The following is an article written by Lee Wood. I think you all will be able to relate to this. TOMBSTONE SECRETS Do any of you have a member of your family who is into genealogy? If so, you will have no problem relating to this article. There is one in my clan, but it's for sure, I'm not the one. I can't even spell the word without looking it up. The zealot in this field of interest would be my sister. I won't say she's fanatical about the subject, but she definitely doesn't take it lightly. While she may go to the grocery store and forget one of the items she went after, you can ask her about great- great-great uncle John, or cousin Sally Mae, seven times removed, and without batting an eye, she can fire off more information that The Census Bureau. And, unless you're one of the (genealogists), you don't want to among their group when they get together and start talking. I really do believe they speak a foreign language, so the "outsiders" can't understand them. They have clubs and communicate with people all over the world. they have large gala affairs where the members and guests fly in from other places, and they all eat, drink, and talk about those who have passed. I'm here to tell you, when I attend a party, the last thing I want to do is discuss dead people. Once, my sister, mother and I had been out of town shopping and we were on our way back. Their idea of a fun day is to stop at every little antique store -- every little gift shop -- every little clothing outlet -- and last, but not least, have lunch or dinner (or both) in some nice restaurant. That is not my definition of pleasure and those type of outings tire me to no end. Also, patience is not one of my virtues, and when my body and mind have had enough, so has my patience. That day, it had almost reached the danger point. My sister was driving -- my mother was sitting in the passenger seat, and they were chatting up a storm -- no sign of fatigue. I was in the back seat, trying to remain civil until we got home and I could kick off my heels and pull off my tummy control pantyhose. Then my sister exclaimed, "I think I see a cemetery over in the back of that field." My mother confirmed it. What did we do? Turned off on a lane that looked as though it hadn't been used for years. Driving over bumps and through tall grasses -- making a road where that one ended -- we were headed for the graveyard. My sister was on a mission. When we finally got there, they (Mom and sis) jumped out of the car and fought brambles to get to the monuments and find out who was buried there. Sis found a headstone that had information she thought might help her research -- so she yanked a sheet of white paper off her drawing pad, got a graphite pencil, and placing the paper over the etchings, began gently moving the lead across the paper to make a copy. All the while, I kept asking myself, "What am I doing here?" And praying that the person who owned the land wouldnt come up with a shotgun and ask the same question. One thing that did activate my curiosity was an old mausoleum. I had never seen one before. It had deteriorated so much that the identifying data had been destroyed, and some of the stones lay loose around the entrance. It gave me the willies, and I half expected the occupant to come outside to see what was going on. Of course, that would have put me into a permanent coma -- but I don't believe it would have fazed my mother and sister. I think they would have just asked him his name, rank, and serial number -- and about every member of his family. Still, over all, I am interested in the ancestral history my mother and sister have documented. Some of it might help explain why our family is so strange. For instance, Sis traced one link of lineage back to the year 1774, then she said it was like coming to a dead end -- It was as if they never existed before that time. Maybe they were aliens. Maybe they came from another planet on a UFO. It's possilbe! Without valid proof to contradict it, how can you argue that it didn't happen? Another side of the family line she traced led back to Massachusetts, circa 1700. She's never been able to get authentic verification of that, but I feel sure the information is correct. And, I'd be willing to wager that the area was in or around Salem -- perhaps with a relative or two on the receiving end of a fiery death. I surely wouldn't find this somthing to boast about, but at least it would give a legitimate foundation to those times when some have referred to me as a "Witch." As terrible as that sounds, it's better than the times when others have called me by a similar name that begins with a "B." I even had one very prominent man who became extremely irate when I didn't go along with his requests, to combine the two and call me a "Witch-B----." Am I one? I'm a bit unusual -- but no, I don't think I am a witch --certainly not one given special powers. And, I know for a fact that I am not a female dog. Well, enough of this playing with your mind. All kidding asike, I very much want to know who and what our ancestors were -- "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly." My sister took a hiatus from doing research a few years ago when she had some things going on in her life. Now, I think she's getting back on track and I sincerely hope she will start spending time again in those dusty archives, and begin visiting new cemeteries. I really want a copy of everything she finds -- I just hope she doesn't make me go with her to find it.