My friends - We are going to close out this week's data posts with another in the Skills Puzzler series. If we do genealogical research for very long, we will eventually run into a situation in which we find two grave markers for the same individual, often in the same cemetery, but sometimes in two different cemeteries. If the markers agree as to name and dates, then our only problem, if we wish to pursue it, is that of determining in which cemetery the person is actually interred. Every now and then, however, a situation will arise in which the dates carved into the stones do not agree. That is the case with this Puzzler. The scenario is this: Rupert Dinwiddie was the subject of a research project undertaken by a young lady wishing to join the DAR. Rupert was said to have been a Revolutionary War soldier, and he died in the 1820's, in good financial condition, and leaving a widow and 7 children. As she went forward with her research, she found a cemetery in which he was apparently buried. The stone was a high quality marble marker and was easily readable, although it had sunk into the ground somewhat, since it did not have a solid base under it. The stone indicated that Rupert had departed this life on 22 August 1821. In looking at lineage records from others who had gained DAR membership through Rupert, the researcher found a different date of death in all cases but one. She pursued this disparity and contacted one of the descendants, who told her that the grave of Rupert Dinwiddie was not in the cemetery that the researcher had visited, but in another cemetery nearby. The researcher visited the other cemetery, and there she found another stone, which had the same birth date on it as was found on the other stone in the other cemetery. The death date, however, was shown as 10 May 1820. This stone was a somewhat larger one, was constructed of a limestone mixture, and all of the carvings were above ground, as it had a cement base supporting it. Otherwise, the degree of wear appeared to be about the same as was seen on the other stone. The question before the house is this: Which of these grave markers should this researcher consider to be the more accurate, and why? The narrative above sets out all of the information needed to reach a definitive conclusion on this question. If you would like to offer your thoughts on this Puzzler, you can send them to the List or to me. I will return over the weekend with the solution. As always, there will be no data posts per se over the weekend. I may drop in with another in the JP Land Grants series, if time permits. -B ============================================================