Somewhere during the 150 emails I got this one day, I read "tell us what is happening in your county with the clean up of cemeteries." We have 2 and sometimes 3 super, super guys that go out in all kinds of weather to find overgrown or neglected cemeteries. We also have a volunteer group of about 15 that help from time to time. Our genealogy society has an article in the newspaper each month entitled "Tales and Trails." The article is written by a society member on anything that touches their likes or heart. I just had to send this one your way...written by Valerie Sweeney, a former teacher who has a beautiful singing voice, and a very caring personality. Email her at msweeney@wvc.net if you think this is worthy. She entitled her article "Time and Labor Brings Unexpected Reward." It was early spring in Knox County and the sun had not yet made its presence felt in the fields and farmlands. Only a thin light shone through often gray skies, and there was still a distinct chill in the air. A plea had been made by two local gentlemen who had already given many hours and much hard work to a project which touched the hearts of all the members of the local genealogical society. Would we be willing to donate some of our time and labor to the reclaiming of at least part of the list of pioneer cemeteries long neglected? We learned that of the 170 known cemeteries in the county, 41 are considered endangered. Many of them have disappeared, covered by vines and weeds. The only rewards for our efforts would be aching joints, blistered hands, scratches from old briars, perhaps a turned ankle and cold feet. Later, when summer descended upon us, there would be poison ivy, snakes, insects, mole holes, difficulty breathing from the humidity and profuse sweating. Nevertheless, a small band of us decided to venture with our leaders to Iona Cemetery, near Decker, in southern Knox County. This was to be our first such effort of several until the infamous Knox County summer sweltering heat would force us to call a halt until autumn's kinder temperatures. So, early on that March morning, we drove to Iona and began walking through the woods, with permission, toward the small cemetery. My husband, Marvin, was one of the first to reach the area, and he shouted, "Would you look at this?" I knew with great anticipation that his "find" had to be a good one. He is not given to great emotion! Upon reaching the cemetery, our group found him standing in front of a large, upright marker which looked like new __ no significant damage or wear upon it. Inscribed thereon was the name Samuel N. Willson (sic), born March 7, 1784, died Sept. 11, 1832! The deceased was a direct ancestor of Marvin's! Wilson's ancestors had come to the New World from Scotland in 1726. After settling in Virginia, the family moved on to Kentucky and finally to this area. No doubt Iona was named for that far-away island off the western coast of Scotland. It is an ancient place, long occupied by Druids, and then in AD 563 its people heard the Gospel from St. Columbia and Christianity bloomed. Pilgrims from all over the world visit it today, so it is no wonder that early Knox County pioneers who longed for home and stability would carry their important place names with them. My husband knew that Samuel's father, Alexander, had been scalped and killed by Piankeshaw Indians in 1786 on the Embarrass River in Illinois. He knew that Samuel was 2 years old when his father died. He knew that Samuel's brother, Walter, had been a scout for William Henry Harrison in his campaigns, and had been a representative in Indiana's legislature. However, he had no idea where any of them were buried. The odds of finding not only a burial place, but a stone which was in very good shape and was legible had certainly been slim. His excitement and surprise were felt by everyone. It has always been a wish of mine to find the burial place of my great-great-great-grandfather, Thomas Jordan and his wife, Catherine Gilmore Jordan. They were founding members of Indiana Presbyterian Church, but were most likely buried in a family plot. No doubt we will never know where they were buried, because the place is probably now part of a field or woods, lost to neglect and the encroachment of man and nature. We have given up. Marvin's good fortune was a rarity. His reward was most unusual and was much appreciated. But let me say that there is a reward for the two men who have given so many hours and so much labor and even for those few of us who have, hopefully, begun in a small way to try to roll back the decades of neglect by authorities who have not done their duty. This reward is nothing tangible, we can't hold it in our hands. It is simply the satisfaction of knowing that we are doing the right thing, that we honor and respect those sturdy pioneers who came before us. We will resume our efforts this fall. Won't you join us? (by Valerie Sweeney) (By the way the two gentlemen that have done so much for Knox County cemeteries are Bob Hill and Jon Andrews.) Hopefully Jon and Bob will report what they are doing now and plan to do this fall and winter. We are sure proud of these two guys. Natalie R.