My great-great grandfather Johann Ernst Peter RASCHE (Ernst RASCH) is buried there at the Sohn farm. His daughter, Luise E. RASCH, was married to George SOHN and they are both buried there. I too feel saddened at the lost of all the small family buriel plots. I would give most anything if I could find the place that he buried his wife, Luise KUEHNE RASH. Here is part of their story written by my great Aunt Esther KROST THOMAS. Her grandson John David BUCKINGHAM was kind enough to share it with me. Ernst RASCH was the Father of seven children before he left Germany and three more children were born to the couple following their ­coming to America. Feeding and clothing the children kept the parents busy. Both parents were hardworking, frugal and industrious. Their health was good and Grandfather not only kept the children’s shoes in repair, but also tanned the leather out of which he made new shoes for the entire family. Their furniture was home made. They lived in a cabin, which compared favorably with the homes of their neighbors. While the majority of early residents were without means, poverty carried with it no crushing sense of degradation, like that felt by the very poor of our day. Clinton county was sparsely settled at that time, and their nearest neighbor’s may have been two or three miles away. But neighbors were indeed neighbors. They were friendly and sociable and gave help cheerfully. There was free‑hearted hospitality and if a weary traveler came by he was given food and lodging without money and without price. So also when any special work was to be done the neighbors would gather together and enjoy doing it. In sickness they needed to depend upon each others for even in the mid 19th century there were few doctors and those that there were often could not be reached, nor could they travel the unimproved roads. But now that his two older sons had reached the age where they could help with the farm work Grandfather hopefully looked forward to better days. Crops had been good for several years, and he felt the time was near when they could buy a good farm and by industry and frugality soon find that it is theirs and debt free. Again it was October, about eight years after their arrival from Germany. Word had come to their cabin home that a neighbor lady, the Mother of a number of small children was ill, bedfast. Could Grandmother come and help the family. Among those sympathetic, kind and obliging people there could be but one answer. Grandmother walked through the forest and fields a distance of over three miles to help care for the sick neighbor and her large family. This continued for possibly a week; she went to the neighbors home in the early morning and came home at dark or just before, following which she would do as much of her own house work as possible. One evening as she was returning home a cold, hard rain was falling. She was overly tired and also became thoroughly drenched and chilled. Her family did all possible for her, but that night she became ill with chills and fever. What was thought to be pneumonia followed and within about thirty‑six hours she was gone, dying Oct. 7, 1860. This was the blow which caused Grandfather to stagger for many years, in fact he never fully recovered. He was a stranger in a strange country, and a strange language. He was away from all of his relatives, a widower for the second time, left with nine children ranging in age from one year two months and 18 days to seventeen years one month and twenty‑eight days. Has oldest child, a daughter Luise, by his first marriage was already married, but living close by and the mother of three children, two living, one dead. Word spread among the neighbors that Grandmother had passed away. There were no morticians or funeral directors in those days and the Rasch family lived too far from an established cemetery to use it, because of distance and no roads. Since this large family was living in a one‑room cabin with a loft, something needed to be done, and done immediately. Neighbors came with saws and axes and under Grandfather’s supervision they went to the near by woods, selected a large walnut? (or was it Oak? think it was walnut) tree and after cutting it down , they cut off the proper length. They sawed a slab off the top, then with the help of an adze and perhaps other tools with Grandfather’s help they hollowed out the inside of’ the log, following which they laid Grandmother’s body into the cavity, nailed the slab on and buried her near a large oak? tree not far from the cabin. Such burials were not rare in those days. Regina In a message dated 6/5/2008 4:51:30 P.M. Mountain Daylight Time, philentrekin@yahoo.com writes: I have great respect for the Sohn family and the way they have cared for that cemetery even though they did not know any of the people buried there. The second cemetery is a disaster area as someone plowed up the graves in the course of their farming. The lack of human respect for the deceased is an unconscionable act to me and it was deliberate. Some of the headstones were destroyed but some are still readable. Some other info I just remembered I have - a Helen Strotheidt (now deceased) had done a survey of that cemetery before it was destroyed in the 1960s. I do not know if the local historical society has that info or not. I do not have a copy of it. Phil **************Get trade secrets for amazing burgers. Watch "Cooking with Tyler Florence" on AOL Food. (http://food.aol.com/tyler-florence?video=4?&NCID=aolfod00030000000002)