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About Cemetery Preservation
THE RECORDING OF A CEMETERY
BY THELMA GREENE REAGAN
Today we walked where others walked
On a lonely, windswept hill;
Today we talked where other cried
For Loved Ones whose lives are stilled.
Today our hearts were touched
By graves of tiny babies;
Snatched from the arms of loving kin,
In the heartbreak of the ages.
Today we saw where the grandparents lay
In the last sleep of their time;
Lying under the trees and clouds -
Their beds kissed by the sun and wind.
Today we wondered about an unmarked spot;
Who lies beneath this hollowed ground?
Was it a babe, child, young or old?
No indication could be found.
Today we saw where Mom and Dad lay.
We had been here once before
On a day we'd all like to forget,
But will remember forever more.
Today we recorded for kith and kin
The graves of ancestors past;
To be preserved for generations hence,
A record we hope will last.
Cherish it, my friend; preserve it, my friend,
For stones sometimes crumble to dust
And generations of folks yet to come
Will be grateful for your trust.
What Is Cemetery Preservation
More cemeteries have been forgotten than remembered. These are the people who made our world and countries what they are today. They weren’t rich and famous but they did more for our countries than those with great power. We respect and protect the graves of those who were famous but what about those who actually did the fighting, the labor, the birthing and the dead of our counties.
Most cemeteries that are lost or forgotten aren’t that way due to neglect from family members. Families died very rapidly in the earlier years. Sometimes whole families were wiped out from disease or other causes which leaves no one to care for their final resting places. Also families grew and moved to other locations for work or other reasons. Its only been recently that cemetery preservation has become very important in the world. Where did I come from? What were my ancestors like? Those are the two most common questions we ask ourselves. Which starts us on man hunts. Few are lucky to have family records well kept. Cemetery preservation is a way to preserve our past for the future. Its a form of respect and a way to show thank you for all they have done for us.
When cemeteries are gone, grown over or built over, interred there are forgotten. The land is sold, used for crops, grazing or new development. Yes, we need all those things but that doesn’t mean that cemeteries located there should not be protected. Some say moving the cemetery to an appropriate location is a good fix for the problem but actually it is not. This disturbs the whole point of a cemetery. Their names, dates, where they are from, manner of death, personal traits and names of relatives. These are all important factors of our past. Many times when graves are moved all that information is lost to carelessness and neglect.
In many places where there are laws that exist to protect against the willful desecration or destruction of cemeteries, but these laws are rarely enforced. Current laws permit the relocation of cemeteries and graves that are determined to be abandoned without the knowledge, approval, or involvement of descendants or interested parties. As an example, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are building a railroad through a church cemetery that has been used for 90 years and is still in use. Their response was that the cemetery didn’t appear on the public map. This cemetery is not abandoned but what gives them the right. How hard is it to miss a cemetery when it stares you in the face. Many times these cemeteries are on private land and not listed on the title, which then get over looked or disregarded then disturbed or destroyed during development.
If you ask me, all of these make it a good cause to preserve and fight for cemeteries.
Why Are Headstones Important?