Sandra I would add one more thing to the comments below: and that is requiring the property owners to place a minimum of a 2 foot by 2 foot sign with legible information on where to contact the owner to get the permission. These signs to be in order at all times and updated when the property is sold to another. Now Having been involved in City and County Government out here in Oregon for over 33 years: if the State Bodies of Tennessee do not want to amend the original Bill, It is time to get the Local Historical Society's the Local County Historian, DAR, SAR, Sons of the South, Colonial Dames, your local Church's (as many OLD Church's and Cemeteries are now on Private property in Tennessee and Virginia) and the Veterans Groups etc to sponsor in the County. A County Ordinance in their Counties requiring all Cemeteries to be registered in that County and said Cemeteries to be marked with a minimum of a 2 foot by two foot Legible sign with owner's contact information. This signs to be in order at all times and updated when the property is sold to another. Also make it a Criminal Violation of the County Ordinance of a $1,000 fine an up to 6 months in the County Jail for violating the County Ordinance. I know several Church's in Humphrey's County have been hard at work trying to document all these old Family Cemeteries. AS they make small books of the Cemetery's and sell it to us that are researching our past. They use the funds for their youth groups. Some where around here I have a few of those pamphlets on Graves in Humphreys County and was searching for information on the Johnson Cemetery on the Humphreys and Dickson Co. Lines. Mr. John Whitfield late (the VA Officer) of Dickson County knew where that one was. ----- Original Message ----- From: Sandra Ellis<mailto:sjellis@charter.net> To: tndickso@rootsweb.com<mailto:tndickso@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, May 06, 2007 6:29 AM Subject: [TNDICKSO] [Fwd: more cemetery legislation] This is a rough draft of what I plan to send to every member of the State Senate/House. I will also send a personal message to each member representing the counties where I research/plan to research. (Of course, I don't have my personal contact information on this draft!) I'm posting this to give you ideas---or you are welcome to cut/paste/forward! We need to contact these lawmakers to let them know just how many people they are affecting. At the same time, we need to let them know that we want to be fair to both property owners and researchers/historians while assuring these old cemeteries will be preserved after the family dies out! Sandy Re: *HB1354/*SB1804* Dear Sir or Madam: I respectfully ask that you vote against this pending legislation as it is written. It would make visiting a family cemetery difficult for researchers from out of state and would make it near impossible for historians to visit cemeteries without first having to research and locate the descendants of people reported to have been buried there. I do offer what I consider to be a fair and reasonable solution to any problems brought about by older family cemeteries located on private property. Require property owners to “register” these cemeteries with the local county archives or research library along with contact information. A simple note is all that should be required to “register” the cemetery. (“There's a cemetery on my property at 555 Dogwood Lane. My phone number is 555-5555 but it isn't necessary for anyone to contact me to visit the cemetery.”) That is all that should be required of the property owner other than providing some sort of “path” giving preferred directions to the cemetery. (Each county would probably find enough local interest in cemetery preservation that they could send people out to meet with the property owner to help designate/clear/mark the “path”.) By registering a cemetery, the property owner is automatically removed of any liability should an accident happen to a visitor while on his/her property. Researchers and historians are going to visit archives and research libraries—and they are going to register. At that time, they can also purchase a “permit” to visit local cemeteries. Permits could be daily/weekly/monthly/annually. (Annual permits would be reserved for those people who are well-known as local researchers.) Permit prices could be set at $1/5/15/30. The permit would be placed on the dash of the parked vehicle so anyone could see there was a registered visitor at the cemetery. In this way, the family cemeteries are preserved for all future generations. When the family dies out, there's less danger that the old cemetery will have a house built on it without the graves being moved at property owner expense. Most property owners are glad to allow visitors to the old cemeteries and could become very annoyed by phone calls from people wanting to make appointments. (They could opt out by specifying “appointments not necessary” when they register the cemetery.) County tax offices won't be bothered by having people requesting information about cemeteries and property owners—for which they generally know little about. (The local archivist usually knows where these cemeteries are before anyone asks!) The local archives or historical society can take the information and produce a county cemetery map. Most researchers would gladly pay $5 for a map showing where these cemeteries are located! The money collected from such sells could help pay for items necessary to make a more permanent path to the cemetery, for signs to mark the cemetery, etc. The sale of permits to visit the cemeteries would pay for the cost of a simple computer generated permit and additional research materials/supplies. Thank you for your consideration of this matter but, above all, please help protect and preserve these old cemeteries for future generations to enjoy! ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to TNDICKSO-request@rootsweb.com<mailto:TNDICKSO-request@rootsweb.com> with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

