Martha asked me to post this to the Lenoir too, so here it is.... >Hello everyone, > >For those of us who descend from Johann Simons (John Simmons)of >Switzerland, >I have exciting news....... > >On Monday, List member, (Cousin and Friend) Kay Becton Ogle and I FINALLY >found the Simmons family cemetery located at Olivers Landing in Jones >County. > >We have been looking for this cemetery since I moved to NC almost two years >ago, The current owners of the Furnifold M Simmons homeplace say they have >people coming all the time looking for this cemetery....Well it is found!!! >(Thanks to 95 year old Mr. William Henry Parker in Pollocksville who is >"Sharp as a Tack" and knew right where the cemetery was, and gave us GREAT >directions!! > >What's exciting about this cemetery is its age......the oldest tombstone we >could read wa that of Amos Simmons, son of Emanuel. Amos was born i 1769 >and >died in 1804. > >Also buried there are Needham Simmons and his wife Elizabeth Rhem (Needham >is also the son of Emanuel). > >Based on Needham's will I am fairly sure that Emanuel Simmons is buried in >the Cemetery also. Needham left instructions in his will that he was to be >buried in his fathers Cemetery. > >Kay and I did not have the proper equipment with us, so we were not able to >get to far into the thickly wooded cemetery....we did document 19 readable >stones (once Kay gets this typed up, I will post the information, on the >JCNC Familys website) and found one stone that we could not read. We also >found the remains of many other tombs in the ground with no markings...... > >Unfortunately, the cemetery is in horrible condition, a few of the crypts >have either been opened, or have fallen apart, was kinda afraid to look in >them, but did, and there were no human remains visible. > >We do plan on going back out there, either this week or next week...... > >I was wondering, if there is anyone on either of these lists, who lives in >Jones County, and knows of; >1. anyone in the area who might know ANYTHING about reading old hard to >read >tombstones. >2. any person or organization in Jones County that might know anything >about >how we can go about getting this cemetery "saved" (preservation) >3. anyone that might have the equipment and the desire to try and document >whatever other graves might be out there, and their possible age. > >I guess my next question or thought would be, If Needham was indeed buried >in his fathers (Emanuels) cemetery, and if Emanuel is also buried there, is >it possible (think it is) that Johann Simons (John Simmons) himself might >be >buried out there??? > >Tracy Putnam _________________________________________________________________ Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com