Dear Listers, Today my husband and I made our rounds to area cemeteries to place flowers on the graves, and perform the annual trimming and cleaning of them... This year I found out that my GreatGrandparents (Minnie POLLOW and James RICHARDSON) are buried at the Columbia Cemetery, on Columbia Blvd, by Interstate-5. We took a trip out to the cemetery to clean the graves... It took us almost an hour to locate the graves, but we eventually found them... they were in Terrible shape!! and not just our graves... the whole graveyard!! We had a chance to speak with the care taker of the cemetery, a Mr. Roth, who is in his 70s! I was appalled to learn that the county was in no was assisting this man in his 70s in upkeep for the cemetery... either physically or financially... He mows and clips, and weeds... and uses his own money... Many of the very old stones have been tipped over, and the grass does not get a clipped as often as it should.... and the oldest flat stones are becoming covered in grass, and will soon be lost... There once was an old caretakers? residence there, but now it is boarded over... the faucets no longer run... This is such an incredibly Sad situation.... My Question is: Does anyone have any idea of whom I could write to seek assistance and funding for the upkeep of this historic cemetery?? From what Mr. Roth said, he has asked "Metro", but they refused... I am from Vancouver, so am not versed in Oregon or Multnomah "politics". Surely someone could take interest in this plight!! The local papers? Maybe a local Boy Scout Troop who could assist, and maybe earn a few community service badges?? I am sure any small assistance would be so very much appreciated.... Mr. Roth also has in his possession the original inventory listing for the cemetery... he might be willing to give a copy to the folks at Rootsweb... I talked to him about that... Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you for your time. Pat Hanning, Vancouver, WA <A HREF="http://members.aol.com/gninnah/cemetery.html">Portland,OR - Vancouver,WA Cemeteries</A> PS>> please CC to me (Gninnah@aol.com) if you respond, as I am in digest mode) Oregon Names: Richardson, Lund, Raine, Nelson, Marble, Hanning, Banke, Miller, Stevens, Dunn, Pollow