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From: RICHARD RUSSELL <>
Subject: [OHCLER] Where Did They Dump The Body?
Date: Thu, 18 Mar 2004 09:14:30 -0800 (PST)

Hello Herm, and Cousins:
Herm, thank you, again, for your most welcome/good/important information and data, past, present, and now doubt it will keep coming (I hope). Your expertese (sp) has helped us all.
The importance of the "names" of these "family cemeteries", in my opinion, is strictly a personal one, as it often tells this dummy where a cemetery is located, where I am looking for someone. I am talking about cemeteries that are not usually "public", not well known, usually off of the beaten path, etc.. The name often leads to other info/data, or visa-versa, as to land/court/history/etc records or "story". Not always, but often they bear the name of the first land owner, or first real settler, - - - - or if not, the first "noted" one.Others are noted by a landmark, an event, or such, but still often giving a clue to info needed. In some cases, they are named/known by the first one, or family, to be buried there; or in a few cases, by some outstanding person or "mover and shaker" buried there. In most cases, these usually small family cemeteries, or burial grounds, are "assigned" names to fit the first "tennents". Some are not "formily" named. There are thousands of su!
ch in
Indiana, by one of the above various classifications, and would guess, about equal over there with you Buckeyes.
And, as we all know, many many of them have disappeared, in the name of progress, a larger crop, a stone needed to prop up a corn crib, another porch step, a larger backyard, or just by someone doing their own thing or "finding" themselves.
Lastly, even with D.N.A., we cannot know where these good souls remains remain, if it were not for these clues. This is important to the ego of all of us amateur genealogists and would be historians. These clues also are disappearing, as we are. I can find the old Short (Wheeler- Short) Family Cemetery, even though it is now merely a well kept backyard, but I could not have found it many years ago if it were not for the kindness of Clermonts fine Cooper family. Then after all of those visits, work, reclaiming, repairing, etc., it all became "nothing". I hope a few, now, can at least find where it was, even if they have to ask permission to see the backyard; but how soon will even the location be forgot.
Upto about 6 years ago, every 999 out of a thousand persons, who tried, would not have known where to look for this Henry Co Ind cemetery, if it was known as the Betchelheimer Cemetery; would even be confused if it was "called" the Betchelheimer/Bundy cemetery, but could go directly to it if told to go to the Bundy Cemetery. There is no good, accurate, proved, reason to now start calling it by a different name. No Betchelheimer/Bhymer, or family member, is buried there. This is a ego trip, for someone, even if it changes history.
Oh yes, I'm pretty sure that John Short Sr, his wife, his son, his daughter in law, his niece, her husband, John Wheeler Sr, his son and sons wife, and some of those others, did not expect to be lying over there in Clermont Co, now unnoticed, now unmarked, soon to be forgotten, in someone elses backyard, when they spent all of the effort, time, and money, not counting good moral behavior, in being placed back in the good earth in proper fashion.
Of course, as you know, I am often more wrong than right, so can merely say that these little "family" burial sites, or cemeteries, often lead me to reseach results that would otherwise be hidden, lack clues, or take much longer to fine the original records/documents to prove, or disprove.
Again, I thank you. Take care. Regards, Dick

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• [OHCLER] Where Did They Dump The Body? by RICHARD RUSSELL <>