Death & dying is taboo... it should be a part of the local history... start local, then state, then nation, world, etc... What George Washington did is common knowledge, was for me.. so was bored when I had to study it in school. The museum was wonderful (1st & 2nd grade field trip). We saw the old Furniture of the Webers, the clothes Mrs. Weber wore.. we touched a mummy! We got to grind indian corn.. (no one talked about reservations & the hard times we brought the Native Americans back then).. I will always remember that part of history. I walk the cemeteries almost every day at work, either Rural or the Catholic here in Stockton (near to my work). I see the workers trying so hard to keep these cemeteries clean & watered. Then you see a stone smashed by vandals... so upsetting. My Mom's parents and a brother are buried here... far away from Indiana, so I always check them monthly or more often. They are in an uncared for part of Rural.. I take a trowell & clean the gopher dirt away. The care people will do it for you if you ask, but, I am there anyhows. The stories behind these graves is vast... The Terry plot... the untimely death because of the marriage to anothers exwife, etc. are known. Some don't think that this info is needed in teaching history.. or the man who rode a horse over 365 miles to let the government know an attack was coming... "California's own Paul Revere"... he is buried in Stockton, under a buliding now.. and just a plaque to mark his humble end. These people are our local history, the students need to walk the cemetery and tour graves to know who is there & what they have done for our city/state. This will give them a bit of respect for the cemetery & those stones they may some day decide to destroy. May never happen.. can you imagne Tommy coming home.. "Hey mom.. going on a field trip to the cemetery, will you sign?" I would love to see these trips happen, then have the student pick one person from a list of those who helped found/form this area... and find all they can, then do a biography on their person.. What a neat book to raise funds for the schools that would be! Marge http://www.rootsweb.com/~moiron2 Iron County MO Web Page http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~mcampbel/home.htm Margie Campbell's Web Page ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jacqueline Davidson" <jalfred@earthlink.net> To: "Margie" <margecam@pacbell.net> Sent: Sunday, July 01, 2001 12:43 PM Subject: Re: Vandals deface graves > You are so right. If the early folks had not done what they did, it would > be vastly different for us. > Why do schools not teach this? > Jackie > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Margie" <margecam@pacbell.net> > To: <CA-CEMETERIES-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Sunday, July 01, 2001 12:48 PM > Subject: Re: Vandals deface graves > > > > This is a reason for teaching the young people in our schools the history > of > > the cemeteries. Until these stones mean something other than a name, they > > will command little respect. > > When I walk a cemetery, I see hard working individuals and sometimes > entire > > families who died trying to build a life here in California. I respect > the > > fact that this little stone is sometimes the only thing that they have > left > > to say "Here I am, I worked to make your life easier for you, let me be in > > peace".. to bad so many only see rocks to topple. > > Marge > > http://www.rootsweb.com/~moiron2 > > Iron County MO Web Page > > > > http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~mcampbel/home.htm > > Margie Campbell's Web Page > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Karen" <nchistoric@onemain.com> > > To: <CA-CEMETERIES-L@rootsweb.com> > > Sent: Saturday, June 30, 2001 1:00 PM > > Subject: Vandals deface graves > > > > > > > > > > "A restoration project at Cemetery Hill in Grass Valley took a hit > > Wednesday > > > night, when vandals toppled or broke off 35 headstones, causing more > than > > > $100,000 in damage." > > > To those of you who know me, can only imagine how much this has affected > > me. > > > My project, Historic Cemeteries of Nevada County, CA, has been a true > > labor > > > of love for the past year and 6 months. In that time, through many of > > you, > > > I have grown to learn about the personal lives of so many buried in the > > > local cemeteries. > > > I am appalled at the actions of the vandals resposible for this > > unnecessary > > > display of disrespect to, not only those buried here, but to the proud > > > descendants. This is not a display of the people of the Nevada > County... > > > for we are a caring and proud people. We are a thankful people for > those > > > who traveled here before us. > > > They (pioneers) have taugh us much. They left their families in > Cornwall, > > > Australia, Eastern States and so many other places around the globe. > They > > > came in search of "Gold." They died in mining accidents, suffered and > > lost > > > to the influenza epidemic, young women 16 years old died in childbirth, > fe > > ll > > > to consumption, and drown trying to cross creeks. They built towns, and > > > when the towns burned to the ground, they rebuilt, over and over again. > > > Well, I can tell you, the gravestones and monuments that fell to the > hands > > > of vandals, will be repaired in the best maner possible. It will take > > time, > > > but it will be done. I was out there last night looking for little > pieces > > > that are offen scuffed in the dirt and rocks and will continue to assist > > > those putting the puzzles back together. > > > I leave you with the good news, the stones of these cemeteries are on > > CD's. > > > If you are interested, the newspaper article and photos may be found on > my > > > web site. > > > Karen Dyer List Admin. CA-CEMETERIES nchistoric@onemain.com > > > Historic Cemeteries of Nevada County, CA > http://freepages > > > genealogy.rootsweb.com/~historic/index.htm > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ==== CA-CEMETERIES Mailing List ==== > > ===CA-CEMETERIES MAIL LIST=== > > Check out what your List Admin. does in her spare time. > > http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~historic/ > > > > ============================== > > Join the RootsWeb WorldConnect Project: > > Linking the world, one GEDCOM at a time. > > http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com > > >