New Article Available in the GYR Online Journal

“Cabinet Maker - Undertaker”

by footnoteMaven

Carpenter, Wheelwright, Cabinet Maker, Undertaker

~ Sign From The Movie Cat Ballou ~

The position of being the local undertaker has its roots in the sidelines associated with the necessities of death. Those who were talented cabinet and furniture makers handled making coffins, a logical extension of their business. For them, undertaking was a second business rather than a primary profession.

You'll find the rest of this article from the History Hare in
the Graveyard Rabbit Online Journal.

Meet Yolanda Campbell Lifter, Author of "Graveyard Rabbit Journeys"

The fifty second in a series

featuring a member of

The Graveyard Rabbit Association

YOLANDA CAMPBELL LIFTER

Graveyard Rabbit Journeys

I was born and spent my first 13 years in Springfield, Ohio. My dad died in 1969, and my mother moved the family to Warner Robins, Georgia, in 1973. I graduated from Warner Robins High School and came to Melbourne, Florida, to attend the Florida Institute of Technology. I met my husband at FIT and we married in 1981. We are the parents of 22 year old identical twin daughters.

I was bitten by the genealogy bug in March 1995. I had returned to Ohio for the first time in 21 years to attend the funeral of a cousin. My 2 sisters and I were visiting our dad’s grave in Ferncliff Cemetery in Springfield, and one of them mentioned that we did not know much about his family. It was suggested that I, since I was a stay-at-home mom and had plenty of free time, should be the one to find out about his family. As soon as I returned home, I obtained my paternal grandmother’s obituary and went from there.

Genealogy has become a major part of my life. I visit Ohio for research at least once a year and try to attend as many conferences as possible to further my genealogical education. I began my own business, Ohio Family Research, in 2000.

I homeschooled my daughters from kindergarten through 12th grade and genealogy was part of their curriculum. They have accompanied me on research trips and have attended conferences. Both know how to use a microfilm reader and are good at cemetery photography.

Here I am at the Brisslan Cemetery which is located in Perry Township, Brown County, Ohio. My 4th great grandparents, Gideon and Mary Bowen Dunham are buried here as well as my 2nd great-grandfather, Bowen Dunham. Other Dunham relatives are also here.

I belong to a number of genealogical societies (national, state, and local) and host 3 USGenWeb counties. I am working on 3 one-name studies (Lifter, Stoops, and Wisby) and have a few books in-progress. I am part of the ProGen 4 Study Group and hope to become certified in the near future. In my “other” life, I am the assistant general manager of a Hampton Inn.

I would have never imagined that visiting cemeteries and tombstone photography would be my favorite parts of research. As a child, and even up to my mid-twenties, I would close my eyes every time I was driven past a cemetery. Thankfully, I overcame my fear of cemeteries!

Since I am working on developing my writing skills and have 15 years of tombstone photos, I decided to try my hand at blogging. I am thrilled to be a Graveyard Rabbit.

Meet Jo Arnspiger, Author of "Dust To Dust GYRabbit"

The fifty first in a series

featuring a member of

The Graveyard Rabbit Association

JO ARNSPIGER

Dust To Dust GYRabbit

My interest in cemeteries is relatively new, although I have been involved in genealogy for the past 35 years. My ancestors are all in the east or the Midwest while I have lived on the west coast and in Arizona for the last 50 plus years. The opportunities to visit my family’s burying places have been few.

My love of the West and cowboys, ranching and anything to do with horses is a lifelong love. More like a “wish I could” dream since I’ve never experienced the real west with horses and ranches but sometimes I think I lived a previous life as cowgirl growing up in the old west. It seems to be a part of me, a part of a dream I have lived before.

Now in this life, I have the chance to relive that life by finding and telling the stories of the “pioneers” of north central Arizona. By finding the markers of the dead, I hope to share their stories with the living. The history of the Prescott area is rich with unforgettable characters who have somehow been forgotten. I hope with this blog, to discover and record the lives of the old timers I find in both the surveyed and the forgotten cemeteries here in Yavapai county, Arizona.

Jessamine County, Kentucky where we found my husband's 4th great grandfather - Paul Ernspiger

This new interest in graveyards has renewed my interest in my own family burying places also. The membership in the Association of Graveyard Rabbits has inspired me to look harder for those elusive gravestones and to share the information once I have found it. Also to explore the previously unknown network of graveyard rabbit researchers who seem all to happy to look for and photograph gravestones in their local cemeteries for others

My surnames and areas of personal family research are: Favourite – Frederick co, Maryland, 1780-1850; Wise, Dunn, and Douglass – Page and Wapello counties, Iowa respectively, 1870-1950; Archer, Smith, Tilton – Tishomingo county, Mississippi, 1830-1950; Pratt, Flagg, Adams – Massachusetts, 1630-1830; Peck – Connecticut, 1630-1860; Bolender and Loranz – Pennsylvania and Ohio, 1775-1900; Arnspiger/Ernspiger – Jessamine county and Fayette county, Kentucky, 1780-1950.

