Hi folks, I just wanted to thank ALL of you that helped me with this issue. I'm pleased to report that I sent the documentation in for a headstone for my great uncle yesterday! Uncle Dave served during WWI, and passed away in 1971, and has not had a headstone on his grave. Regarding the cemetery charges, the only fee involved was a $75.00 charge for a foundation for the headstone. The rep at the cemetery told me that the government will take care of everything else. This is one stone out of the way, and 1 more to go (that I know at this time, anyway!). I do not have my grandfathers military papers, and am waiting for my 3rd request from St. Louis to come back. So far, they've not been able to locate his records. All I know is that he served during WW1, and was stationed in Illinois. Hopefully, I'll have this information reasonably soon, so I can put in a request for his headstone also. The gal that handles the military burial issues is on vacation until next week, so I guess it will be then when I find out what happens with all the back fees that they want before they can put a stone in. (My g-uncle and grandfather are buried in different Catholic cemeteries) Anyway, thanks again to all that helped. It still blows me away with what can be accomplished when one belongs to these mailing lists! Lori On Thu, 23 Jun 2005 21:55:00 -0400 "Donna St Felix" <dstfelix@erinet.com> writes: > Hi Lori. > > I know about those perpetual fees as I started the Wesleyan Cemetery > website. Barely anyone pays or paid them there and that's one of > the main > reasons why the cemetery went broke. As family members die out and > others > move away, there's no one to collect from. It's a shame the > cemetery you're > dealing with didn't offer a one time fee or if they did, it wasn't > done as > it would make your situation a lot easier to deal with. > > Base cost: It depends on the company you hire to do it or if the > cemetery > has staff that can do it. Sometimes it may be the headstone > company. About > all you can do is question around. In my situation I was dealing > with a > cemetery in Michigan. > > It sounds like the cemetery you are dealing with won't allow > anything > without that fee paid but there may be legal 'work arounds'. The > fee would > be the same if there was or wasn't a stone there. Does the cemetery > expect > someone to still be paying for maintenance on burials done long ago > in 500 > years? ... You can see how cemeteries get into financial problems. > Years ago > they may have charged only $3 or $5 a year. At Wesleyan they had > the option > of 'ivy' on the graves (extra one time fee for planting) of which > many did > have long ago. In those cases it was then the maintenance job > (cost) of > keeping it off of the large upright headstones. ... Good luck!! > > Donna > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Lori Nichols [mailto:lori-n@juno.com] > Sent: Monday, May 09, 2005 9:44 PM > To: OHHAMILT-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: [OH-HAMILT] Question re: Entitlement to a Military > Marker > > > Hi Donna, > > The death was 52 years ago yesterday, and he served in the Navy > during > WWI. > > I also realized yesterday, and called my Dad to question him, > because his > mothers brother also > served in WWI. My father confirmed that my uncle does not have a > stone > at all. So, it looks like > I'll be working on trying to get a stone for my grandfather and my > great > uncle, who died in the 1970's) > > Do you know the cost range for the base that you spoke of? I'm > concerned > about the "perpetual fees" that > the cemetery says are owed, because once the people died, the care > fees > were not kept up. (No one knew > about them until my parents inquired about a stone, and then were > told > that thousands of dollars were owed > on the plot) > > I'll see where I get with phone calls today as far as getting the > form > you spoke of. If I don't have much luck, > I might just call one of the local funeral homes and see if they can > spare a couple. > > Thanks for your help! > > Lori > > > On Thu, 23 Jun 2005 01:13:18 -0400 "Donna St Felix" > <dstfelix@erinet.com> > writes: > > Anyone who was in the military is eligible for a Military > Headstone. > > I went > > thru the 'process' for my aunt who served during WWII. If a > > headstone is > > for a recent burial, the funeral home can usually supply the form > > and > > information. You do have to know when they served, etc and enter > > that on > > the form. A headstone for an earlier time period may be more lax > on > > information needed. You would be responsible for a base for it > which > > is a > > good idea to avoid it sinking. .... Donna > > > > > > To: OHHAMILT-L@rootsweb.com > > Subject: Re: [OH-HAMILT] Question re: Entitlement to a Military > > Marker > > > > > > > > > > ==== OHHAMILT Mailing List ==== > > NO Virus warnings, seasonal greetings or private 'chit-chat' on > this > > list, okay! Other than that, anything pertaining to the lives and > > times > > of those we seek in Hamilton County is permissible, but MUST be > kept > > within the list's guidelines. > > > > ============================== > > Find your ancestors in the Birth, Marriage and Death Records. > > New content added every business day. Learn more: > > http://www.ancestry.com/s13964/rd.ashx > > > > > > Lori Nichols > Researching: MCBRIDE, HOLAHAN, MARTIN, RYAN, QUIGLEY, LEE, MCCLOUD, > STEFANAC, BASIC > > > ==== OHHAMILT Mailing List ==== > Have you been to the *NEW* HAMILTON COUNTY OHIO Message Board? To > get > there, go to http://boards.rootsweb.com click on the U.S. States > link. > On the next page, click on the Counties link by the file folder > icon. > Then click on the link for Hamilton county. > > ============================== > View and search Historical Newspapers. Read about your ancestors, > find > marriage announcements and more. Learn more: > http://www.ancestry.com/s13969/rd.ashx > > > > > ==== OHHAMILT Mailing List ==== > NO Virus warnings, seasonal greetings or private 'chit-chat' on this > list, okay! Other than that, anything pertaining to the lives and > times > of those we seek in Hamilton County is permissible, but MUST be kept > within the list's guidelines. > > ============================== > Find your ancestors in the Birth, Marriage and Death Records. > New content added every business day. Learn more: > http://www.ancestry.com/s13964/rd.ashx > > Lori Nichols Researching: MCBRIDE, HOLAHAN, MARTIN, RYAN, QUIGLEY, LEE, MCCLOUD, STEFANAC, BASIC