue
----- Original Message -----
From: Ernie & Connie Lasley
To: inpcrp(a)rootsweb.com
Sent: Monday, June 25, 2007 7:44 PM
Subject: Re: [INPCRP] Wet and Forget - Product
I think I would use the "Contact Us" link on the web site, and
request information on what materials this product was tested
on. Also explain your intent to use it to clean marble and granite
stones to see if they have any recommendations on what strength to use.
At 08:45 PM 06/20/2007, you wrote:
>Anyone heard of this? (Check the link below.)
>
>http://www.wetandforget.co.nz/shop/wet-amp-forget/
>
>I would appreciate knowing any recommendations of Nay or Yay as
>there is a group considering its use and they will be TESTING it on
>some actual stones. I'd like to prevent anyone doing damage if this
>stuff isn't good. (The markers are of various marble and granite.)
>
>Thanks
>Sue Silver
> This list is for sharing pioneer cemetery questions, ideas and
> restoration projects.
>-------------------------------
>To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to
>INPCRP-request(a)rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the
>quotes in the subject and the body of the message
This list is for sharing pioneer cemetery questions, ideas and restoration projects.
-------------------------------
To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to INPCRP-request(a)rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message
Wonderful Connie....when we get back home , we will drive up to see how
things have come along.
John and Sedonna Roush
----- Original Message -----
From: "Connie Brubaker" <cbrubaker(a)onlyinternet.net>
To: <inpcrp(a)rootsweb.com>
Sent: Monday, June 25, 2007 11:36 AM
Subject: [INPCRP] Old Rockcreek Cemetery,Wells Co.
> The Wells County Genealogy Society has been at work again. We are progress
> of cleaning and restoring the Old Rockcreek/Old Cemetery in Wells county.
> The cemetery and land date back to the 1820's. This Cemetery is on the
> list
> of Neglected cemeteries. We have straightened several stones and re-set
> one
> very large stone it has two pillars with an arch on top with caps on top
> of
> the arch. A 9 piece stone that had simple slipped of its base as the base
> settled into the ground and nothing was broken. A beautiful stone. We have
> removed a small forest of trees, brush and lilac bushes and found more
> cemetery that was hidden in the brush. The Trustee has hired the cemetery
> mowed for years and each year they mowed less and less of it making an
> acre
> cemetery into about 75 ft. by 50 ft. plot. We have two more work days
> scheduled for this summer/fall and hope to have it completed in October.
> Connie Brubaker
> Pres. WCGS
>
>
> This list is for sharing pioneer cemetery questions, ideas and restoration
> projects.
> -------------------------------
> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to
> INPCRP-request(a)rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes
> in the subject and the body of the message
The Wells County Genealogy Society has been at work again. We are progress
of cleaning and restoring the Old Rockcreek/Old Cemetery in Wells county.
The cemetery and land date back to the 1820's. This Cemetery is on the list
of Neglected cemeteries. We have straightened several stones and re-set one
very large stone it has two pillars with an arch on top with caps on top of
the arch. A 9 piece stone that had simple slipped of its base as the base
settled into the ground and nothing was broken. A beautiful stone. We have
removed a small forest of trees, brush and lilac bushes and found more
cemetery that was hidden in the brush. The Trustee has hired the cemetery
mowed for years and each year they mowed less and less of it making an acre
cemetery into about 75 ft. by 50 ft. plot. We have two more work days
scheduled for this summer/fall and hope to have it completed in October.
Connie Brubaker
Pres. WCGS
There's at least one success story.
Thanks to a wonderful man named Art Wenzel, two cemetery areas have been located on the former County Asylum for the Poor grounds in Dearborn County.
County officials were alerted and immediately funded a non invasive study of the areas and located a number of graves. They have surveyed them and are now planning to fence both cemeteries to protect them in the future.
Chris McHenry, Dearborn County Historian
Sharon and the list,
This story you provided is exactly the sort of dilemma that many developers are confronted with now as urban areas expand further into what once was rural Indiana farmland. In fact, this problem exists throughout the Midwest and I imagine in most other places in the country as well.