This is a rough draft of what I plan to send to every member of the State Senate/House. I will also send a personal message to each member representing the counties where I research/plan to research. (Of course, I don't have my personal contact information on this draft!) I'm posting this to give you ideas---or you are welcome to cut/paste/forward! We need to contact these lawmakers to let them know just how many people they are affecting. At the same time, we need to let them know that we want to be fair to both property owners and researchers/historians while assuring these old cemeteries will be preserved after the family dies out! Sandy Re: *HB1354/*SB1804* Dear Sir or Madam: I respectfully ask that you vote against this pending legislation as it is written. It would make visiting a family cemetery difficult for researchers from out of state and would make it near impossible for historians to visit cemeteries without first having to research and locate the descendants of people reported to have been buried there. I do offer what I consider to be a fair and reasonable solution to any problems brought about by older family cemeteries located on private property. Require property owners to “register” these cemeteries with the local county archives or research library along with contact information. A simple note is all that should be required to “register” the cemetery. (“There's a cemetery on my property at 555 Dogwood Lane. My phone number is 555-5555 but it isn't necessary for anyone to contact me to visit the cemetery.”) That is all that should be required of the property owner other than providing some sort of “path” giving preferred directions to the cemetery. (Each county would probably find enough local interest in cemetery preservation that they could send people out to meet with the property owner to help designate/clear/mark the “path”.) By registering a cemetery, the property owner is automatically removed of any liability should an accident happen to a visitor while on his/her property. Researchers and historians are going to visit archives and research libraries—and they are going to register. At that time, they can also purchase a “permit” to visit local cemeteries. Permits could be daily/weekly/monthly/annually. (Annual permits would be reserved for those people who are well-known as local researchers.) Permit prices could be set at $1/5/15/30. The permit would be placed on the dash of the parked vehicle so anyone could see there was a registered visitor at the cemetery. In this way, the family cemeteries are preserved for all future generations. When the family dies out, there's less danger that the old cemetery will have a house built on it without the graves being moved at property owner expense. Most property owners are glad to allow visitors to the old cemeteries and could become very annoyed by phone calls from people wanting to make appointments. (They could opt out by specifying “appointments not necessary” when they register the cemetery.) County tax offices won't be bothered by having people requesting information about cemeteries and property owners—for which they generally know little about. (The local archivist usually knows where these cemeteries are before anyone asks!) The local archives or historical society can take the information and produce a county cemetery map. Most researchers would gladly pay $5 for a map showing where these cemeteries are located! The money collected from such sells could help pay for items necessary to make a more permanent path to the cemetery, for signs to mark the cemetery, etc. The sale of permits to visit the cemeteries would pay for the cost of a simple computer generated permit and additional research materials/supplies. Thank you for your consideration of this matter but, above all, please help protect and preserve these old cemeteries for future generations to enjoy!

