Well, today I found myself near that site with some time to spare, and with cooler temperatures and a description of the actual location from someone who has been there. And determination. Let's not forget how much I LOATHE failure. That loathing is a major motivating factor for me.
Determined, I forged off into the (greatly reduced) bush. Following the directions given by the last visitor I could locate, I proceeded, keeping my eyes peeled, constantly scanning left and right, close and as far into the trees as was visible while avoiding spiderwebs and anything that would cause me to trip and face plant.
Evidently my ability to estimate distances isn't as stellar as I thought. Or the instructions were ... off.
What was supposed to be about 300 yards rapidly became closer to a quarter mile! I began to question my sanity and judgement.
But lo! What is that off to the right? Clearly that is at least two False Tombs I spy! And a couple of headstones! Jackpot! But which cemetery will this turn out to be?
Have smartphone. Will travel.
Searching for the first name and date I can make out I find it to be the North cemetery. Drat! The XY cousin ( X cousin Y times removed) for whose grave I originally set out to locate is recorded in the South Cemetery. I GPS tag all the marked graves that can be identified, and even enter memorial in Find A Grave for a headstone I find there for someone not listed as a burial in that cemetery! Aren't I all helpful like?
But this means I still have to find the South cemetery. Once more into that breach! Orienting myself due south I set forth to locate the second cemetery. At least there appear, based on the FAG photos, a few large monuments in white marble that should be visible at a distance to guide me in.
About 75 yards off in a generally southerly direction I spot white where white ought not be. Closing in I see obvious markers. Jackpot #2!
What I find is both interesting and disturbing. Interesting in that there are some seriously impressive monuments and stone work here. Disturbing in that there is a lot of damage to the site. Broken and scattered stones, a false tomb, collapsed graves... I hate that and wish I had the fiscal ability to address it.
I must say, though, that this place has some of the thickest headstones I have ever seen! Not the modern 'family' headstones, mind you, but individual stones. Normally one would expect to see an individual upright stone anywhere from one to maybe three inches thick. These suckers are more like eight or nine inches thick.And about four feet remaining ABOVE ground. I shudder to think how much these things weigh.
Again, photos and GPS tagging are quickly completed. I notice a familiar name as I search the site for the listed graves and one name stands out. The same name for the memorial I just created in the North cemetery. Obviously someone erred in the past when it was entered. Had I been more on the ball I would have noticed and not created a duplicate memorial.
Oh well. One more edit to submit to FAG. Along with the obvious duplicate entry for Susan in the South Cemetery. Same name and birth/death dates? Yup. Duplicate.
Oh, and don't forget to submit the requests to update the GPS coordinates for the two cemeteries themselves. That way anyone else who tries to find them will have a MUCH easier time than I did.
Another item checked off the list. And that sensation of failure erased.
Determined, I forged off into the (greatly reduced) bush. Following the directions given by the last visitor I could locate, I proceeded, keeping my eyes peeled, constantly scanning left and right, close and as far into the trees as was visible while avoiding spiderwebs and anything that would cause me to trip and face plant.
Evidently my ability to estimate distances isn't as stellar as I thought. Or the instructions were ... off.
What was supposed to be about 300 yards rapidly became closer to a quarter mile! I began to question my sanity and judgement.
But lo! What is that off to the right? Clearly that is at least two False Tombs I spy! And a couple of headstones! Jackpot! But which cemetery will this turn out to be?
Have smartphone. Will travel.
Searching for the first name and date I can make out I find it to be the North cemetery. Drat! The XY cousin ( X cousin Y times removed) for whose grave I originally set out to locate is recorded in the South Cemetery. I GPS tag all the marked graves that can be identified, and even enter memorial in Find A Grave for a headstone I find there for someone not listed as a burial in that cemetery! Aren't I all helpful like?
But this means I still have to find the South cemetery. Once more into that breach! Orienting myself due south I set forth to locate the second cemetery. At least there appear, based on the FAG photos, a few large monuments in white marble that should be visible at a distance to guide me in.
About 75 yards off in a generally southerly direction I spot white where white ought not be. Closing in I see obvious markers. Jackpot #2!
What I find is both interesting and disturbing. Interesting in that there are some seriously impressive monuments and stone work here. Disturbing in that there is a lot of damage to the site. Broken and scattered stones, a false tomb, collapsed graves... I hate that and wish I had the fiscal ability to address it.
I must say, though, that this place has some of the thickest headstones I have ever seen! Not the modern 'family' headstones, mind you, but individual stones. Normally one would expect to see an individual upright stone anywhere from one to maybe three inches thick. These suckers are more like eight or nine inches thick.And about four feet remaining ABOVE ground. I shudder to think how much these things weigh.
Again, photos and GPS tagging are quickly completed. I notice a familiar name as I search the site for the listed graves and one name stands out. The same name for the memorial I just created in the North cemetery. Obviously someone erred in the past when it was entered. Had I been more on the ball I would have noticed and not created a duplicate memorial.
Oh well. One more edit to submit to FAG. Along with the obvious duplicate entry for Susan in the South Cemetery. Same name and birth/death dates? Yup. Duplicate.
Oh, and don't forget to submit the requests to update the GPS coordinates for the two cemeteries themselves. That way anyone else who tries to find them will have a MUCH easier time than I did.
Another item checked off the list. And that sensation of failure erased.
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