Some land developers are conscious of the bad PR and costly expense that would ensue by removing a cemetery, while others sometimes find ways to circumvent the system and simply ignore the fact that there are people buried on the properties they intend to develop.
In 2004, we were hired by an Ohio Coroner's office to carry out a subsurface imaging investigation of a development where the accidental discovery of human remains had taken place. As it turned out, the development was on land that was once a county facility for the indigent and the accidental discovery was in the middle of a 19th century cemetery. The land had been sold to the developer without informing him about the possibility of a cemetery.
When we arrived on the site, there was evidence that demolition and bulldozing activities of the previous year had been halted near the corner of the property where the remains were ultimately discovered. The footers for a new home were being dug in this area when the backhoe operator hit a human skull. Upon examining the property and its condition, it was obvious to us that the earlier demolition personnel had most likely run into evidence of a cemetery and halted earth moving in this corner of the property, but had not reported their find. This theory was corroborated by neighbors living on the slope below the development who reported finding bones that had fallen over the edge from above about the same time that the demolition and earth moving had taken place.
Noninvasive subsurface investigation identified at least six more nearby graves, and these were all located within the small corner area of the property that had not been completely leveled or disturbed. No effort was made to expand the area of electronic investigation since the surface of the rest of the property was badly disturbed by previous earth moving and demolition work. However, the Coroner's office was informed that there were potentially many more graves and that this was most likely a large cemetery. In the end, the county contracted another firm to mechanically excavate and remove the six identified burials, but as predicted nearly fifty graves were ultimately found and disinterred for reburial in another location.
Apparently, the heavy equipment personnel and or their superiors chose not to report the first find and this permitted construction activities to begin the next Spring. I suspect that this too goes on a lot more than we would like to believe. Contractors have schedules and deadlines to meet, and the discovery of project halting cultural material or human remains just gets in the way causing costly delays. It is unfortunate that there are not stiffer penalties for those who do not comply with existing laws and protocol for dealing with these kinds of incidents. If the fines for non-compliance were set several times higher than the cost of halting the most expensive project, perhaps contractors would have an incentive to do the right thing and report all such discoveries.
In this particular case, I suspect that removal of the remains would have taken place regardless of the circumstances in which the cemetery was discovered. The indigent people buried here in the mid to late 19th century likely had no one to speak for them and the property value was such that the expense of removal was a viable and cost effective solution.
In the article Sharon forwarded to the list, the developer did recognize the cemetery and chose to preserve it rather than pay for disinterment. I'd also like to see some incentives put into place for land developers and contractors to accomplish this kind of work-around and preservation rather than the other, less desirable alternatives.
Regards to all,
Rich Green
Historic Archaeological Research
4338 Hadley Court
West Lafayette, IN 47906
Office: (765) 464-8735
Mobile: (765) 427-4082
www.har-indy.com
Hi INPCRP,
Your friend, Sharon Howell, has recommended this article entitled 'National Perspectives: New Homes Confront Old Burial Grounds' to you.
Here is his/her remarks:
There are some good guys out there. Leaving it along may have been to avoid red tape, but fencing it shows that he does respect a last resting place.
I found this on Dick Eastman's enewsletter.
National Perspectives: New Homes Confront Old Burial Grounds
Posted By nyt On 16th June 2007 @ 18:05 In Real Estate
DAC ENTERPRISES, a small, mostly residential developer in Georgia, bought about 118 acres in Hall County, just south of the city of Lula, with the idea of selling lots to builders to put up single-family houses. The transaction, which was completed in 2004, seemed routine for the fast-growing exurb, 50 miles northeast of Atlanta.
But it turned out that the developer was in for a surprise one that he says cost him about $40,000. In one patch of the land, hiding beneath bushes and trees, was a cemetery 22 graves dating to the mid-19th century, including one for ...
