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    1. [WV Preston County] PAUGH, and GEORGE and stolen graves
    2. I do not know if that is my particular William GEORGE. Mine was born 3/17/1833, according to tombstone. However, he had a brother James and Edward who immigrated at about the same time that he did. According to the 1870 census, Preston County, Edward was born about 1829, Scotland. His wife was Eupehna b. 1830. They had the following children William age 16, James 14, Mary 11, Edward 8, Robert 6, Thomas 4, and John,2. All but John (Maryland) was born in Scotland. In the census of 1880, for Lonaconing MD, there is a Mary GEORGE, widowed, born abt. 1830. She is living with the following children, William 24, Edward 19, Robert 17, Thomas 16, and John 12. Next door is James GEORGE 23, married to a Margaret, age 20. All by Mary are shown, she could have been married by then. I believe that this is the same 1880 and 1870 families. My grandfather has a family bible in which the following appears; This bible presented to Robert GEORGE - Lonaconing Dec 30th, 1877 by the ****. presented to Nenevah GEORGE - Horseshoe Turn, by Robert GEORGE -1880 presented to John W. GEORGE by Nenevah GEORGE - Breedlove, W. Va. -1893 It appears to me that this family moved back and forth between Preston County and Lonaconing, Md. Also several years ago, I visited Lonaconing. I went to the "Old Coney Cemetery" I saw the graves of a few GEORGES. I did not know if we were related in some fashion. Then when I figured that they were in my tree, I returned, to my horror, the graves were not there. I had begun to think that I had dreamt the whole family. There had been a lovely wrought iron fence etc around their little plot. I left and went to Cumberland Genealogical Society to do further research. I happened to look in their "Allegany County Rural Cemetery" book that they had researched several years before and quess what? My GEORGE family was in that grave yard. All of the facts were there, and I did not dream up. I purchased the book and immediately went to Lonaconing for answers to this mystery. I asked at several business for the "town historian", whoever that may be. They gave me the name of a Mrs. Atkinson and her address. I went to her door. She was kind and helped to find a little more about them. She told me that the cemetery is cared for by a volunteer who does what he wants to do with it. Apparently, he decided that since the GEORGES had no apparent family members left, he would just get rid of the tombstones. He actually removed the fences and tomstones, mowed it over and they "planted" a completely new family there! If it weren't for that book, this family would be erased! Also, I believe that James GEORGE living in Lonoconing was married to a Margareta C. Arke, daughter of Henry Arke. I found her death record and the age fits etc. I would like to know more about her as well.

    01/21/2002 08:49:43