Marilyn, This is so sad. I have been looking for years for the burial ground of William Jones, Rev War soldier who moved to Perry Co. from VA. He died in 1834 at the age of 75. His wife Mary died in 1861 at the age of 101. Their daughter married a John Johnson. There was a unmarried daughter named Lucy Jones. I was about to write to the minister of the Hopewell Church hoping for a list of the burials in this cemetery. Evidently, the list does not exist. Please let me know if any of the old time lists include him. If you can locate any kind of headstones, please take pictures for us. Thank you for doing this. Hopefully, Nan ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Message: 2 Date: Sat, 16 Jun 2007 18:05:32 -0400 From: "Sue" <[email protected]> Subject: [OHPERRY] Hopewell Baptist Cemetery.. To: <[email protected]> Message-ID: <[email protected]> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; reply-type=response We rec'd this notice about the Hopewell Baptist Cemetery and thought it might be of interest to some of the OHPERRY readers. Anyone who has Church or burial information for this cemetery is urged to respond to Marilyn or myself or both. Our records of this cemetery are not complete due to the overgrown condition of the cemetery at the time of our reading. Any additions / corrections are most welcome. Hats off to Marilyn and her family! Sue PCC OGS Subject: Regarding Hopewell Baptist Cemetery.. On a quiet township road in Northern Perry County, nestled in among a border of walnut, sassafras, locust trees, and fallen down fence sits a beautiful cemetery rich with American history. As you walk along the many stones you will find war heroes from the Revolutionary, Civil, and War of 1812. Along side of them you will find men, women, children, and infants who were once the stepping stones to the foundation of this great country. Looking at the dates on these people's stones you can't help but wonder how hard their lives must have been. What kind challenges and hardships did these people face? How sad it must been to lose an infant to something as simple as influenza. I think also of the great accomplishments in their lives. Returning home safely from a war fought proud and true. Building businesses and homesteads that have developed this area. Many of the names on the stones are still known in Perry County today. Names like Forsythe, Cooper, Skinner, Williams, Ream, Beard, Worden, Melick, Thompson, and Johnson. Others have families that moved on to places far away. These people have not been forgotten because the cemetery is regularly visited by descendants who also still place flowers on the markers and other looking for ancestors to fill their own family trees. Something important has been lost from this cemetery though. Burial records and/or plat maps cannot be located. Perhaps they were lost when the church that once stood along side was destroyed, or possibility when the church bookkeeper pasted away the records were tossed out by family members who didn't realize what they were. As you can imagine, many of the stones are in bad shape and some are even broken. Time and weather have taken their toll. Foundations are sinking, stones are falling, and moss and vines are making others impossible to read. In the short year my children and I have been caring for this resting place, we have cut brush, repaired fence enclosures, and cleared sticks, leaves, and poison ivy. With the help of the American Legion, many trees that were pushing stones over have been removed. Still much work has to be done. Upkeep will be a continuous battle. It is a battle I feel is worth fighting. It is my goal to preserve as much of this cemetery and its history as possible.I am currently making arrangements for a "Community Workday" scheduled for August 18th 2007. I have contacted a local monument company who is willing to come out and assist us with their knowledge in repairs. We will be pouring new foundations, resetting toppled stones, power washing those that are blackened with age and hopefully restoring the long lost beauty that was once here. I have been seeking help from many organizations such as the American Legion, Hopewell Township Trustees, Sons of the American Revolution, Perry County Historical Society, and the Genealogy Society. This is going to be a huge project and budgets are tight. I have been fortunate enough to have a nice group of volunteers ready for hard work. I also have some gravel donated. Much is still needed. Expenses will come from equipment rental, stone and quick crete. We would also like to place a Historical Marker naming this "The Hopewell Baptist Cemetary" once the restoration project is complete. If anyone reading this article can supply me with any information, maps, or records of the burials here, I would love to here from you. And of course anyone who could help with a financial donation toward the preservation and future general upkeep, that would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for any help you may provide. Together we can make a difference if we just take the time to care. Sincerely, Marilyn Metzger 9325 Twp Rd 46 Somerset, Ohio 43783 740-743-3892 ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.