Article taken from US Business News - http://business.infonews.us
URL to article: http://business.infonews.us/real-estate/national-perspectives-new-homes-c...
INPCRP Listers,
I think that most folks on this list would be dismayed to learn just how often human remains are unearthed in cemeteries and how often this is accomplished by otherwise well-meaning cemetery personnel. I can recall numerous instances that I've heard of since becoming involved in cemetery work. In fact, it is for this reason that we often find ourselves employed in cemeteries to identify and delineate unmarked graves.
Here are a few examples that come to mind:
One of the excavation companies we use allowed as how their personnel often encounter unmarked 19th century graves while excavating new burial plots. In fact, one of the backhoe operators explained that he is often given a map by cemetery personnel that includes alternative burial plots in case he discovers unmarked graves.
I have personally observed and or been advised of numerous instances of grave disturbance that has occurred, both during routine maintenance activities and site expansion, as well as, during the use and sale of new grave plots. In one case, three grave shafts were bisected by the excavator before the operator even noticed them. Less distinct 19th century graves may consist of little more than skeletal material and a stained area in the subsoil.
Real estate developments are expanding through and over smaller, less well known cemeteries perhaps even as we discuss this here. I suspect that many rural family cemeteries that are found within suburban expansions, housing and industrial developments are simply bulldozed, particularly when the previous owners have removed surface features, headstones and any other evidence. It is probably only when a conscientious employee reports finding grave goods or human skeletal material that we even hear about these kinds of encroachments. I don't doubt that most just go unreported.
County poor farms are another example of areas that have numerous, perhaps numbering in the thousands, unmarked graves. Some of these properties are now being developed for other purposes and the discovery of human remains is imminent.
And then there are the many cases of disturbance by animal burrows (see http://www.har-indy.com/granville_cemetery.html ) for just one example and photos of human remains and coffin furniture strewn about by burrowing animals. I have personally observed other similar cases throughout Indiana and in other neighboring states.
I estimate that a typical 19th century cemetery may have 30% or more unmarked graves within and immediately adjacent to current boundaries. As cemeteries become full and new grave plots are at a premium, cemetery stewards seek to utilize open and apparently unused sections of cemetery properties. It is important, I think, that these areas are approached with due caution or the discovery of unmarked graves is all but certain. Again, this is how we became involved in cemetery work in the first place, so I often hear these kinds of stories from clients interested in identifying and mapping unmarked graves as a means of clearing areas for future use.
It really doesn't surprise me either that the somewhat disturbed person in the newspaper article had human skeletal material in his home, or even that he intended to make morbid use of them. I knew a man in Indy who worked for one of the large cemeteries in Marion County. He recounted many stories of grave disturbance, almost as if it were a routine part of his work. He and his co-workers had a strange fascination with the artifacts they would routinely find, almost as if it were some sort of a treasure hunt and a perk of the job. Again, I suspect that this behavior is more commonplace than we all would prefer to believe.
Regards to all,
Rich Green
Historic Archaeological Research
4338 Hadley Court
West Lafayette, IN 47906
Office: (765) 464-8735
Mobile: (765) 427-4082
www.har-indy.com
If this had been in Indiana, the DNR would have those bones confiscated for
"examination" by now.
Oh...and this cemeterian (didn't know that word existed) would question the
fact that they encounter bones "often" while digging graves in the older
section. It would appear they need to stop burying people there, eh?
Kyle D. Conrad
In a message dated 06/22/2007 3:32:18 P.M. Central Daylight Time,
uebush(a)sbcglobal.net writes:
This is one weird individual.
http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/ci_6203359
UEB
WWW.HCGS.NET
************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.
This was in the Indy Star North edition today. The photo shows Weemo Grass
cutters spraying weed killer next to the stones. They mean well but don't
know
about the harm to the stones, John Walters cleaned 3 years ago. Bob
Alloway
Cemetery concern
Overgrown grass thwarted efforts to visit graves
By Gretchen Becker
gretchen.becker(a)indystar.com
June 21, 2007
Three Northside residents who have relatives buried in one of Washington
Township's six abandoned cemeteries are raising concerns about how those
burial places are being maintained.