The following new message has been posted on Forum at <http://www.tngenweb.org/dickson/webbbs/queries/index.cgi>. *************************************************************************** MESSAGE: (#1012) thompson family <http://www.tngenweb.org/dickson/webbbs/queries/index.cgi?rev=1012> AUTHOR: judy howard DATE: Saturday, 5 May 2007, at 5:43 p.m. I'M LOOKING FOR ANY INFO ON ROBERT THOMPSON B ABT 1854 TN WHO MD MARY D SPICER B ABT 1850 TN. THEIR CHILDREN WERE CORNELIA B ABT 1874, DOES ANYONE KNOW WHO SHE MD OR WHO HER CHILDREN WERE, SARAH D . B ABT 1874 SHE MD LEMUEL EASELY. BETSY J.(I THINK HER NICKNAME WAS EMMA JANE) B ABT 1879,SHE MD EARLY OVERTON.I HAVE LOOKED FOR SO LONG FOR THIS FAMILY I WOULD TO HEAR FROM YOU.I DO KNOW THAT ROBERT THOMPSON WAS THE GRANDSON OF WILLIAM AND MARY SCOTT THOMPSON AND THE GREATGREATGRANDSON OF NEAL AND BETTY THOMPSON OF TURNBULL CREEK AREA,ANXIOUS TO HEAR FROM YOU JUDY MY EMAIL IS JHOWARD1956@AOL.COM (I DID FIND ROBERT THOMPSON IN THE 1880 CENSUS FOR DICKSON CO TN LISTED AS ROBERT THOMAS AN ERROR IN HIS LAST NAME) *************************************************************************** This is an automatically-generated notice. If you'd like to be removed from the mailing list, please visit Forum at <http://www.tngenweb.org/dickson/webbbs/queries/index.cgi>, or send your request to molliehsimpson@comcast.net.

The following new message has been posted on Forum at <http://www.tngenweb.org/dickson/webbbs/queries/index.cgi>. *************************************************************************** MESSAGE: (#1013) JOSEPH SPICER OF DICKSON CO TN <http://www.tngenweb.org/dickson/webbbs/queries/index.cgi?rev=1013> AUTHOR: judy howard DATE: Saturday, 5 May 2007, at 5:55 p.m. LOOKING FOR BURIAL SITE OF JOSEPH SPICER B ABT 1805/6 GA D.ABT 1896 DICKSON CO TN HIS WIFE FANNIE ANN (I BELIEVE THIS WAS HER NAME,I FIND IN SEVERAL CENSUS' ONE WILL SAY FANNIE AND ANOTHER WILL SAY ANN) SHE WAS B ABT 1812 NOT SURE WHEN SHE DIED BUT SHE WAS ALREADY GONE WHEN JOSEPH 'S WILL WAS MADE IN 1896 THEY LIVED IN DICKSON CO SINCE ABT 1820 WAS THE FIRST CENSUS THAT I FOUND THEM THEY MD 1835 IN DICKSON CO. HIS FATHER WAS CLAYBOURN SPICER WHO LIVED IN DICKSON AS WELL,I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU THANKS JUDY *************************************************************************** This is an automatically-generated notice. If you'd like to be removed from the mailing list, please visit Forum at <http://www.tngenweb.org/dickson/webbbs/queries/index.cgi>, or send your request to molliehsimpson@comcast.net.

Hello Everyone, I am going over my facts and papers (for about the thousandth time) and I realize I don't know where Lemuel (the father) is buried in Dickson county. Does anyone else? Thank you Bonnie ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.

The sponsor of this Senate Bill is from Dickson County--- Here is his contact information: Tennessee Senate DOUG JACKSON D - Dickson District 25 - Dickson, Giles, Hickman, Humphreys, Lawrence, and Lewis counties District Address 119 Tanglewood Drive Dickson, TN 37055 Phone (615) 446-5631 Nashville Address 10 Legislative Plaza Nashville, TN 37243-0025 Phone (615) 741-4499 Fax (615) 741-8745 Staff Contacts: Kim Andrews Internet E-Mail Address _Sen. Doug Jackson_ (mailto:sen.doug.jackson@legislature.state.tn.us) Biographical Information * Born July 10, 1954, Dickson, TN. * Married, wife Laura; three children * Attorney * Graduate of Battle Ground Academy * B.S. in Political Science and History from Austin Peay State University * J.D. from Cumberland School of Law, Samford University in Birmingham, AL ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.

In a message dated 5/4/2007 3:13:09 P.M. Central Daylight Time, TonyempireOre@msn.com writes: For copies of both the House and Senate bills, and the amendments which were passed, unanimously in both committees, last week, please go to <http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/<http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/<http://www.legis lature.state.tn.us/<http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/>>> http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/<http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/<http://www.legislature.s tate.tn.us/<http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/>> and click on Legislation in the left index column. Enter SB1804 and then HB1353, to read both the original bills and! the amendments. This address does not work---- Will you please check and see if it is accurate--I would like to read these bills and see who is sponsoring them.....They appear to have an agenda of their own here and not the best interest of the Public at large. ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.

