Hello,
I went to Southern Wells Elementary Wednesday afternoon and talked with the 4th graders
about the importance of cemeteries. It went very well, the kids were excited about going
to the cemetery and upset about vandalism. They asked a lot of questions and had some
experiences to share such as one girl who had lost a little brother and reported that they
had had angel statues stolen from his grave and how it made her family feel. The teachers
asked the kids to check with their parents and find out if they had relatives buried
there, that they could look for their stones. I told the kids that it was possible that
the stone might be missing, so be prepared for that. I told them about my relatives stone
that was there in 2000 for a reading of the cemetery, but was gone now. One boy put it
very well "Why would some one take a stone? It was some man's marker." I
think most of them "got it!" Pray for no rain tomorrow afternoon, the kids
really want to come to the cemetery!
Rhonda Stoffer
Head of Indiana History and Genealogy Services
Marion Public Library