Their complaint -- primarily uncut grass -- came to light on Memorial Day, a
day when many visit the burial places of deceased loved ones.
In Marion County it's the trustee's responsibility to take care of abandoned
cemeteries. Washington Township has six -- Bacon, Crow's Nest, Deford,
Ebenezer Lutheran, Fall Creek Union and Newby.
The residents -- George Kerr, Tom Easterday and Bob Hessong -- all have
relatives buried in the Ebenezer cemetery, 4160 Millersville Road.
"Half that cemetery is related to the three of us," Kerr said.
On Memorial Day, Kerr likes to place flags on 60 veterans' graves, including
some from the Civil War.
Hessong has helped educate school children by taking them to the cemetery
where his relatives are buried. Easterday puts flowers on his relatives'
gravesites.
All three complained about tall grass they said was at least knee-high and
kept them from the cemetery before Memorial Day. Without proper, consistent
mowing, they said, hidden headstones could be damaged by mowers.
Hessong had taken a group of children to Ebenezer in May.
"The grass was knee to waist high, and the kids had trouble getting back to
the headstones," Hessong said. "My great-great-great-great-grandfather John
was buried here in 1854. . . . It's a fascinating cemetery and a historic
cemetery."
After hearing the complaints, Washington Township Trustee Frank Short said
he now has the situation under control.
Short, who became trustee in January, said his office's riding lawn mower
broke the Thursday before Memorial Day while mowing the two largest
cemeteries. Hand mowers are used in the other four.
He sent an apology by e-mail to several people, promising to keep up the
maintenance.
"I took the responsibility for it," Short said. "I knew it was one of the
big days. I screwed up, and I admitted it."
Short said before Memorial Day he was settling on more competitive bids for
mowing than the township previously had. It costs about $22,000 a year to
mow the cemeteries, he said.
The new contract began with Weemo Grass the first week of June. Grass in the
cemeteries will be cut once a week from April through October, Short said.
This is not the first time the township's cemeteries have struggled.
Broken headstones had to be restored with a project in 2002, when Gwen Horth
was trustee.
Short estimated it took $100,000 to fix 1,000 headstones in the township's
six abandoned cemeteries. Each stone took between two and 28 hours to
repair.
To see more information on Washington Township's abandoned cemeteries, visit
www.washtwp.org and click on "Abandoned Cemeteries."
Anyone heard of this? (Check the link below.)
http://www.wetandforget.co.nz/shop/wet-amp-forget/
I would appreciate knowing any recommendations of Nay or Yay as there is a group considering its use and they will be TESTING it on some actual stones. I'd like to prevent anyone doing damage if this stuff isn't good. (The markers are of various marble and granite.)
Thanks
Sue Silver
Thieves lift 2,000 cemetery vases
Associated Press
June 8, 2007
OSCEOLA, Ind. -- A northern Indiana cemetery manager believes about 2,000
bronze vases were stolen from burial plots for their value as scrap metal.
Workers at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens first realized that the vases were
missing when they received 93 complaints right after Memorial Day from
family members who had visited graves, general manager Richard Kuschnick
said. The theft of the estimated $600,000 worth of vases, which had been
hooked by chains to headstones, was reported Tuesday to police.
"We were in the process of talking about what to do when the Elkhart police
called us," Kuschnick said. "They said, 'We've got about 50 vases here.' I
sent out our cemetery superintendent to identify them, and it turns out that
about two-thirds we knew were ours."
Kuschnick said the vases were recognizable because the cemetery east of
South Bend has its own foundry, where it makes pure bronze memorial vases.
A police report said three men tried to sell 49 vases to Sturgis Iron &
Metals Co. in Elkhart, but an employee would not accept them and called
police after recognizing that they were stolen.
