This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: GeorgeAgnew13 Surnames: Classification: cemetery Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.tennessee.counties.greene/9369/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Why do we as a society tend to forget about the passing of our loved ones over the years. Seems once we bury them in a community, at a church, and place in a cemetery we as people tend to forget about them, neglect the upkkeep of their resting place and somehow don't manage to maintain an id of headstone data and where headstone is located. Over the years attempts have been made to try and establish a means of keeping data on the passing of our love ones in a record, book, etc. but nothing has really been done in many of the cemeteries throughout the county. Although some of the community churches along with some greata volunteers have went to each gravesite, took down the data from headstones, made a record, via notes, documents, and even put into books for all to read and see. But, there are so many gravesites that are not maintained or identified. However, it seems in some areas of East Tennessee there is a push to cleanup those overgrown gravesites, identify those h! eadstones that are readable and make a record for posterity for future generations. I commend those, especially a Mrs. Betty J Hylton who is working real hard along with others in upper East Tennessee to make our beloved ones gravesites a place of honor, respect and dignity. Maybe each community through Greene County should take her example. One believes that it takes the entire populace of the county, the community itself, the church and last but not least each individual soul to accomplish this. It behooves us all to try and see that our community cemeteries are a thing of beauty and reverance for all to see in the coming generations. Some of the people in a number of the communities have taken it upon their own to walk by each gravesite plot, mark or identify, gather what data is available from the deteriorating headstones and put down in writing in a book, eg. Pleasant Vale cemetery. All of us in time will pass on, but we must make an effort now to ensure that thos! e of our past are preserved and maintained and that future generations will do the same. Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.