Not too long ago you called for the list members to identify themselves
and what they are doing. I got interested in what the group was doing
when I got interested in finding my ancestors and found some of their
graves. I must admit that the first families I found were in really
nice cemeteries compared to what I have found this year.
I have just found the Pioneer Cemetery that some of my ancestors are
buried in in Ohio. It was mowed but the stones were mostly thrown to
the edges. Very few were still standing. As a descendant of several
there, it is disturbing that people could just remove the markers from
their sites just so that mowing would be easier, but at least it got
mowed and the stones were still there. Most of the local residents did
not even know that the cemetery was there.
I have found that the County Genealogical Society has just begun to
try to do something for this cemetery and have corresponded with someone
from it. I suggested that they join this list since I have learned so
much from what comes through.
One thing that I saw done at other cemeteries in that County was the
laying of the stones flat on the ground in a group in a bed of gravel or
even on cement. I remember seeing something from one of the experts
here about how that was not a good idea to lay them flat. Could that
person or someone restate that information for any newcomers to the
list.
It also might be a good idea to restate some of the other helpful
information about how to go about restoring these old cemeteries and
repairing the stones since I am sure that there are many who are just
joining the list.
One of the concerns for this county was funding and labor to accomplish
this project. I would love to see presented to the list some of the
ways that others have handled this so that newcomers could be helped.
Having a hands on teaching workshop would be a good idea.
I also have just recently been to a cemetery in Illinois looking for
ancestors. It was still an active cemetery but all of the old stones
that had fallen over were just left. At least they were in place, but I
saw no attempts to do any repair or resetting of any of them. There
were also newer graves among the very older ones. This cemetery just
made me cry. Also there were so many of the old stones that were
unreadable. I did not find my Family. They are not mentioned in any
of the cemetery listings so I suspect that this family could be in a
family plot somewhere on the land that they farmed.
One thing that I don't remember seeing anything mentioned about since I
have been on this list is whether the old stones that are still readable
or that the facts are known on could be re-engraved. Is it possible at
all? The Ohio cemetery had many stones that were engraved deeply enough
that they are still readable, but as you know, that is not typical of
stones that are 100 to 175 years old. The ones that are totally smooth
are the heartbreakers.
Looking forward to some interesting reading.
Susan Price Alexander