I was told, as long as there is a veteran or civil war veteran, that permission had to be obtained from his family to remove the bodies. If there was a veteran in the cemetery the land around it could be condemned to enlarge the cemetery. Bocco cemetery almost lost it's access road until someone brought this to the attention of the planing board. I'm not sure the wording but there is some help out there. If there are settlers, in the cemetery, you may be able to have it placed on a historic register then no one could touch it. I can ask tomorrow, Karen V. Mr. Mason your information is great, I just bought a book on Chesterfield and the early days. I'm so glad to see it again and yours I sent to friends that had moved away. william mason wrote: > I have a Rev. War 3rd great-grandfather, Henry Russell buried in the > Otterbein Cemetery in Chesterfield, Indiana. I was there in Oct. and met a > cousin for the first time, also a descandent of Henry. My cousin said she > heard the airport next to the cemetery wanted to buy the land. What a > shame it would be if something would happen to this little pioneer cemetery. > Below is the dedication speech for a plaque for Henry Russell. > > Bill Mason > Renton, Wa. > > The Plaque dedication of Henry Russell at the Otterbein Cemetery > Chesterfield, Indiana > > Talk by Edw. J. Ronsheim Sr. 4/22/1959 at dedication of plaque to Henry > Russell as a Soldier of the Revolution. At Otterbein Cemetery in > Chesterfield, Indiana > > As the last of the Delaware villages along White River were vacated the > surveyors began their work. Even as David Hillis completed the survey of > this area early in 1821 pioneer families were pushing through from the > east. The first in Union Township was William Dilts who first set up a home > on Mill Creek a mile to the east. That was in 1821 or shortly earlier Mr. > Dilts, his wife and members of his family are buried only fifty feet from > where you stand. > Frederick Bronnenberg Sr., entered land to the north of us along White River > adjacent to the site of Buck's Town. this on July 1, 1823. John Suman, > Elizabeth Shimer and Amasa Makepence took land not far away. Daniel Noland > came up from Wayne County where he had settled before the War of 1812. He > took the 80 acres just west of the hedgerow on July 4, 1823. With him came > his family, some married > The frontier took it tool and on April 30, 1825---a few days less than 134 > years ago-- Mary Wilson Noland died and was buried on this spot, the oldest > known marked grave in the county. Daughters died and are buried near by. > Then on Jan. 14, 1829. Daniel Noland died at 63 and is buried next to his > wife. This part of the cemetery was the original Noland burying ground and > is just inside the line of land entered by Brazelton Noland, youngest of the > family, Dec. 13, 1824. > To the south of us a hundred feet is the grave of Jason Hutson, first > teacher in Union Twp., who married Daniel's grand-daughter. Another, Sarah > Noland Tucker, lies a few feet north from us. Under the hedge to the north > are the McClannahan graves, ancestors of Riley' signpainter friend. Many > are the graves of the first settlers who rest within this plot which was > deeded to the United Brethern church for a building and cemetery on July 29, > 1843. Signing the deed were Brazelton and Nancy Russell Noland. East of > the church site are other Noland graves which newer stones, these coming > down from James Noland and Peggy Russell, ancestors of the big Adams Twp. > family. > Now let us turn out attention to the man being honored here today. Henry > Russell. Who was he and why does he lie here among all these others. Henry > was born in Charles County, Maryland, in 1754 coming, probably, from William > Russole who was a landowner and active in colonial affairs before 1674. > Henry was fourth generation in Maryland. Because three families were > neighbors back as far as 1650 to 1675 and for two centuries more it is easy > to follow the course of all. These families were the Russells, the > Smallwoods and the Nolands. Through many marriages they became closely > related > Henry first appears on record taking the Oath of Fidelity in 1778 and then > as he entered the army about Sept. 11, 1778, for three years. He was first > in the 1st Maryland Regiment and if not transferred must have served in many > of the colonies. That he replaced Benjamin Smallwood seems evident. > Yorktown and the end of the war and the close of Henry's service came in > 1781. A year later, back in Charles County, he married Chloe Smallwood, > this on Nov. 10, 1782. in Port Tabacco Parish with Rev. George H. Worsley, > rector performing the service. Chloe was the daughter of Benjamin. > The census of 1790 shows Henry and his wife with five young children in > Montgomery County, Maryland, adjacent to William Smallwood, his > brother-in-law. By 1797 Henry had settled among the Nolands on Dutchman > Creek in Rowan County, NC. The Nolands had moved well before the Revolution > and before 1780 William Smallwood had rejoined all of them. This in now in > Davie County. > On Nov. 16, 1797, Henry purchased the only land he is known to have owned, > fifty acres from the old Stephen Noland estate, Stephen, the father of > Daniel here, also was a Soldier of the Revolution. Nancy Russell was born > on the farm Nov. 7, 1801 with Zadock, the last child, being born there June > 15, 1804, Chloe Russell never again appears on record and is believed to > have died before Nov. 23, 1805, when Henry sold his land. > About the time Henry sold his farm in Rowan County the Adams family, the > William Smallwoods, Daniel Noland and many others were starting the long > journey westward toward Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana. Henry probably was with > them. His older children were married. Some of the others remained in > North Carolina for a time Henry Jr. who married Rebecca Garner ( her grave > is right there.) did not come until after 1816 and died in Madison County in > 1846. > In 1830 old Henry was living with Brazelton and Nancy on this very land, a > man never sick, quite tall and with raven black hair when he died suddenly > with the start of winter in 1836. It would be easy to wander along the side > trails of the past but we are here today to do honor to Henry Russell long > years after such honor was due. > In closing may we express on hope--that somehow, some way we will make > certain that cemeteries such as this are recreated from stones hidden barely > beneath the grass so that those people from the past will be with us as we > face the future. Only by preserving history are we fit to make it. These > people braved the dangers of the frontier to establish that which we now > enjoy. Surely they earned from us a right to believe that the stones which > mark their lives and deaths will be held a sacred trust and historical tie > between the past, today and the future. Let us , as we honor Henry Russell, > resolve to honor all those others who went before and built the foundations > of a nation. > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > ---------------------------------- > > > It is disheartening to hear about little cemeteries being destroyed, but > > there are also happy tales. Several years ago I found an ancestor was > > buried > > on a corner of a farm in Brown County, OHIO. When I drove into the > people's > > driveway, the 10 year old son of the owner came out...and on questioning > him > > > > about the grave, his chest puffed up...and he said, "I take care of > Lizzie!" > > > > I'll show you where she is!" With his parents watching, he guided me to > the > > > > spot, a small fenced in area with about six graves there. Two had standing > > stones and the grass had been trimmed, the whole site in beautiful > > condition. > > I tried to give the boy a reward for his efforts...and he said, "No thank > > you, ma'am. Lizzie's MINE to take care of!" > > > > Nikki > >