I like your letter,and have written my senator,asking that he support HB572,but i think your letter is much to long.The Senators just don't like to read long messages. --- Doug Park - The Mystical Gravehunter <[email protected]> wrote: > All, copy of a letter I sent to several KY Senators > today regarding KY Bill > 572. Hope many of you share the same feelings on > this issue as I: > > > Dear Kentucky Senator, > > Beginning in the late 1700s, six (6) generations of > my Kentucky Pioneer, > Park Family were buried in Kentucky soil in Nelson, > Estill (Irvine and > Wagersville), Madison, Lincoln, Clark, and Boyle > Counties. In my frequent > exploration of their final resting places, I have > been witness to and cried > over the desecration and neglect of their stones and > surrounding grounds. > Some of these rural Park Family cemeteries have been > vandalized and leveled > by unfeeling construction companies. Although, I am > proud to have written > and published a book in memory of my KY ancestors in > Madison and Estill > Counties, in particular, the travesty of their final > resting places > continues to haunt me and many other descendants who > are Kentucky Citizens > with roots in the commonwealth, by virtue of their > courageous pioneer > ancestors. If it were not for these brave pioneers, > we would not be, and > neither would Kentucky. > > One tragic example of this neglect is the > Park-Miller Cemetery on the > grounds of the Eastern Kentucky University Farm in > Richmond, near the > silos, where cattle have been allowed to trample the > graves of many of my > ancestors there, including Rev. John Mills Park > (1806-1877) and wife, > Martha Oldham (1812-1851). EKU Farm workers are > aware of the fence that is > down around it, yet for whatever reasons, the > University has not taken > action to resurrect it in order to keep the cattle > out or to restore the > damage to the tombstones already done there. To > this day, my ancestors' > tombstones on the EKU Farm are still being crushed > and defecated on by > unknowing cattle--despite letters to EKU by members > of the Park Family of KY. > > This and other cemetery neglect throughout Eastern > Kentucky, is a disgrace > to my family, our state, and to the pioneer history > that enriches us all. > The lives of our Kentucky ancestors are the very > fabric of our ideals and > values we continue to today, for all of us who live > in and adore the Great > Commonwealth that is Kentucky! And this is how we > choose to remember our > Kentucky Pioneer-Ancestors?! I say NOT! Surely, it > is not the legacy they > imagined for themselves and their families prior to > their passing. It is > disrespectful, irresponsible, and heartless to fail > in preserving their > memory with both dignity and admiration. > > As a Kentucky Colonel, I respectfully ask you to > PLEASE push KENTUCKY Bill > 572 -- Kentucky Historic Cemetery Preservation > Program in the KY Senate! I > am told that although it passed in the House of > Reps, it has yet to receive > any attention in the Senate. Won't you please help! > My father was born in > Richmond, KY, graduated from EKU. I have many > cousins who still live in the > Bluegrass state; the majority in Madison and Estill > Counties. In fact, some > who are members of the Estill Co. Historical > Society, are trying to do what > they can to preserve and restore these family > cemeteries. But, it's not > enough! We need this bill. My conscience says that > anything less sends the > wrong message to our people and sets a poor > precedent for other forms of > neglect in the Great Commonwealth of Kentucky. > > > Thank you for your attention and support. I hope to > hear from you sometime > soon. > > Respectfully, > > William "Doug" Park > Kentucky Colonel > > > > > > ==== KY-CEMETERIES Mailing List ==== > If you wish to subscribe to or unsubscribe from the > Kentucky Cemetery list, use > [email protected] or > [email protected] if > you are on the Digest list. > To learn more about my world visit > http://dwp.bigplanet.com/kburnett > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion > online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 > ===== [email protected] __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Try FREE Yahoo! Mail - the world's greatest free email! http://mail.yahoo.com/