Jack, There is a lot of message in what you have written, which is why I am leaving it intact for this response and comment. I have two observations.... 1. If the cemetery is Lutheran, how could the DNR or any other STATE agency take it over when the federal constitution (and most State constitutions as well) guarantees separation of Church and State? In our county, the county approved a telephone switching station placement on/near a family plot in an historic Catholic cemetery, then later claimed it didn't permit the company to do so. A developer was told he needed a second ingress/egress, and the county approved a road through the middle of the same Catholic church property, through the area where the Church once stood. The developer planned three building lots on the lower section of the Church's property and the county approved the grading permits. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento sued the County, Pacific Bell and the developer in 1998 claiming violation of their constitutional right to separation of Church and State. The county knew the property belonged to the Church and never notified them of their intention to desecrate this historic cemetery. Suffice it to say, all three defendants chose to settle out of court... The point I make is that if there is a deed held by the Lutheran organization, I think that the DNR has done the same thing. They have infringed on the Lutheran's rights to separation of Church and State. Just because no one is doing anything with a cemetery anymore, doesn't mean their ownership isn't still valid. 2. Burning a cemetery and otherwise doing anything that will harm the ornamentation and monumentation that is within a cemetery is does not constitute paying honor to any settlers or peoples. It is an insult to think that anyone, in the past or in the present, would ever see that as paying tribute. I wish government people would quit thinking the average American is so stupid and gullible to fall for their hairbrained schemes. It is an insult to our intelligence. And the burning off of cemeteries is an insult to anyone buried their, and to their descendants who may be out searching for the burial places. Anyone who can read a newspaper can tell you that in the old editions you never saw..."The Masons and Odd Fellows will burn their cemeteries off next week for their annual cleaning." To the contrary, almost every community will probably have an article asking for subscription payments to help toward the cost of cleaning the weeks and brush from the cemetery. In all my research, I have never seen one that stated the cemetery was to be deliberately burned off. Quite the opposite, especially after a wildfire burned nearby and entered the cemetery, people would rush out to the cemetery afterward to see what damage needed to be attended to! And, finally, let's all remember that the government is OUR government. We give it the power that it has and we have the ability to take that power away. OUR government is seen as a reflection of the American people and when it goes sideways and does stupid things, others see US in that same light. In this instance, it is time to speak out to YOUR government (read DNR or any other agency responsible for this sick and stupid policy) to tell them to stop and stop now. It is bad enough that people have lost their jobs and homes because of environmental measures that put other things before people, now they want to steal our heritage in the same way. There is a line that must be drawn at some juncture. This is one of those instances. Sue Silver California ----- Original Message ----- From: <Jb502000@aol.com> To: <INPCRP-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, September 08, 2001 7:47 PM Subject: [INPCRP] Barrens Memorial (Saturday) > This is an open letter to the List, you may now feel free to hit the DELETE > > > About the Lutheran cemetery in Harrison County, that is now Named > > Officially by the State as Barrens. I can't buy the cultural thing, or > > memorial to the Settlers and the Indians. The land was taken from the > > Indians and now we use a Lutheran cemetery grown up purposfully to make a > > memorial to them. In case anyone doesn't know it, I'm Mad as H---. That was > > a German Lutheran Church that I measured today as 3/4 of a mile from my > > families property in the 1850 census.. They were German Lutheran and did > > not subscribe to any weeds, wild flowers, or tall grass in their > > cemeteries. They were very respectful of their families. It was to hard to > > keep them alive. They didn't bury them in the Weeds > > I went back today and my wife and I just sat and looked at it. > > We sat and talked about how little we could do. I had to leave to avoid > > burning it myself. ( I have more respect than that) To add Insult to Injury > > the name was changed to Barrens.It has always been Lutheran. My family who > > lived South West of Bradford near the cemetery, would Never have allowed > > this to grow up like this. > It might be a DNR memorial but it's disgracefull to my German > Heritage which > > back to 1808 when they helped settle Harrison County, and this part > > of the > country. Also the Indians liked the Grass and Wild (Flowers) because game > lived in > > it. Indians never ever slept in anything like this. There is no water near > > by. They just passed thru Hunting, then went back 3 miles south to the > > nearest water. As far as the name,The DNR didn't even leave Lutheran on the > > Memorial Cemetery Name. Also the sign about 31/2 ft Tall and 8 feet long > > is, in my opinion overkill. The nice little sign up North marking a prarie > > is very reasonable. They don't use those in Floyd, Harrison, Crawford, or > > Perry counties except State Parks or in the Forrestry where it is > > approiate. Here, they have taken what they call a Cultural thing (Return to > > Nature) and removed it from another culture. > The cemetery is Offically recorded in the WPA Cemetery Blue Print > Layout > > Book in The Governors home town of Corydon in the Court House, as > Lutheran. The DNR changed the name for a Memorial to people who don't > subscribe > > to it. I'm not going to let this go away. Down here things don't always > > go by the book. Government agency's and the people that influence them have > > enough to do without making Cemetery Name changes, they don't even have > > aka/Lutheran on the sign. This is my own personal opinion. No one has to > > agree with me. The Indians had a saying, Roughly, "Don't condemn another > > brave until you have walked a Mile in his moccasins". Keep that in Mind !! > > We work to hard on a Volunteer basis to become complacent now. Fairness > > and a Single standard is all I ask. > > > > Jack E. Briles Sr. > > Po Box 444 > > New Albany, In. 47151-0444 > (812)-282-6585 > > > > > ==== INPCRP Mailing List ==== > THIS IS A CEMETERY ----- > "Lives are commemorated - deaths are recorded - families > are reunited - memories are made tangible - and love is > undisguised. This is a cemetery. > "Communities accord respect, families bestow reverence, > historians seek information and our heritage is thereby enriched. > "Testimonies of devotion, pride and remembrance are carved > in stone to pay warm tribute to accomplishments and to the life - > not the death - of a loved one. The cemetery is homeland for family > memorials that are a sustaining source of comfort to the living. > "A cemetery is a history of people - a perpetual record of > yesterday and sanctuary of peace and quiet today. A cemetery > exists because every life is worth loving and remembering - always." > --Author unknown -- Seen at a monument dealer in West Union, IA > >