This should take you to the pages needed--- http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/ > >

(Forwarded with permission from Jill Hastings-Johnson.) To keep you posted on the cemetery bills: In case you have not been following the proposed legislation regarding Tennessee law and cemeteries, please read. Here's an update on the pending cemetery legislation. Please! let's call, write, e-mail our representatives, now. This has been placed on the Senate Regular Calendar for Monday, 7 May. There are no more hearings on the Senate side only debate. I have been told the most likely outcome will be a vote on Monday. If passed, this bill will be very restrictive to all of us who work to record, protect, and preserve cemeteries in Tennessee. On the House side the bill & amendment is currently at the House Calendar & Rules Committee, but I haven't been able to find out anything further. For copies of both the House and Senate bills, and the amendments which were passed, unanimously in both committees, last week, please go to http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/ and click on Legislation in the left index column. Enter SB1804 and then HB1353, to read both the original bills and the amendments. The Senate amendment changes the duty of owners of private property owners to allow ingress and egress to encourage owners to allow ingress and egress. It took out the wording about a visitor having to be specifically designated in writing but now adds that any maintenance or a grave site or cemetery, including the manner of such maintenance, must be approved in writing by the landowner. And many times, the current landowner is not a family member, nor may he be aware he doesn't own the cemetery. The House amendment is still very restrictive, imo. The House amendment still includes Section 4 (a) "In order for a family member, descendant or the designee of a family member of a deceased person, or a person engaging in genealogical research to exercise the right of ingress and egress to a cemetery or to graves on private property as eligible persons, such friend or researcher must have been specifically designated in writing as such by a member of the family or a descendant of the deceased." [underline is my emphasis] There's more, please take time to read these bills and amendments and speak with your representative!! Jill Hastings-Johnson Montgomery County Archives P. O. Box 323, Clarksville, TN 37041-0323 mcarchives@montgomerycountytn.org office - 931.553.5159 fax - 931.553.5158

Part of the summary to the House bill: "This bill requires owners and occupants of land where cemeteries and graves are located to grant access to the family members, descendants, and close friends of persons who are buried in such land and to genealogical researchers ("eligible persons") in order to visit and maintain graves, make burials, and conduct genealogical research. In order for a friend of a deceased person, of the family, or of a descendant or persons engaging in genealogical research to exercise the right of ingress and egress to a cemetery or to graves on private property as eligible persons, the friend or researcher must have written designation as such by a descendant or other member of the family of the deceased. This bill requires any eligible person to provide reasonable advance notice to the landowner or occupant before entering the land. This bill further specifies that entry upon the private property of another for accessing a cemetery or graves must only occur at a reasonable time, under reasonable circumstances, and in a reasonable manner. This bill authorizes landowners to designate access routes to cemeteries and graves on such persons' land." Chuck Owen Laredo, Texas chxowen@stx.rr.com ----- Original Message ----- From: "Chuck Owen" <chxowen@stx.rr.com> To: <tndickso@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, May 05, 2007 6:27 AM Subject: Re: [TNDICKSO] Cemetery law changes Does not appear to be a big deal. Seems only to protect private land owner. The private land owner is the go to person. Seems a deal could always be cut with the land owner for ingress and egress to his land for conducting reasonalbe research. I don't know the background of the need, but someone has obviously complained that people are entering private property without authority to do so. Included is a provision for chancery court intercession of both parties as well, should it come to no reasonalbe agreement. HB 1354 passed on 5/2. Comp. SB 1804 set for 5/7. Chuck Owen Laredo, Texas chxowen@stx.rr.com ----- Original Message ----- From: "preston gilmore" <gildent@msn.com> To: <tndickso@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, May 05, 2007 5:55 AM Subject: [TNDICKSO] Cemetery law changes I noticed that Tony included Doug Jackson and John Tidwell's email address in his posting. I am going to send them each an email asking them to vote against this monday. I hope you all do too!!! Maybe they will read their emails before voting! Caroline ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to TNDICKSO-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to TNDICKSO-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

