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Subject: [INLAKE] Tolleston Cemetery, in trouble or being cleaned?
Date: Tue, 27 Mar 2001 18:31:40 EST

Hello all,
As I drove down Grant street today for work I looked up at the Tolleston
cemetery, as I do every day when I pass, but this time something was
different. I was startled to see large machinery (back hoes) rolling through
the middle of the cemetery!! I immediately turned around and went to talk to
the men working there. They were from Larry's Tree Service, and said that
they were hired by the City of Gary to clean up the property, but they didnt
know what was planned for the lot. I walked around and didnt see any major
damage to the stones, except for one chip off of a stone (you could tell by
how clean it was where it had been chipped). The guys working were real
helpful and even walked around looking at the stones with me (I didnt tell
them I was checking for damage) and they even remarked sadly about the young
ages of the people buried there. I told them a bit about the early settlers
there, and how the stone squares around each plot represented each family
group buried together, so hopefully they will think of the people while they
work and will be careful.

As far as I know, the church still owned that land last year when I spoke to
the Pastor. I don't know why the City would "clean up" private church
property, but they've levelled the lot next to the cemetery as if a building
was in the works.

A few of the descendants of people buried there, and myself, had talked about
going once the weather broke to clean it up, but now I don't know what is
going to be done with it. It badly needed cleaning up as it was overgrown and
had everything from old tires to beer bottles to an old stove thrown onto the
property, and I hope that this is just a nice clean-up gesture by Mayor King.
According to Indiana Law (as far as I know) the owners of land with a
cemetery on it are free to do what they want with the contents. This includes
disposing of the remains and stones to the City dump if that's what the land
owner so wishes. This worries me.
I hope that I am just worried for no reason, but thought I would let others
know what might be happening. I tried calling the church when I got home from
work, but no answer. They might only be there earlier in the day.
I am going with our DAR and other lists tomorrow to walk the cemetery and see
if there are any stones not accounted for yet due to the conditions existing
at other times when it was walked. If the City of Gary destroys Tolleston
Cemetery, I want to be sure we know who was there for future generations.
Anyone have suggestions? Anyone hear about something planned for this
cemetery already? Anyone know who to call to find out if the church doesnt
know?
Kathy
PS Tolleston Cemetery is between 19th and 20th avenues, on Grant street in
Gary. Last known or present owner (since the 1868) St John Lutheran Church,
2235 W 10th ave, Gary, IN 46404, 219-944-0654
Transcriptions of stones and brief history at:
http://www.rootsweb.com/~inlake/tollcem.txt
<A HREF="http://www.rootsweb.com/~inlake/tollcem.txt">tollcem.txt at
www.rootsweb.com</A>

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