Dear Johnson County researchers, Nothing earthshaking but I thought you might like to hear of my experience two days ago in Johnson County. I had driven from Washington, DC to Metropolis, IL to visit with a cousin who was doing great genealogical research on my paternal family line. When I was ready to leave on Tuesday morning I thought I would drive up through Johnson County once in my life and visit the area my mother had often talked about but I had never seen...Buncombe, Vienna, Joppa... All I had for my research was that my great grandmother Rebman was born in Johnson County and my great grandfather Rebman was buried in a Buncome cemetery. So off I went for a lovely morning drive. When I came to Buncome I was behind the rural mail carrier who directed me to a couple of nearby cemeteries--Mt Zion and another small, and older, one about a mile past Mt. Zion. I decided to bypass the large Mt Zion site because I was facing a two day drive back home and it would be fruitless anyhow, right? So on I went. I had to drive very slowly behind a picturesque Amish family in a buggy which probably slowed me down enough that I didn't miss the small cemetery on a nearby hill. Out I get and start walking up the hill, just for exercise, scanning right and left. Near the top of the hill I was intrigued by all the stones that had obviously just been dug out of the ground and placed as a grave marker, one or two with a scratched-in name and date. Because I was looking off to my right, it wasn't until I looked right in front of me that I saw the large granite headstone with REBMAN cut into the top. What a feeling. It was my great grandmother, Etta Elkins Rebman, died in 1920. There were no other Rebman stones so I got my video camera out and took a video scanning to take in the full view of this beautiful location. Through the camera lens I noticed a corner of stone under a large flowering bush next to Etta's stone. As I brushed the cut grass away from the flat marker John Daniel Rebman's name and birth/death dates came into view. Now I have more than just the cold facts of birth and death. I discovered my grandfather returned to be buried beside his wife who had preceeded him by 20 years. Like I said, it's not earthshaking, but it seems the fabric of life made a slight shift for me on Tuesday. Any chance there is anyone on this site doing research on Rebman or Elkins? I know where some graves are. Susan Carpenter

Dear Susan, Ihave not known connection to your family, (although I have Johnson County roots), but I enjoyed your moving experience finding your ancestors graves. I believe those emotions are what drive all of us to continue our addiction to genealogy!! You told the story well. Peggy Reynolds Oliver ----- Original Message ----- From: "Susan Carpenter" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, June 17, 2004 11:32 PM Subject: [ILJOHNSO] My Roots Tour > > Dear Johnson County researchers, > > Nothing earthshaking but I thought you might like to hear of my experience > two days ago in Johnson County. > > I had driven from Washington, DC to Metropolis, IL to visit with a cousin > who was doing great genealogical research on my paternal family line. When > I was ready to leave on Tuesday morning I thought I would drive up through > Johnson County once in my life and visit the area my mother had often talked > about but I had never seen...Buncombe, Vienna, Joppa... > > All I had for my research was that my great grandmother Rebman was born in > Johnson County and my great grandfather Rebman was buried in a Buncome > cemetery. So off I went for a lovely morning drive. When I came to Buncome > I was behind the rural mail carrier who directed me to a couple of nearby > cemeteries--Mt Zion and another small, and older, one about a mile past Mt. > Zion. I decided to bypass the large Mt Zion site because I was facing a two > day drive back home and it would be fruitless anyhow, right? So on I went. > I had to drive very slowly behind a picturesque Amish family in a buggy > which probably slowed me down enough that I didn't miss the small cemetery > on a nearby hill. > > Out I get and start walking up the hill, just for exercise, scanning right > and left. Near the top of the hill I was intrigued by all the stones that > had obviously just been dug out of the ground and placed as a grave marker, > one or two with a scratched-in name and date. Because I was looking off to > my right, it wasn't until I looked right in front of me that I saw the large > granite headstone with REBMAN cut into the top. What a feeling. It was my > great grandmother, Etta Elkins Rebman, died in 1920. There were no other > Rebman stones so I got my video camera out and took a video scanning to take > in the full view of this beautiful location. Through the camera lens I > noticed a corner of stone under a large flowering bush next to Etta's stone. > As I brushed the cut grass away from the flat marker John Daniel Rebman's > name and birth/death dates came into view. Now I have more than just the > cold facts of birth and death. I discovered my grandfather returned to be > buried beside his wife who had preceeded him by 20 years. > > Like I said, it's not earthshaking, but it seems the fabric of life made a > slight shift for me on Tuesday. > > Any chance there is anyone on this site doing research on Rebman or Elkins? > I know where some graves are. > > Susan Carpenter > > > ==== ILJOHNSO Mailing List ==== > Do not send Virus warnings to this list. > "Problems with Johnson Co IL Mail List email Tim Casey" > [email protected] > >