Authorities in recent months have cited higher prices for scrap metal as a
factor in thefts of items across the state such as aluminum house siding and
guttering, copper tubing from air conditioning units, manhole covers and
beer kegs.
In response to the cemetery theft, Kuschnick said the mix of metals used to
make the vases will be changed to a nickel alloy mix with enough bronze so
they will not rust.
"It reduces the scrap value," he said. "I think people are getting kind of
desperate for extra money, and it's unfortunate that this is a resource they
are taking."
What a great video. The world needs more kids like this one. Thanks for
sharing this L.A.
-----Original Message-----
From: inpcrp-bounces(a)rootsweb.com [mailto:inpcrp-bounces@rootsweb.com]On
Behalf Of LA Clugh
Sent: Wednesday, June 13, 2007 8:49 AM
To: INPCRP-L(a)rootsweb.com
Subject: [INPCRP] Fw: [LIN] Rootstube cemetery video
Morning,
I had to share this one. Click on the link below and then click on the
headstone on the right side. This is a really great story we all
can appreciate. The story is titled; Connecting Families across the World.
A story from a 16 year old Scout.
Love it!
L.A.
Many of you have heard of You tube well now there's Rootstube
http://www.rootstelevision.com:80/
This list is for sharing pioneer cemetery questions, ideas and restoration
projects.
-------------------------------
To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to
INPCRP-request(a)rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes
in the subject and the body of the message
Videos run best on high speed connects so if you are on modem odds are it isn't going to work.
The Scout in this story completed his Eagle project. In BSA, the final task as a youth is the Eagle Project. The Scout goes through a sometimes intense learning curve to accomplish the project he proposed. I have been in BSA for over 20 years and I am still amazed at the many high caliber projects of these young men.
And yes, many cemetery projects have been Eagle projects. If you are interested in contacting BSA, please let me know.
"Once an Eagle, always an Eagle"
----- Original Message -----
From: Brian Smead<mailto:bsmead@ma.rr.com>
To: inpcrp(a)rootsweb.com<mailto:inpcrp@rootsweb.com>
Sent: Wednesday, June 13, 2007 12:02 PM
Subject: Re: [INPCRP] Fw: [LIN] Rootstube cemetery video
What a great video. The world needs more kids like this one. Thanks for
sharing this L.A.
-----Original Message-----
From: inpcrp-bounces(a)rootsweb.com<mailto:inpcrp-bounces@rootsweb.com> [mailto:inpcrp-bounces@rootsweb.com]On
Behalf Of LA Clugh
Sent: Wednesday, June 13, 2007 8:49 AM
To: INPCRP-L(a)rootsweb.com<mailto:INPCRP-L@rootsweb.com>
Subject: [INPCRP] Fw: [LIN] Rootstube cemetery video
Morning,
I had to share this one. Click on the link below and then click on the
headstone on the right side. This is a really great story we all
can appreciate. The story is titled; Connecting Families across the World.
A story from a 16 year old Scout.
Love it!
L.A.
Many of you have heard of You tube well now there's Rootstube
http://www.rootstelevision.com:80/<http://www.rootstelevision.com/>
This list is for sharing pioneer cemetery questions, ideas and restoration
projects.
-------------------------------
To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to
INPCRP-request(a)rootsweb.com<mailto:INPCRP-request@rootsweb.com> with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes
in the subject and the body of the message
This list is for sharing pioneer cemetery questions, ideas and restoration projects.
-------------------------------
To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to INPCRP-request(a)rootsweb.com<mailto:INPCRP-request@rootsweb.com> with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message
could someone cut and paste and post the story...it won't "come up" after a
click on the tombstone
thanks...Marilynn in NM
************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.
Morning,
I had to share this one. Click on the link below and then click on the
headstone on the right side. This is a really great story we all
can appreciate. The story is titled; Connecting Families across the World.
A story from a 16 year old Scout.
Love it!
L.A.
Many of you have heard of You tube well now there's Rootstube
http://www.rootstelevision.com:80/