Elizabeth Findley Fabritius of Maryland <B1Fab2(a)aol.com> (not a subscriber
to the INPCRP group) has contacted me re her concerns about Findley Cemetery
near Brownstown in Jackson Co., IN (see message below).
Is anyone on the INPCRP list interested/involved with cemeteries in Jackson
Co.?
By copy of this message, I'm asking Elizabeth to provide us with more
information on the actual CONDITION of the cemetery in question. I'm also
interested in whether she was able to ascertain the OWNERSHIP of the
property.
Elizabeth, as the INPCRP members know, determining the actual nature of the
OWNERSHIP of the cemetery property is essential to addressing a situation
such as this. *IF* the cemetery was ever "deeded out", then the owner of
the surrounding farmland does not own the cemetery itself and its
maintenance is the responsibility of the Township Trustee.
You may have to obtain copies of the deeds to this land going back 100 years
or more to determine whether the cemetery was ever "excepted" from the deed
as it was transferred from owner to owner. Bear in mind that, over the
years, the exception of cemeteries on deeds have been known to "fall off"
the deeds. When they are transferred from owner to owner, the paragraphs
excepting them from tracts of land have been known to "disappear" from the
legal description.
On the other hand, if you conclusively determine that the cemetery was never
"deeded out" from the rest of the tract, your only option will be to
persuade the property owner to allow you to conduct a restoration on his
property.
Hope this at least points you in the right direction. I know that living in
Maryland is a definite disadvantage in tackling a project such as this.
There are, however, numerous resources available (community service workers,
convict labor, Boy Scouts, civic and historical groups, etc.) to assist you,
but first you have to pass the hurdle of determining the OWNERSHIP of the
cemetery tract.
Lois
-----Original Message-----
From: B1Fab2(a)aol.com <B1Fab2(a)aol.com>
To: LoisMauk(a)usa.net <LoisMauk(a)usa.net>
Date: Saturday, September 18, 1999 9:48 AM
Subject: Y2K%20Cemetery%20Protection/Preservation%20Legislation
Hello Lois, I am happy to have found your site. Perhaps you can help
with
this deliema. In August we traveled to Jackson County from Maryland.
After
research we had discovered that my G-G-G-Grandfather and his wife and
other
family members are buried near Brownstown where they had emigrated ca 1812.
His name was Abel Findley born 1770 in Westmoreland, PA. The cemetery
called
"Findley Cemetery" is located in a grove of trees in the
middle of a field
on
land presently owned by Fred Stuckwisch. The location is just east of
a
farm
owned by Dean Anderson and is directly across from Quarry Rd on Rt.
50
between Brownstown and Seymour, Jackson County. While we were given the
permission to walk the field, we were cautioned that it was overgrown and
in
disrepair. Can you lead me to resourses which would help to correct
this
problem. Thank you.
Elizabeth Findley Fabritius