CEMETERY-L Archives

From: <>
Subject: [Old Bones CEMETERY-L] Re: Monument/Marker (of sorts) to be placed at Hanover Memorial Park
Date: Tue, 9 Jul 2002 15:28:42 -0400
References: <004301c22773$a05766c0$b946f7a5@hppav>

Below is my letter sent to the editors of three newspapers which service the Hanover County area. (Mechanicsville Local, Hanover Herald-Progress and the Richmond Times Dispatch)
Sheri Millikin

Editor,

It is always disappointing to me, personally, to learn of some form of
our rich county's history being destroyed here in Hanover. This includes
battlefields, landmarks, but in one particular case, the historical graves
of some of Hanover County's own residents.
It is disturbing to learn, through very thorough research, that these
graveyards were never transferred and therefore the land was never sold
outside of the family of the Sydnor family. I believe the burden of proof of
real/actual ownership is now in the hands of those involved with PMG-One.
They appear to have "assumed" ownership rather than obtained it through any
legal means or court documents.
It is now beyond my understanding how, after numerous television
reports, newspaper articles, letters, phone calls, etc., Todd Rogers of
PMG-One/Hometown Realty and Hanover Memorial Park could suggest and work
together in placing a marker/memorial to the "Unknowns" at the location of
the reinterred remains from part of one of the two cemeteries within Pebble
Creek.
Mr. Rogers and others of both PMG-One and Hanover Memorial Park...we
know who these "unknowns" were. One graveyard belong to the Sydnor family.
The other graveyard belonged to the slaves and descendants of the Sydnor
family. The last burial there was just slightly over 30 years ago. We did
the research that you did not.
Now, with that being said, having aerial photographs and maps showing
the locations of these two cemeteries dating back for several decades, it
will be interesting to see if the Hanover County officials and the Hanover
County courts turn a blind eye to this issue and allow the court order to
show as being fulfilled. Not all remains have been removed from the approx.
1 1/2 acres of graveyards which were set aside and never sold.
I've got a suggestion for this "monument". How about something to this
effect...
"Here lie the remains of maybe the Sydnors or may the Greens and other
descendants of slaves. We don't know cause we didn't care enough to involve
any historical groups to help identify them. We didn't care when we hauled
them up out of ground we really don't seem to own. We didn't care when we
used backhoes and trashcans to move them. We didn't care when people living
in the neighborhood asked questions and we didn't want to tell them
everything. And we don't care now because, as we've been known to say, "Dead
people don't vote".
Signed...all the dirty hands involved in this starting with....."

This would ring true through and through.......
Yes, dead people DON'T vote. But their descendants sure DO!

Sheri Millikin
Hanover, VA

Please visit www.savinggraves.com for more information on these disturbing events in the Pebble Creek Subdivision of Hanover County,VA.

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