I learned long ago to not to knock someone or a job they were doing until you "walked in their shoes." Thousands of our ancestors came though Hampshire County and went on west or southwest including some of mine. Some of our ancestors descendants stayed in Hampshire County. Hampshire County is rich in history and has many cemeteries. It is a sparsely settled county of less than 20,000 and whom about 20% are living at the poverty level. Most of us would like the cemeteries there maintained to a minimal level. Wayne's research has shown many are located on private land. Descendants won't volunteer send money for fences, monument repairs or clearing the land once a year of ancestors they knew only by name. Several years ago I found my wife's ancestors cemetery in rural Garrett Co., MD, once a church graveyard and now in the middle of a cornfield, grown up in brush and weeds. I contacted the relatives back there and offered to donate a large sum if they would could take on a project of getting it cleaned up and a fence put around it. They were actually insulted that I asked. Wayne has been trying to visit, take pictures and inventory these cemeteries for several months. He has had very few to volunteer to inventory any of them. Taking an inventory and photographing a cemetery takes a lot of time. I went out to inventory a cemetery, once, with another party. Within minutes they complained of the gnats. Within a few more minutes they were gone. We have to congratulate Wayne for taking 5 or 6 days a week and driving all over the county to inventory our ancestors. You see, Wayne doesn't know of any of his ancestors buried there. He found a project that helps another group and is appreciated. Would you be willing to take one day while on vacation and inventory a cemetery in Hampshire County or any adjoining county there? ...or to clean one up? ...or donate to the Hampshire County Historical Society for the purpose of cleaning up a specific cemetery? If so, write to Wayne online or the Hampshire County Historical Society, Post Office Box 549, Augusta, WV 26704. Enclose a stamped self address envelope with you letter. Bill Pyles Titusville, FL

Yes, Bill, but is the Hampshire Co. "Historical" Society doing the job, or even trying to? Absolutely NO ONE is criticizing Wayne--most of us have expresseed our gratitude to him and I believe that all of us agree that he is doing a fabulous job, but he is doing this as an individual out of the generosity of his heart. He is not part of the H.C.Historical Society of which we are speaking. They could learn something from him. I would love to be in a position to help him do some of his inventory work. Unfortunately, I live 500 miles away and am lucky to get back east for a weekend in the summer for a family reunion. I haven't had time to take a regular vacation in years. As far as donating to the H.C.Historical Society, if I thought the donation would actually be used for unbiased historical preservation, I would be happy to make a donation. In observing their track record to date, however, I will not donate one cent to facilitate someone's social aspirations. It has occurred to me that some of us could send a small donation to Wayne to help him pay for all the gasoline he uses driving around the back roads of the county, not to mention the wear and tear on his truck. Elaine Cincinnati, OH Bill Pyles wrote: > I learned long ago to not to knock someone or a job they were doing until you "walked in their shoes."...Would you be willing to take one day while on vacation and inventory a cemetery in Hampshire County or any adjoining county there? ...or to clean one up? ...or donate to the Hampshire County Historical Society for the purpose of cleaning up a specific cemetery? > If so, write to Wayne online or the Hampshire County Historical Society, Post Office Box 549, Augusta, WV 26704. Enclose a stamped self address envelope with you letter. > > Bill Pyles > Titusville, FL