Lou Ann, I hope that you won't mind if I ask you if you are related to the Lunsfords in Colquitt, Ga. We had as our neighbors, Alice and Ray Lunsfords, here in Oakland Park, a part of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Kay Fiveash k5ash@bellsouth.net ----- Original Message ----- From: "Lou Ann Lunsford" <lapl@worldnet.att.net> To: <GEORGIA-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, March 19, 2004 8:56 PM Subject: Re: [GEORGIA] Cemetery Bill > In response: With the growing popularity of family research and the active > community interested in being able to provide information and working > together they can build a network of sources to help trace family history. > Many states at the county level and moving into the state level are getting > quite a bit of flack so to speak for their disregard of burial grounds. The > neglected ones are now under military bases, shopping malls and many other > construction facilities. They were not protected by any laws, except for > the law of decency, homage and respect no matter how neglected they were. > > The government of these counties and states now feel that it is important to > get a law that will protect them, make excuses for them and generally ignore > their responsibilities for the dead. Our dead didn't have any enforced laws > to protect them. Those that are doing wrong want protection from those that > realize what they have done and are calling them to task for it. > > What about the old pitiful cemeteries that still get hundreds of thousands > walking around looking at their grounds that the counties and states hold > for viewing, but don't maintain other than a rake now and then. Their > graves are hundreds of years old. Boston, MA is one of them, and there are > thousands just like them. The only cemeteries/burial grounds that get any > help or care are the ones protected by societies that collect donations to > keep them or the property is owned by private concerns. > > They want laws to protect their guilt in this bill. Whine to someone else. > Those of us that have begged for information on our ancestors are still > waiting to find out where a cemetery was located........forget finding the > cemetery at all........nobody cares. What a shame they have the nerve to > say these things standing on their own two feet. I don't see any knees > bending to beg for premission to plow them under and move along with their > projects. But if you are searching for a lost cemetery, you will crawl on > your hands and knees to go through old dusty records hoping for a glimpse of > hope to find some information. You will spend hours going through old > records in the basements of federal buildings after you have begged > permission to do so and promised to be careful with their dust. > > I wonder how many of those involved have ancestors buried in Arlington > Cemetery. > > I am ashamed of those that think they can even ask such a thing to be voted > on and made into law. > > Lou Ann Phillips Lunsford > Houston, Texas > Family research for over 32 years. > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <SBrad1249@aol.com> > To: <GEORGIA-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Friday, March 19, 2004 2:12 PM > Subject: [GEORGIA] Cemetery Bill > > > > In case y'all have not seen this--it came to me thru the Pike Co. List. > Pass > > on to your county lists > > Stephanie > > Subject: re: Cemetery Bill before Legistlature > > Date: Tue, 9 Mar 2004 16:22:53 +0000 > > was asked to send it to members of the genealogy > > community to insure that someone knew about the details and the changes to > > the > > current cemtery law. If anyone is going to comment on it, they need to do > so > > ASAP to their legislator, etc. > > You can call and discuss it, or just send some comments. The one thing > > noted, > > no permit is required, and the data is to be kept only for TEN Yrs. Seems > > like > > the Archives ought to be the place material was a t least recorded in if > > they > > are going to do any kind of report. > > > > Also note the two graves limit, what happens if only one grave is > > found/known? > > > > anyway, don't delay, as time is ticking. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > House Bill 1645 > > By: Representatives Bannister of the 70th, Post 1, Cooper of the 30th, > > Murphy of > > the 14th, Post 2, and Knox of the 14th, Post 1 > > > > A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT > > > > To amend Chapter 72 of Title 36 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, > > relating to abandoned cemeteries and burial grounds, so as to provide for > > procedures for the removal of isolated abandoned burial plots over 100 > years > > in > > age; to define a certain term; to provide for an archeological survey; to > > provide for a genealogical search for heirs; to provide for notice to all > > known > > heirs of the deceased; to provide for the removal of remains and burial > > objects; > > to provide for records of the removal; to provide for the transfer of such > > records to subsequent purchasers of the property; to provide for matters > > relative to the foregoing; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other > > purposes. > > > > > > BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA: > > > > SECTION 1. > > > > Chapter 72 of Title 36 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating > > to > > abandoned cemeteries and burial grounds, is amended by inserting at the > end > > thereof the following: > > "36-72-17. > > (a) As used in this Code section, the term 'abandoned isolated burial > plot' > > means a burial plot containing not more than two interments over 100 years > > in > > age located on private property isolated from any cemetery or burial > ground > > and > > with no signs of recent upkeep as a recognized burial plot. > > (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter to the contrary, > the > > owner of property upon which an abandoned isolated burial plot is located > > may > > remove the same by complying with the provisions of this Code section. > > (c) Any property owner wishing to remove an abandoned isolated burial plot > > shall > > have the area surveyed by an archeologist. If the archeologist certifies > > that > > the burial plot contains no more than two interments and is over 100 years > > in > > age, the property owner shall engage a genealogist to locate all living > > heirs of > > the persons interred in the plot. The property owner shall notify each > > living > > heir so identified of the discovery of the plot and of his or her > intention > > to > > remove the remains. Such notice shall include the proposed location of the > > new > > burial site and the approximate date of the removal, which shall be not > > sooner > > than 30 days following the time the notice was received, and the right of > > the > > heirs to object to the removal and the address to which the objection must > > be > > addressed. If a majority of the heirs consent to the removal in writing, > the > > removal may take place at any time. If, 30 days after the date upon which > > all > > heirs have received the notice, a majority of the heirs have not objected > to > > the > > removal, the removal may take place as provided in subsection (d) of this > > Code > > section. If the genealogist certifies that there are no living heirs, or > > that no > > living heirs can be found after reasonable diligence has been made, the > > removal > > make take place as provided in subsection (d) of this Code section. > > (d) The removal of remains from an abandoned isolated burial plot > authorized > > by > > this Code section shall be accomplished at the expense of the owner of the > > property upon which the plot is located. The remains may be removed only > by > > an > > archeologist and only to an established cemetery. All burial objects shall > > accompany the remains. If the accompanying burial objects do not > > sufficiently > > identify the deceased, a new marker shall be erected providing, if known, > > the > > name of the deceased, the dates of birth and death, the fact of the > removal, > > and > > the date of the removal. > > (e) A person accomplishing the removal of an abandoned isolated burial > plot > > under this Code section shall maintain all required documentation for at > > least > > ten years and shall transfer such documentation with complete disclosure > to > > a > > subsequent purchaser of the property. Each subsequent owner of such > property > > shall transfer such documentation with complete disclosure to each > > subsequent > > purchaser of the property until ten years have elapsed after the time of > the > > removal." > > > > > > SECTION 2. > > > > All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed. > > > > > > ==== GEORGIA Mailing List ==== > > If you wish to unsubscribe from the Georgia list, send only the word > > UNSUBSCRIBE to GEORGIA-l-request@rootsweb.com or if you are on the Digest > > List to GEORGIA-d-request@rootsweb.com > > > > ============================== > > Gain access to over two billion names including the new Immigration > > Collection with an Ancestry.com free trial. Click to learn more. > > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=4930&sourceid=1237 > > > > > ==== GEORGIA Mailing List ==== > If you wish to unsubscribe from the Georgia list, send only the word > UNSUBSCRIBE to GEORGIA-l-request@rootsweb.com or if you are on the Digest > List to GEORGIA-d-request@rootsweb.com > > ============================== > Gain access to over two billion names including the new Immigration > Collection with an Ancestry.com free trial. Click to learn more. > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=4930&sourceid=1237 >