Hi List, I hired a cemetery restorationist to restore a gravestone in Indiana for me and he did a tremendous job. He is part of the Indiana Pioneer Cemetery Restoration Project. (I can pass on the name to anyone interested). The group listed above seeks volunteers to help the restorationist restore the cemetery. I do not (as far as I know) have any relatives buried in the Hatcher Cemetery but would be willing to join a group of volunteers in order to help restore it. Maybe together we can do something to save it. Madonna Davis Marks (researching Davis, Huggins, Leming, Fowler, Tindall, Gilbreath, Heard in Perry & Randolph Counties in IL) Chapman Kim <KChapman@hrc-engr.com> wrote: All, Following is a transcription of a newspaper article regarding the efforts to recover the historical Hatcher Cemetery, an early burial ground which just happens to include, among others, the grave of my 3rd-Great-Grandfather: Henry EATER (or EATOR, as he apparently spelled it). It may also include the graves of his wife, and 2 of his children. Gravestones in this cemetery have been destroyed/moved since about 1995, as they were still in place in the late 1980s and early 1990s per communications with cousins over the past few years. Henry EATER/EATOR was buried in the Hatcher Cemetery in the mid 1840s, and it was an established burial ground then - so it is at least 160 years old. It is important that these early burial sites not be ignored and forgotten. Several of us have for years been trying to get action taken to restore and preserve the Hatcher burial ground. I believe that we should all mail in our ancestors and relative who are know to have been buried in the Hatcher Cemetery, in an effort to re-create a listing a the graves. I urge all who have ancestors buried in this cemetery to send the names, and dates of those whose graves are in this burial ground to both this List and to the Perry County Clerk, as listed in the article, urging the restoration of this historic burial ground. Kim CHAPMAN (I have capitalized the surnames mentioned in the article, otherwise the transcription below is as it was printed.) ----- begin article ----- The Southern Illinoisan, Sunday, September 4, 2005 Local Section, p. 9A Perry County residents to reclaim Hatcher Cemetery By Christi MATHIS, for the Southern Tamaroa - The Hatcher Cemetery has nearly been forgotten, but now some Perry County residents want to reclaim the burial site. Perry County Clerk Kevin KERN said a number of people have contacted him with concerns about the cemetery, which is mostly hidden by farm fields. The resting place for an estimated 50 to 75 people, it's not clear how old Hatcher is. But concerned residents believe some of the nearby farm fields have encroached on the cemetery. There's no longer road or other access to the two-acre plot between DuBois and Tamaroa, near the county line - unless visitors choose to walk through a field, See PERRY / Page 10A --- PERRY: Hatcher Cemetery >From Page 9A KERN said. "I think it's a disgrace," he said. "You can't blame anybody for it but you can take steps to take care of it in the future." KERN suggested "at a minimum we need to get the boundaries staked out and we need to get an easement recorded so people can visit and maintain the cemetery." County Engineer Doug BISHOP said the old county road maps show there was once a north-south road along the western boundary of the cemetery, providing access. He can find no record that the road was formally vacated. That means it is still platted as a road and could be returned to such. BISHOP said an existing road is less than half a mile away at the north end. BISHOP suggested the county have the cemetery surveyed and stake out or fence the boundaries. KERN and State's Attorney David STANTON will notify surrounding property owners that the cemetery property, owned by the county since 1893, will be reclaimed. The county board also asked BISHOP to secure quotes for surveying the property and hire someone to do the work. KERN said the best long-term way to ensure the cemetery is properly maintained is creating a cemetery association and deeding the property to the association. County officials said they'll try to determine if there's interest in forming an association. mathis5@hcis.net 618-357-8391 ----- end of article ----- ==== ILPERRY Mailing List ==== Tim Casey is the Perry Co IL Mail List Administrator email timcasey@earthlink.net Perry County web site: http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilperry/ To unsubscribe from this mailing list send an e-mail to: ILPERRY-L-request@rootsweb.com. Turn off your signature. There is no subject required and only one word goes into the e-mail. Unsubscribe --------------------------------- Yahoo! FareChase - Search multiple travel sites in one click.