A few years ago, my husband and I were spending a week at one of Tennessee's state parks. One day, we were out riding around the area, just following one of the many dirt roads. Once such road came to a dead end---at a small cemetery. We hadn't seen a house (or another human being) in hours. To tell the truth, we didn't know if we were still in Overton County! Now, this dirt road wasn't on my map. I wasn't sure I could ever find my way back to this cemetery. If this law is passed, I could not have gotten out and gone for a walk through this very old cemetery! (There were no houses anywhere around and I wasn't sure what county I was in.) I would have had to go to the 3 county seats in that area to try to find out where that cemetery was located and who owned the property to gain permission to look at old tombstones----but I still wasn't "eligible" because I didn't have permission from a descendant---and didn't even know who might be buried there! This wasn't a problem that day. I did get out to look at tombstones. Imagine my surprise when I happened up on the tombstones of my step-mother's grandparents! Her mother was orphaned as a very young child and didn't know where her parents were buried----she'd died thinking they were in unmarked graves in the same church cemetery she's buried in. Genealogists, researchers, and historians are NOT going to cemeteries to damage anything----we go to perserve! Should I mention the cemetery in Montgomery County were a woman went to visit graves of her ancestors---and found that the property owner was allowing pigs to roam the cemetery! (He'd also removed many of the tombstones and had them piled up under a corn crib.) There are already laws in place to protect the property owner from needless trespassing, vandalism or destruction to his/her property. Where are the laws protecting the cemeteries--and the preservation of them--after the family dies out? Who is going to be able to enter the property to verify the preservation of such cemeteries after the family has died out? Sandy Ellis

Does not appear to be a big deal. Seems only to protect private land owner. The private land owner is the go to person. Seems a deal could always be cut with the land owner for ingress and egress to his land for conducting reasonalbe research. I don't know the background of the need, but someone has obviously complained that people are entering private property without authority to do so. Included is a provision for chancery court intercession of both parties as well, should it come to no reasonalbe agreement. HB 1354 passed on 5/2. Comp. SB 1804 set for 5/7. Chuck Owen Laredo, Texas chxowen@stx.rr.com ----- Original Message ----- From: "preston gilmore" <gildent@msn.com> To: <tndickso@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, May 05, 2007 5:55 AM Subject: [TNDICKSO] Cemetery law changes I noticed that Tony included Doug Jackson and John Tidwell's email address in his posting. I am going to send them each an email asking them to vote against this monday. I hope you all do too!!! Maybe they will read their emails before voting! Caroline ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to TNDICKSO-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

I noticed that Tony included Doug Jackson and John Tidwell's email address in his posting. I am going to send them each an email asking them to vote against this monday. I hope you all do too!!! Maybe they will read their emails before voting! Caroline

The following new message has been posted on Forum at <http://www.tngenweb.org/dickson/webbbs/queries/index.cgi>. *************************************************************************** MESSAGE: (#1010) Re: Crain, Shadrick <http://www.tngenweb.org/dickson/webbbs/queries/index.cgi?rev=1010> AUTHOR: Pat Sherman DATE: Friday, 4 May 2007, at 10:07 p.m. Reply To: (#1009) Re: Crain, Shadrick Author: Roy Chadwick Date: Friday, 4 May 2007, at 7:43 p.m. Shadrick Crain, son of Andrew J. and Narcissa Crain. Born 1846 in Greenville Co. S.C..Family moved to Murphy, Cherokee co.,N.C. in 1858. At 18,Mar.30 1864 Shadrick enlisted in Union 12th Cavalry Reg. Tenn. Comp. K. Mustered Apr. 15 1864. Died May 22 1864 in Dickson County Tenn. I am afraid this is not your family. I do know that Colorado has some great websites. Do you know what county or year you are searching for? Good Luck, Pat *************************************************************************** This is an automatically-generated notice. If you'd like to be removed from the mailing list, please visit Forum at <http://www.tngenweb.org/dickson/webbbs/queries/index.cgi>, or send your request to molliehsimpson@comcast.net.

