I want to thank everyone who responded to my inquiry about an official listing of the Bentonsport Cemetary. I live only about 50 miles from there and actually visited the area yesterday. The Keosaqua Library was extremely helpful and I gathered a lot of useful information on the MENDENHALL's I'm researching. But I was confused by the following: Mendenhalls buried in Van Buren County - Elizabeth at Bentonsport Isaac at Bentonsport Beady at Maple Hill in Birmingham The actual Bentonsport Cemetary listing in Section 1 Row 4 "Mendenhall, Elizbeth 11 Aug 1889 age 74y 27d w/o I Mendenhall" Maiden name Adkinson (I think the addition of maiden names to the listing is great!) So I went to the cemetary and found Elizabeth without Isaac. Therefore I was hoping that someone would have an official listing of who had been buried there so I would know for sure where Isaac is. Chris Rogers

Chris, Yes, like Delores stated, must be a woops. You are right. The WPA Graves Registration Survey lists the three as you stated. This would indicate that in 1930's there, in fact, existed a gravestone, or marker, for Isaac at Bentonsport Cemetery, as they had copied. This information should have been included in our 2001 printing, under a title " listings found in WPA GRS but no stone is presently found". Note I used the word, should. We missed it. Several years ago the stone probably toppled, was broken, as many are at Bentonsport Cemetery. Broken stones are soon carried away, sometimes stacked by a tree or fence. Finally are just "lost". Neglected Cemeteries are all too common. Families have always been expected to maintain repair of burial site, but as families moved away, or just died off, burial site becomes neglected. The funds available are usually not enough for mowing, snow removal. The Van Buren County Genealogical Society has formed several volunteer work crews and have reset, straightened and/or repaired over 150 stones, this year. We sponsored a free gravestone restoration seminar and are attempting to assist in obtaining volunteers, materials and funds to continue this project. We are starting some "community pride" to assist in cemetery restoration and it is beginning to show. So far, it's a drop in the bucket. Also, just last week I received in inquiry from North Carolina as to replacing 2 stones in bad condition in Bentonsport Cemetery by a GGGrandson of an individual buried there. The Bentonsport Cemetery Board has also began maintenance projects in the grounds. It's just so slow. Requires so much time to put things into better shape. I am sorry, but I do not believe there will be any Cemetery Record which will indicate exactly where Isaac is buried, but in all probability, is next to his wife. Don. VBCGS ----- Original Message ----- From: "CRogers" <rogerca@intersigns.net> To: <IAVANBUR-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, October 07, 2001 7:26 PM Subject: [IAVANBUR] Mendenhall in Bentonsport Cemetary > I want to thank everyone who responded to my inquiry about an official listing of the Bentonsport Cemetary. I live only about 50 miles from there and actually visited the area yesterday. The Keosaqua Library was extremely helpful and I gathered a lot of useful information on the MENDENHALL's I'm researching. But I was confused by the following: > > Mendenhalls buried in Van Buren County - Elizabeth at Bentonsport > Isaac at Bentonsport > Beady at Maple Hill in Birmingham > > The actual Bentonsport Cemetary listing in Section 1 Row 4 "Mendenhall, Elizbeth 11 Aug 1889 age 74y 27d w/o I Mendenhall" Maiden name Adkinson (I think the addition of maiden names to the listing is great!) > > So I went to the cemetary and found Elizabeth without Isaac. Therefore I was hoping that someone would have an official listing of who had been buried there so I would know for sure where Isaac is. > > Chris Rogers > > > > > ==== IAVANBUR Mailing List ==== > To Subscribe or Unsubscribe to the IAVANBUR List > http://www.rootsweb.com/~iavanbur/how-to-subscribe.html