This was in today's paper, tomorrow should be MY letter to the editor. - Cris Jewell Takes Right Stance On Cemetery by Editorial Staff County official stuck to his guns in developer dispute The Lewelling family members who owned property near Road 200S have been dead for more than 100 years. But Bartholomew County Auditor Vernon Jewell and Cris West, a pioneer cemetery activist, chose to support the family's wishes and the dignity of the deceased instead of caving in to a developer's demands. This week, Crossmann Communities, one of the state's biggest developers, chose to give up its fight for ownership of the former Lewellyn or Lewelling cemetery in the fast-growing Shadow Creek Farms subdivision south of Columbus. But it was a county official who refused to sign off on a plan that he didn' t believe was right or fair or accurate that forced the company to concede. At issue was the ownership of the property surrounding the cemetery. Since 1870, deeds for the property have set aside an unspecified quarter acre for the pioneer cemetery. But at some point, a farmer buried the headstones and plowed under the cemetery. For generations the cemetery ceased to exist. The only physical evidence of the cemetery was a mark on an old map found by West, a distant relative of the Lewelling family. She kept the issue alive when Crossmann bought the property and continued to push until the company hired an archaeologist to locate the cemetery. On the last day of the archaeologist's work, the cemetery site was discovered in a patch of off-colored dirt. Eventually, the headstones were unearthed, and the locations of seven graves were pinpointed, far from where anyone expected them to be based on the description of the cemetery in the deed. Crossmann initially proposed a plan to set aside one building lot for the cemetery and to erect a marker identifying the cemetery, but the homeowner's association would own the property and a children's playground would take up part of the cemetery space. To their credit, the playground idea was quickly dropped. But when the company went to finalize its plans for the property, Jewell drew the line. His signature is required on the final plat plan before it can be recorded and construction can start. But he stood by his reading of the most recent deed, recorded last year, which said the company does not own the land around the cemetery. Last week, the developer agreed to file a quit-claim deed on the area of the cemetery, turning it back over to its rightful owner, the cemetery itself, according to County Attorney Grant Tucker. The company also agreed to maintain the cemetery and adjoining open space and under a state recommendation will replace the buried headstones - a resolution that will allow the Lewelling family to rest in peace again.

Cris, This is such excellent news. Please be sure to copy us on your letter to the editor. I shall forward this article to the Catholic Diocese in Sacramento who keeps saying it has no way to prove an ownership interest in a little cemetery dedicated by the Archbishop in 1858 in the southern part of our county. If the Lewelling Family Cemetery can claim a victory like this with just one determined lady and one stubborn politician, don't you think the Pope might also have a prayer to move mountains? Bless you and your County Auditor. It shouldn't have taken Crossman that much effort to exhibit the respect this cemetery deserved. Sue Silver ----- Original Message ----- From: "Christine West" <cherokee@shelbynet.net> To: <INPCRP-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, March 15, 2002 7:09 PM Subject: [INPCRP] Making Progress in Columbus > This was in today's paper, tomorrow should be MY letter to the editor. - > Cris > > Jewell Takes Right Stance On Cemetery > by Editorial Staff > County official stuck to his guns in developer dispute > The Lewelling family members who owned property near Road 200S have been > dead for more than 100 years. But Bartholomew County Auditor Vernon Jewell > and Cris West, a pioneer cemetery activist, chose to support the family's > wishes and the dignity of the deceased instead of caving in to a developer's > demands. > This week, Crossmann Communities, one of the state's biggest developers, > chose to give up its fight for ownership of the former Lewellyn or Lewelling > cemetery in the fast-growing Shadow Creek Farms subdivision south of > Columbus. > But it was a county official who refused to sign off on a plan that he didn' > t believe was right or fair or accurate that forced the company to concede. > At issue was the ownership of the property surrounding the cemetery. Since > 1870, deeds for the property have set aside an unspecified quarter acre for > the pioneer cemetery. But at some point, a farmer buried the headstones and > plowed under the cemetery. For generations the cemetery ceased to exist. > The only physical evidence of the cemetery was a mark on an old map found by > West, a distant relative of the Lewelling family. She kept the issue alive > when Crossmann bought the property and continued to push until the company > hired an archaeologist to locate the cemetery. On the last day of the > archaeologist's work, the cemetery site was discovered in a patch of > off-colored dirt. Eventually, the headstones were unearthed, and the > locations of seven graves were pinpointed, far from where anyone expected > them to be based on the description of the cemetery in the deed. > Crossmann initially proposed a plan to set aside one building lot for the > cemetery and to erect a marker identifying the cemetery, but the homeowner's > association would own the property and a children's playground would take up > part of the cemetery space. To their credit, the playground idea was quickly > dropped. > But when the company went to finalize its plans for the property, Jewell > drew the line. His signature is required on the final plat plan before it > can be recorded and construction can start. But he stood by his reading of > the most recent deed, recorded last year, which said the company does not > own the land around the cemetery. > Last week, the developer agreed to file a quit-claim deed on the area of the > cemetery, turning it back over to its rightful owner, the cemetery itself, > according to County Attorney Grant Tucker. > The company also agreed to maintain the cemetery and adjoining open space > and under a state recommendation will replace the buried headstones - a > resolution that will allow the Lewelling family to rest in peace again. > > > ==== INPCRP Mailing List ==== > If you know of some good cemetery related links, send them to LoisMauk@usa.net. > >