The following new message has been posted on Forum at <http://www.tngenweb.org/dickson/webbbs/queries/index.cgi>. *************************************************************************** MESSAGE: (#1011) Re: hooper / walker <http://www.tngenweb.org/dickson/webbbs/queries/index.cgi?rev=1011> AUTHOR: Norm Tatz DATE: Friday, 4 May 2007, at 10:18 p.m. Reply To: (#436) hooper / walker Author: karen tatz Date: Friday, 2 January 2004, at 10:02 p.m. Karen - I am researching the Tatz surname. Our immediate ancestors were from Hungary but i believe of German origin. What are your Tatz origins? *************************************************************************** This is an automatically-generated notice. If you'd like to be removed from the mailing list, please visit Forum at <http://www.tngenweb.org/dickson/webbbs/queries/index.cgi>, or send your request to molliehsimpson@comcast.net.

The following new message has been posted on Forum at <http://www.tngenweb.org/dickson/webbbs/queries/index.cgi>. *************************************************************************** MESSAGE: (#1009) Re: Crain, Shadrick <http://www.tngenweb.org/dickson/webbbs/queries/index.cgi?rev=1009> AUTHOR: Roy Chadwick DATE: Friday, 4 May 2007, at 7:43 p.m. Reply To: (#992) Crain, Shadrick Author: Pat Sherman Date: Tuesday, 10 April 2007, at 1:17 p.m. Hi, Could you give me some info on your Shadrick's? My Aunt Lilly Mae Lankford from Grundy Co TN married a James Charles Shadrick,and both died in CO. Charles also had brothers Anderson,and Theodore Shadrick who married Lilly Mae Lankford sister's Lucy,and Birchie Lankford also from Grundy Co TN. Thanks, Roy. *************************************************************************** This is an automatically-generated notice. If you'd like to be removed from the mailing list, please visit Forum at <http://www.tngenweb.org/dickson/webbbs/queries/index.cgi>, or send your request to molliehsimpson@comcast.net.

The following new message has been posted on Forum at <http://www.tngenweb.org/dickson/webbbs/queries/index.cgi>. *************************************************************************** MESSAGE: (#1008) Re: Grandfather's family <http://www.tngenweb.org/dickson/webbbs/queries/index.cgi?rev=1008> AUTHOR: tony L. Johnson DATE: Thursday, 3 May 2007, at 8:00 p.m. Reply To: (#1007) Grandfather's family Author: rondo jackson Date: Thursday, 3 May 2007, at 5:54 p.m. Rondo Please contact me at TonyempireOre@msn.com I will give you some information on Johnson families of Dickson Co. and humphreys County. At this time I do not have a George Jackson Johnson in my files but we do have an earlier Jackson Johnson son of Margaret Johnson b 1770 in Va. Tony L. Johnson *************************************************************************** This is an automatically-generated notice. If you'd like to be removed from the mailing list, please visit Forum at <http://www.tngenweb.org/dickson/webbbs/queries/index.cgi>, or send your request to molliehsimpson@comcast.net.

Great job, Tony! May I suggest that you contact ALL members of the State Legislature. (I sent my email to all committee members last week but they seem to have ignored it---now it goes to every member.) Also, please forward to everyone and every list---we need to get this stopped while letting the legislature know just how many people come from out of state to do research in Tennessee and what a hardship this creates for them! Thanks, Sandy Ellis