Thanks for reading about me and I hope you enjoy my blog, Dust To Dust GY Rabbit. Thanks to the Association of Graveyard Rabbits for the opportunity to introduce myself to their readers.
Happy cemetery wandering,
Jo Arnspiger

New Article Available in the GYR Online Journal

This week, Stephanie Lincecum writes about southern cemeteries in her column, Graveyard Guru.

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I’ve been thinking about the southern cemetery quite a bit lately. By “southern,” I mean cemeteries found in the southern part of the United States. It seems the most prominent, most grand, most intricate, most angelic, and most beautiful cemeteries and gravestones that are proudly and splendidly displayed online are from locations in the northern United States. Does this mean these same beautiful images cannot be found in the South? Of course not. I could list many, many grand displays from “down here.” If we are to be honest, though, these types of cemeteries and gravestones are not the norm.

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Be sure to read the entire article at the Graveyard Rabbits Online Journal.

Cemetery Photographs - Can You Help?

The Association has received a question from Charlotte Chase. She would like to know if anyone takes cemetery photographs in Westchester County, New York. "I am interested in the old Zar cemetery in Bedford on Chestnut Ridge Road and the Buxton Cemetery on Bedford Center Road. Also the Oakwood cemetery in Mt. Kisco."


Specific Graves:

ZAR (Zarr) Cemetery

Abigail Elenor Zar (Zarr) Plot 5
Betsey Zarr wife of Jacob plot 5 Catharine M. and husband John Plot 28 Charlotte Melissa Plot 36
Cortland P. Plot 24 Elias Plot 8
Infant child of George & Nancy Zar Plot 31
Joseph Plot 6
Leander Plot 9
Mary Plot 17
Mary Jane Plot 19
Parker Plot 2
Sarah Plot 1
Sally Ann Plot 7
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Banks Cemetery on Broadway in Pleasantville
South of 123 Broadway on east side of highway
Zarr monument visible from entrance.

Samuel Zarr and wife Frances
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Buxton Cemetery

Caroline Elizabeth Zar (Zarr) and son Charles Hawley Zar Plot B-5
Abraham Zarr and wife Susan Hare Plot B-5
James B Zarr and wife Dorcas Jones Plot B-5
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Bedford Union Cemetery

Jacob Zarr and wife Cornelia could be buried here
Grant R. Zarr and wife Lena Hannah Piatt Plot BU 187
Thaddeus Knapp Green and wife Nancy
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Miller Cemetery

Richard Miller and wife Zilphia
Richard Miller, Jr. and wife Betsey in 1975 stone still standing Betsey had a rock to right of daugher Zilphia
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Green Cemetery

Benjamin Green and wife Sarah
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Oakwood Cemetery in Mt. Kisco

Parker Zarr and wife Estella (Stella or Jane)
I think there is another Zarr family member buried here
Alsoph Green and wife Hester

GYRabbits, if you frequent these cemeteries and are willing to photograph some or all of these graves, please contact Charlotte Chase directly, itsmecac@yahoo.com.

Thank You!

Call for Submissions – GYR Carnival April 2010 Edition

The topic for the April 2010 edition of the Graveyard Rabbits Carnival is:  Anonymous Graves.

This topic was submitted by Henk van Kampen, who authors the blog, The Graveyard Rabbit of Utrecht and Het Gooi.

What anonymous graves have you come across in your cemetery travels?  Share them with us for this edition of the carnival.

Submit your post to the carnival using the submission form.  Submissions for this edition are due by March 25.  Be sure to include a short description of your post in the “remarks” section of the submission form.

Upcoming Topics

• May 2010 – Cause of Death
  (idea submitted by Matt Hucke)
• June 2010 – The Interesting, The Odd, The Beautiful
  (idea submitted by Gale Wall)
• July 2010 – Scavenger Hunt
  (idea submitted by Julie Cahill Tarr)
• August 2010 – Favorite Season
  (idea submitted by Henk van Kampen)

Call For Help

We are in need of more topics for the GYR Carnival.  Please submit your ideas to Julie.

Graveyard Rabbit Carnival – March 2010 Edition

Welcome to the March 2010 edition of Graveyard Rabbits Carnival.  The topic for this edition is Forgotten Cemeteries.  This topic was submitted by  Tina Michael Ruse, who authors the blog Campo Santo-holy ground, The Graveyard Rabbit of Alta California.

For this edition, bloggers were to submit articles about forgotten cemeteries.  I’m happy to say that we have 20 submissions this month.  Be sure to read each of the articles, as they each offer various viewpoints and information on forgotten cemeteries.

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Dorene Paul presents Edward J. and Lydia Lockwood posted at Graveyard Rabbit of Sandusky Bay, saying, "The Lockwood Cemetery located inside the campground of East Harbor State Park on Lake Erie is not totally forgotten, but it surely is off the beaten path!"

Joe Dallmann (Deez) presents St. Catherine of Siena Cemetery Martinez, CA posted at Cemetery Explorers, saying, "Hoping to bring some attention to this matter."

