Good job and a Good story, Nancee Larry L. McElwee Dodge City, Ks. mcelwee1942@cox.net ----- Original Message ----- From: "Nancee Seifert" <iggy29@grm.net> To: <IADECATU@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, May 27, 2010 2:45 PM Subject: [IADECATU] CEMETERY 'GYPSY' HERE..... > Yesterday, even with the threat of afternoon rain, I headed for Woodland > Township's cemeteries that I hadn't visited yet -- Shields, Lentz, Beavers > and Hall. I always try to be prepared with maps and directions, but there > is always some kind of glitch.. I intended to go south from Hwy 2, on to > Co > Rd R58, to Hall and Beavers cems, but there was no such road. There were > 2 > gravel roads to choose from, and I didn't want to chance driving around in > the woods all day... So, I headed east on Hwy 2 to Co Rd R69 and went > south > about 7 miles and, WA LA (pardon me - voila) there was Shields Cemetery. > I > should say that it was paved road until I passed "Turkey Run Farm", when > it > suddenly became gravel -- the warning sign said 'BUMP'... I headed on the > remaining 4 miles. My map said after 7.4 miles to turn right -- no road > number or name... I chanced it and turned on Tamarack Hills Road and up > over > the top sits Shields Cemetery. > > It was delightful to have lots of shade (on a 90 degree) day. Many of the > stones have been repaired and put on cement pads - and a few have fallen > and are laying on the ground. It is well taken care of. After chalking > and > taking pics of all the headstones, I just 'drank in' all the sounds and > sights for a while.. wild roses, blooming black raspberries, a patch of > wild asparagus and the all too familiar Mulberry trees in the fence line. > Just over the fence toward the woods, there were lots of wild gooseberry > plants -- and the memories of my Dad's gooseberry pies got the better of > me. > .......He could make a mean gooseberry pie that would pucker your mouth, > but > always be ready for a second piece.. He was the chief 'cook and bottle > washer' when we were young girls - and he sure did a super job. > > I decided to try and find my way to Lentz, Beavers and Hall cemeteries, > going through the back country.. My map showed that I could.. I stopped at > Woodland to take a picture of the Woodland Church and looked around for Co > Rd J46; couldn't find it so took a chance and turned on 240th St. west and > drove a few miles, not finding anything that looked like the map. I ended > up > at a farmer's house to ask directions but no one came to the door.. So, I > turned around to back track and came across a fellow mowing the sides of > the > road, from Decatur County.. I flagged him down - which means that I jumped > out of my car and ran in front of him waving my arms.. Poor man!! He was > really helpful and told me I was within a mile of all of the cemeteries. > He > talked me through the directions and then said he'd be coming back down > the > other side of the road mowing if I needed his help again... Now, that's > good > old fashioned "Iowa" nice folk.. (One of these times I'm going to find me > a > boyfriend, you know, a real live one...) > > So, I back tracked a little and headed south again on Valley Road, which > was > a little soft from the rain the night before.. It dead ends at Lentz > Cemetery.. And what a pretty cemetery this is. It took quite a while to > photograph all the stones and the temperature wasn't dropping any. It's > always interesting to find people whose names you know in the cemeteries.. > My first mother-in-law's folks and siblings are buried there -- Beavers. > > I headed back to the main road and went the way the County road fellow > told > me to.. He said "you go up past Hamaker's new place and over the hill, and > you'll find Hall and Beavers on either side of the road." So, I marked on > my map that this road is 300th St and followed it like he said.. I stopped > at Beavers Cemetery and took photos and then headed on north just a scosch > and there was Hall Cemetery on the left.. These Woodland Township > cemeteries > are all like oases in the middle of nowhere - full of pungent peonies and > old fashioned iris. > > I left there very hot, sweaty and tired and took a chance that 300th St. > would go on out to Hwy 2 somewhere north of there.. and, indeed, it did -- > the street name becoming Pony Farm Road - which my map said was Co Rd > R58... > If I haven't confused everybody with these directions, road names and > numbers, I'll be very disappointed!! > > Well, the cemetery gypsy is planning the next cemetery hunting trip..You > know, you don't ever have to leave the State of Iowa to have a nice little > vacation... smiles. My Best, Nancee > > www.iagenweb.org/decatur > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > IADECATU-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message >