Hello everyone. First, just wanted to say I'm new to this mailing list and subscribed because about six months ago I started a genealogy project for my family. I have been to almost every cemetery in Putnam county during this time, and I'd like to say most of them are very nicely kept and well cared for. Would also like to say that although a lot of people were angry about the ecology thing that was going on, I was pleasantly surprised to find such a heated debate taking place on a simple mailing list. I had never heard of the INPCRP until recently, and want you to know I've learned quite a bit in the short time I've been with you. Second, I have a question. Recently I visited Deer Creek Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery in Mt. Meridian looking for an ancestor's grave. Finally on my fourth visit, I found it, the trouble being that the headstone had fallen forward and sunken into the ground slightly, hiding the name. What is the proper thing to do when this happens? I gently pried it up, and "propped" it up by pushing some of the surrounding dirt underneath the front of the stone (it is a very small, hand-carved one). I also used a small stick and very very gently traced it over the letters I could read, to be sure it was the name I thought it was. Should I have left the stone the way that it was, or was this ok to do? I've seen how upset some of the member get when someone writes in stating that they've used chalk or something else that may harm the stone, so I'm a little worried about making people angry right off the bat here, but keep in mind I'm new to this, I meant well, and if I was w! rong, it was simple ignorance laced with good intentions. Thanks for any advice you can give-- Lisa

Hello Lisa, Gently dig around the stone to see if it is set in a square base with a slot, or if it is a long stone set several inches into the ground. If it is a square base with a slot, dig around it until you have exposed enough of it to level it, then pack good dirt, sand or pea gravel under and around it. If it is a long slab buried into the ground (usually 14" to 18"), expose enough of it so you can stand it upright easily. Be careful not to force it, the small flat stones may snap easily. If it resists standing upright, dig a little deeper. Once you have it standing upright, pack a mixture of sand and pea gravel around it. Tamp well, and fill the last 3" to 4" with dirt or sod. If it is a short stone (less than 12"under ground) it should have a base with a slot. If the base is missing, you can find instructions to make a new one here: http://www.gravestonestudies.org/preservation.htm There is lots of helpful information on the INPRCP website here: http://www.rootsweb.com/~inpcrp/pcrpstepbystep.html If you have more questions, by all means please ask! There are many on this list that will be happy to assist in any way they can. We may enen have a member near Mt. Meridian who would be willing to come over and help. Ernie Lasley, Coordinator Gibson County PCRP PCRP page: http://members.sigecom.net/elasley/inpcrp/index.html Cemetery page: http://www.usroots.com/~jmurphy/gibson/gibcem/gibcem.htm At 12:27 PM 10/2/01, you wrote: >the trouble being that the headstone had fallen forward and sunken into >the ground slightly, hiding the name. What is the proper thing to do when >this happens? I gently pried it up, and "propped" it up by pushing some >of the surrounding dirt underneath the front of the stone (it is a very >small, hand-carved one). >Should I have left the stone the way that it was, or was this ok to do? >Thanks for any advice you can give-- > Lisa > > > >==== INPCRP Mailing List ==== >This list is for discussion of topics related to the Indiana Pioneer >Cemeteries Restoration Project only.

Thank you (!) to Ernie and Kyle for the advice. I had no idea what I did was actually illegal, I was just concerned that I might have damaged the gravesite somehow. I have been to that cemetery a total of seven times now and have never seen anyone else there, which is too bad because it is a lovely cemetery. About the stone: I saw no base at all beneath the headstone, and the stone itself is only about a foot tall and maybe a foot and a half wide. Thanks also for the links, I'll look into making a base for it. This is my g-g-grandmother's grave, and all the stones of her relatives in that area look just like hers, leading me to believe they were all carved by the same person/company. I really want to make sure they don't deteriorate any more than they already have. Thanks again, I'm having so much fun learning about all of this! Lisa ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ernie & Connie" <elasley@sigecom.net> To: <INPCRP-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, October 02, 2001 5:40 PM Subject: Re: [INPCRP] Still learning . . . > Hello Lisa, > > Gently dig around the stone to see if it is set in a square base with a > slot, or if it is a long stone set several inches into the ground. If it > is a square base with a slot, dig around it until you have exposed enough > of it to level it, then pack good dirt, sand or pea gravel under and around > it. If it is a long slab buried into the ground (usually 14" to 18"), > expose enough of it so you can stand it upright easily. Be careful not to > force it, the small flat stones may snap easily. If it resists standing > upright, dig a little deeper. Once you have it standing upright, pack a > mixture of sand and pea gravel around it. Tamp well, and fill the last 3" > to 4" with dirt or sod. > If it is a short stone (less than 12"under ground) it should have a base > with a slot. If the base is missing, you can find instructions to make a > new one here: > > http://www.gravestonestudies.org/preservation.htm > > There is lots of helpful information on the INPRCP website here: > > http://www.rootsweb.com/~inpcrp/pcrpstepbystep.html > > If you have more questions, by all means please ask! There are many on > this list that will be happy to assist in any way they can. We may enen > have a member near Mt. Meridian who would be willing to come over and help. > > Ernie Lasley, Coordinator > Gibson County PCRP > PCRP page: http://members.sigecom.net/elasley/inpcrp/index.html > Cemetery page: http://www.usroots.com/~jmurphy/gibson/gibcem/gibcem.htm > > > > At 12:27 PM 10/2/01, you wrote: > >the trouble being that the headstone had fallen forward and sunken into > >the ground slightly, hiding the name. What is the proper thing to do when > >this happens? I gently pried it up, and "propped" it up by pushing some > >of the surrounding dirt underneath the front of the stone (it is a very > >small, hand-carved one). > >Should I have left the stone the way that it was, or was this ok to do? > >Thanks for any advice you can give-- > > Lisa > > > > > > > >==== INPCRP Mailing List ==== > >This list is for discussion of topics related to the Indiana Pioneer > >Cemeteries Restoration Project only. > > > ==== INPCRP Mailing List ==== > If we cannot respect the dead, how can we respect the living? > >