Honorable John Tidwell Honorable Doug Jackson Sir's I am writing you both in-regards to the the below e-mail that was sent to me. As I am the first Generation that was not born in Humphreys on Hurricane Creek since 1797 or of Dickson County on Barton's Creek, since 1803. I get back home about ever 5 years to place a flower on my Grand mothers and Great Grand Parents graves. These graves are mostly on private property and this will create a great hardship on me to locate the owners of these Grave Yards. (Cemeteries) Not only will it effect me but numerous cousin's that come home to visit as the number two hobby of folks in the United States is finding their relatives, genealogical research. The number one hobby is fishing, So how many folks and cousin's are you and you colleagues, going to make mad on this bill. By reading the below: in order to place a flower on My Grandmothers Grave I am going to have to write my self a permission slip to get to visit MY GRANDPARENTS or GREAT GRANDPARENTS grave sites and then locate the Land owner's so I can visit MY GRANDPARENTS AND GREAT GRANDPARENTS Graves. As you can see this e-mail is being sent to many COUSIN's that are researching our families in Dickson and Humphreys County Tn., a lot of them still live in these Counties and can still VOTE there. I can not as I am in Oregon. In reading this I wonder what my Fore fathers, the founders on the State of Tennessee and Cities of Rogersville, Nashville, McEwen, Camden, Bruceton, would think of You-all putting restrictions on family visiting their graves Thanks You For Taking the Time to read this Tony L. Johnson Researching the CLAN: Reverend Elvin Johnson of Hurricane Creek Humphreys County to Hudson Johnson of Hawkins County to Barton's Creek Dickson County Eli Thomas Curtis of Hurricane Creek McElyea's of Dickson and Humphreys County Tn. Patrick's of Dickson and Humphreys Co. Tn. Rev. Thomas Murrell of Dickson Co. Tn. Lawson's of Humphreys Co. Tn. Wheeler's of Humphreys Co. Tn. Simpson's of Humphreys Co. Tn. Wannamaker's of Humphreys County Tn. Mayo's of Humphreys and Dickson Co. Tn. Matlock's of Humphreys and Dickson Co. Tn. Bell's of Barton's Creek in Dickson Co. Tn, Turner's of Dickson and Humphreys Co. Tn. General James Randolph Robertson of Barton's Creek Dickson Co. Tn. Hatcher's of Dickson County, Williamson County, and Humphrey's County Tn. Farmer's of Williamson Co. Dickson Co. and Humphrey's Co. TN., Elam's of Williamson Co. Dickson Co. and Humphreys Co. Tn Burton's of Williamson Co. Dickson Co. and Humphreys Co. Tn, Ward's Williamson Co. Dickson Co. and Humphreys Co. Tn Minor's of Williamson Co. Dickson Co. and Humphreys Co. Tn, Cocke's of Williamson Co. Dickson Co. and Humphreys Co. Tn De Montague's of Williamson Co. Dickson Co. and Humphreys Co. Tn. Clarke's of Williamson Co. Dickson Co. and Humphreys Co. Tn,and Montgomery County Tn. Byrd's of Williamson Co. Dickson Co. and Humphreys Co. Tn. and all Cousin Lines. . Here's an update on the pending cemetery legislation. Please! let's call, write, e-mail our representatives, now. This has been placed on the Senate Regular Calendar for Monday, 7 May. There are no more hearings on the Senate side only debate. I have been told the most likely outcome will be a vote on Monday. If passed, this bill will be very restrictive to all of us who work to record, protect, and preserve cemeteries in Tennessee. For copies of both the House and Senate bills, and the amendments which were passed, unanimously in both committees, last week, please go to <http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/<http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/<http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/<http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/>>> http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/<http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/<http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/<http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/>> and click on Legislation in the left index column. Enter SB1804 and then HB1353, to read both the original bills and the amendments. The Senate amendment changes the duty of owners of private property owners to allow ingress and egress to encourage owners to allow ingress and egress. It took out the wording about a visitor having to be specifically designated in writing but now adds that any maintenance or a grave site or cemetery, including the manner of such maintenance, must be approved in writing by the landowner. And many times, the current landowner is not a family member, nor may he be aware he doesn't own the cemetery. The House amendment is still very restrictive, imo. The House amendment still includes Section 4 (a) "In order for a family member, descendant or the designee of a family member of a deceased person, or a person engaging in genealogical research to exercise the right of ingress and egress to a cemetery or to graves on private property as eligible persons, such friend or researcher must have been specifically designated in writing as such by a member of the family or a descendant of the deceased." [bold is my emphasis] There's more, please take time to read these bills and amendments and speak with your representative!! Jill Hastings-Johnson Montgomery County Archives P. O. Box 323, Clarksville, TN 37041-0323 mcarchives@montgomerycountytn.org<mailto:mcarchives@montgomerycountytn.org<mailto:mcarchives@montgomerycountytn.org<mailto:mcarchives@montgomerycountytn.org>> office - 931.553.5159 fax - 931.553.5158