I am sitting here on the edge of my seat and can't wait for part 3. Do type fast. LOL. Brenda ----- Original Message ----- From: <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, February 29, 2000 6:50 PM Subject: [FLESCAMB] Ben's Traveling Tombstone > Part two: > > My Uncle Bill Kersey was surprised to find out that the tombstone in Ft. > Pickens was his grandfathers. He knew about the cemetery at Red Fish Point, > and said " that he had heard about that cemetery all of his life and had gone > there one time when he was a boy". He rememberd his grandmother Samanth'a > Tombstone, but not grandfather Ben's. > > We went to Milton and found the recorded cemetery deed and the description of > the land. > My Uncle did an aerial survey and found the cemetery right away. This was in > the late 1970's early 1980's. We went over and took pictures . There was no > tombstones. Someone had removed or destroyed all of them but a couple of > slabs that marked baby graves. The fence had been torn down but the fence > posts remained. It looked to be about three acres. > One could tell that it truly had been a cemetery at one time. > > Meantime while we were trying to decide what to do with Ben's tombstone, a > family member went over to see the cemetery and discovered a house being > built near the cemetery. > My uncle went to Ft, Pickens and took possession of the tombstone, because > they were threatening to warehouse it and told us that it would probably be > lost to us, if we didn't come and get it. > He put it in his garage for safekeeping, until we could figure out what to do > with the cemetery that had no tombstones. and a lot of people buried in it. > > Finally, I set up a meeting with Richard Jernigan ( who was in charge of > recording the Santa Rosa Cemeteries ) and my uncle Bill. > We met Richard over at the cemetery, and he was able to establish it as a > cemetery, by the artifacts there. We found what was left of Walter Turner's > tombstone. It was buried under about six inches of sand. We took pictures of > Walter Turners granddaughter, proping up the tombstone. All that could be > read on the tombstone was Walter Turner born Dec 1873 died Dec and that part > is broken off. > We were able to establish that it was 1933 through the childen of Walter > Turner, who was still living at the time. > > Part Three Coming up. > > Doris > >