Hello All, I think the main reason that some graves go unmarked was because the family could not afford the price of the stone. In some cases graves were marked with wood grave markers that deteriorated with time, or with a softer stone that weathered away. Field stones were moved by people that did not know what they were there for. "Just another rock in the field." Jack's idea of the concrete block is a great inexpensive way to mark a grave. Less chance of someone moving it years later because they think it is "just another rock", and it will indicate to others that a grave is located there even though the name is unknown. We have had some inexpensive replacement stones cut for graves where we could identify names and dates from old records, and only fragments of the original stone was found, not enough to repair. They were made to look like the original stone as best that could be determined by the remaining fragments, or made to look like the stones in the cemetery from that time period. These were paid for by descendants of the person. I can send links to pictures of these replacement stones if anyone is interested. We also placed one of these markers with a field stone that had initials carved on it. A family researcher and descendant of the person sent us the name and birth & death dates of the person buried there. The field stone with the initials was left there as the original marker, and the new stone set with it to identify who that person was and when they lived and died. I know of a cemetery in West Virginia that had several unmarked graves, and a Sunday School class of the church next to it researched burial records and set concrete markers much like the ones that Jack sets, with the names and dates painted on them. The paint will probably weather away with time, but at lease the graves are identified until they can afford a more permanant marker. I agree with you Kyle, it should at least be marked as a grave. Or if we can find the funding and have the information, give that person a name and dates. Ernie At 03:01 PM 10/23/01, you wrote: > > KidClerk@aol.com writes: > > > > > > > On that some note....what about getting a grant to make a simple marker >for > > > those that I have confirmed are unmarked? Could that be going against > > > family's wishes to leave it unmarked? Is there any legitimate reason to > > > leave a burial unmarked? I don't think so, but I've been known to have > > > tainted opinions.... > > > > > > Any input welcomed... > > > > > > Kyle D. Conrad > > > > > > > > > Kyle, > > > > I have a couple of cemeteries that have a lot of Brown Field stone that >are > > hard to see. I decided to remove a Fieldstone and replace it with a 4 X 8 >X > > 16 solid Concrete Block I bury them half way in the Ground on End and Pack > > the Ground around them. The fellow maintaining the one cemetery says it >sure > > makes it easier to Mow. I put a Sand and Gravel mix under them to bring >them > > up to height. The fieldstone have no name on them anyhow. I saw this 5 >years > > ago down in Kentucky where some of my wife's family are buried. If they >are > > hit they can be straightened. They look nice. They all match. The >Fieldstone > > you can hardly see and the mowers run over them Just an Idea. I am > > considering doing this on grave sites that have nothing but a Depression. >And > > the block cost about $1.20 ea. Not Expensive to replace if hit and Broken. > > Also the Children's story is very poignant. No one should go unmarked. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Jack E. Briles Sr. > > Floyd County PCRP Coordinator > > Po Box 444 > > New Albany, In. 47151-0444 > > (812) 282-6585 > > Fax (812) 282-6585 > > > > > > > > ==== INPCRP Mailing List ==== > > "Show me your cemeteries, and I will tell you what kind of people you >have." > > Benjamin Franklin (1706 - 1790) > > > > > > > >==== INPCRP Mailing List ==== >If you know of some good cemetery related links, send them to >LoisMauk@usa.net.