Subj: Fw: Preserving Old Cemeteries From: [email protected] (Ann Nostwich) > This came from another mail list and should interest all family historians. Ann > ********************************************** > The letter I am forwarding to you speaks for itself... Mr Muncrief has an > > attorney working 'pro bono' drafting the necessary paperwork to try and > > change the antiquated laws that do little to protect our old cemeteries. > > Emailing Mr Muncrief at [email protected] that you are FOR changing the > > vague antiquated laws will show lawmakers that there is BACKING for this > > cause.........OUR CAUSE! > > Thanks for your time > > Carolyn Mackey Byrum > > > > Subject: Grave desecration > > > > Carolyn, > > My name is Dennis Muncrief. I live in Sulphur, Oklahoma. I just read your > > cemetary registration of Dripping Springs and the part about the farmer > > wanting to graze cows. He must be desperate for grass if he needs the 4' x > > 6' spot where your grandmother is buried. Recently a farmer decided to > > build a barn in Marshall County, OK. Unfortunate a small cemetary was where > > he needed to build it. This "man" simply scrapped away the stones to make > > room for the new barn. Unfortunately for me, the cemetary was where my > > relatives were buried in the mid 1800's when they came to Indian Territory. > > The family was livid to say the least. The barn is very nice. > > This cemetary was on private land that was donated 100 years ago by the, > > then owner, for a cemetary. Generations of families were buried there with > > the understanding it would always be a cemetary. The current law says that > > the owner of private land where there are cemeteries can do anything he > > wants with it. > > Now if you are an Indian, there are federal laws against this 'grave > > robbing'. Isn't stealing the land where ancestors are located grave > > robbing? A friend of mine in California told the story of a cousin that > > went to a cemetary in Grady County, Oklahoma to visit the dead relatives. > > When she arrived, the farmer was bulldozing the grave stones into a ditch. > > When she protested, he pulled a gun on her and threatened to shoot her. She > > went to the Sheriff and he told her there was no law against this practice. > > The point of this letter is to tell you that there are many who feel as you > > do. We need to organize. I have a friend in Washington State who is > > drafting a letter that I plan to send to legislators in every state making > > it a felony to destroy graves or grave markers that were placed in antiquity > > or of recent pioneers such as Oklahoma pioneers. There were no cemeteries > > back then. There were no towns. I plan to organize people like yourself in > > every state to hound their state legislators until a law is passed in all 50 > > states to protect these pioneer cemeteries. > > It is up to people like us to do something. We can be mad separately or we > > can be mad collectively. We will be a little more powerful if we organize. > > This has me mad as hell. I have talked to about a half dozen people in > > different states and they are upset as well with similar occurrences in > > their States. > > Want to join the bandwagon? > > Dennis >