Tim Abbott presents Lost and Found Burial Ground of My Williman Ancestors and "The White House" / Williman Cemetery: The Plot Thickens posted at Walking the Berkshires.

Robert Baca presents Camposanto Viejo in Lemitar, New Mexico posted at Socorro and the Beyond Graveyard Rabbit, saying, "The Camposanto Viejo (or "old cemetery" in Spanish) is a hidden, almost unknown cemetery in Lemitar, New Mexico. It is estimated that around 170 people are buried there, but only a few markers remain."

Lee Drew presents Little Ones Lost posted at FamHist, saying, "Wrote the post a while ago, but it is still the 'nearest and dearest' lost cemetery in my burial ground list."

Robin Inge presents Beaver Creek Cemetery, Wichita County, TX posted at Graveyard Rabbit of Wichita County, Texas, saying, "I actually had visited this cemetery earlier last year. Once you see the photos you can quickly see that this is a very forgotten cemetery. It is said that many do not visit here because of the rattlesnakes that make their home near the markers. I visited during the cold weather, so no worries. However, I was still on guard."

Midge Frazel presents Forgotten Cemeteries posted at Granite in My Blood, saying, "My 3rd great-grandparents rest in a cemetery that is small and often overgrown. The land it rests on belongs to a new owner. Will it become inaccessible in the future?"

Alice Dilts presents Graveyard Rabbit - Forgotten Cemetery - 02/09/10 posted at My Genealogy Research, saying, "The Forgotten Cemetery I posted about is Purvis Cemetery located in Moultrie County, Illinois."

Matt Hucke presents Forgotten Cemeteries posted at Graveyards of Illinois, saying, "Forgotten Cemeteries of Illinois - and a few that are now restored and cared for."

John Frank presents Cemetery Removed to Make Way for Airport posted at Ancestry Chronicles, saying, "My blog post is about a cemetery that may soon be forgotten - St. Johannes, which is slated to be dug up to make room for runways at O'Hare Airport in Chicago. The city of Chicago has agreed to pay relative to move their loved ones, but what about those graves that the city cannot find living relatives for?"   Editor’s Note:  This is something I have been following as well.  After John posted his article, there was some news the same day about a court order to stop the removal of graves.

Jo Arnspiger presents Our Forgotten Cemetery posted at Dust to Dust GYRabbitt, saying, "I am just starting my Graveyard Blog site. The others I have read have inspired me to help chronicle both my own cemetery experiences and also my local area cemeteries."

Ruth Haley presents Deerman Cemetery posted at Genealogy is Ruthless without Me, saying, "That BAGGETT surname as a maiden name for a grave was a big clue for me in researching my Dearman lineage. It is sometimes the little things that excites the graveyard sleuth."

Rurh Coker Burks presents I Am Stunned! posted at Last2cu, saying, "This is the story that took over the story that I WAS writing for the Forgotten Cemetery issue of The Graveyard Rabbit! When all of the dust settles I will post the Historical Story about how this cemetery, Meux Cemetery, was left to never be heard of again, until Mary Etta (Mollie) Gardner Clay's tomb popped up from the lake bed and came to rest on the shore of the lake that runs through my soul...Meux Cemetery will no longer keep it's secret..."

Nicole LaRue presents Graveyard Rabbits Carnival, 12th Edition: Forgotten Cemeteries posted at Blog of a Genealogist in Training, saying, "Hillgrove Cemetery, Darke County, OH"

Lorine McGinnis Schulze presents Olive Tree Genealogy Blog: Neglect of Farnham Cemetery posted at Olive Tree Genealogy Blog, saying, "The neglect of Farnham Cemetery in Ontario is disgraceful! Hopefully a group can be formed to take action and repair the broken tombstones and clean the cemetery up"

Tina Micheal Ruse presents Forgotten Cemetery posted at Campo Santo-holy ground, saying, "The Pioneer cemetery in Nevada City, California is home to mostly forgotten gold rush citizens.  Few visitors come to see the unmarked graves of some of California's early settlers under the dark pine trees."

Stephanie Lincecum presents The Forgotten Ones posted at Southern Graves, saying, "I found this cemetery in a town in middle Georgia of which I never knew existed. There seem to be no caretakers other than a couple of cute puppies."

Tami K. Pelling shares Gracing God's Acres - Restoration Blog, a blog dedicated to the restoration of Paris Cemetery in Michigan Township, Clinton County, Indiana. She says, "The restoration of Paris Cemetery was made possible by the generous donations of descendants of those buried in the cemetery and the surrounding community. The restoration began in April 2009 and ended on October 30 with the installation of the Paris Cemetery Heritage Sign and picnic in the cemetery. Note: I am still uploading photographs to the website."

Although not an article, Stuart Schneider submitted a photograph of Franklin NJ Cemetery, Abandoned and Forgotten.

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That concludes this edition.  Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.  Be sure to join us for the next edition!