Nestled in a quiet country churchyard is the final resting place of generations of our Illinois ancestors. Sharps and Teagues are all we know of so far.
There is additional family significance with this church, our own Burlington Riley Sharp was a preacher there for many years. His son-in-law, Calvin Smith was also a preacher.
(Jan 3) I have been trying to get ahold of the keeper of this cemetery and obtain copies of the burial records from so long ago. I talked with them (husband and wife) once in May of 2006, after many calls around to find out who was in charge. They said they would get back to me, but this hasn't happened yet. Photos will have to come in due time.
(Jan 9) I have gotten ahold of Carl Crockett, the keeper of the grounds I was referred to by Miller Funeral Home in Metropolis, Illinois. He told me he's been taking care of the place since he was 12 years old, and now he's in his 50's. He has a younger guy doing the harder labor and he does the rest. He doesn't really like the job, but he's stuck and got elected to be the Secretary of the Board.
I again asked him if there was a map and any burial records available for me to compare my own records to.
He told me somewhere there is an old map of the cemetery grounds, emphasis on old, which he doesn't recall actually ever seeing. He told me the burial records are a bit lacking, too. I got the impression most records would be in family bibles and with the local paper's archives. I asked him who a family would come to for burial arrangements with the church, and he said, "Well... me, I guess."
I asked him what I could do to help. He said "Send money. When we run out of money at certain times of year the place goes unkempt because we can't pay someone to do the mowing." I asked differently, what I could do to help with his job, so that people coming to pay respects to departed loved ones would know where to go, would know who was related to who, and so that new families would know what space is available for the future. I asked if there would be any resistance from the Board to outside volunteer help, he said it would be most welcome. I added that I was fully aware of my distance restraint, he interrupted that sometimes someone farther removed is just the thing to get a job done.
So we reached the conclusion that I would help make a new map, rustle up some volunteers to walk the grounds, making notations of the occupied graves, wether they have markers, and what information is on them. We would work together on the problem of burial records, and hopefully, by the end of this, he would be able to call up in print or on his computer just who was where and all the other conveniences of large-scale cemeteries I've become accustomed to.
My first assignment to myself was to talk to my dad about surveying and what equipment I would need to get an accurate reading of the property. He told me to call on the county land and zoning person who would have property boundaries of everything in one form or another... If I could get a copy of the property lines, just as though I was going to buy it from the owner, that would be the best beginning to a cemetery map. Then every grave and lot would be in relation to the road and buildings...
There is additional family significance with this church, our own Burlington Riley Sharp was a preacher there for many years. His son-in-law, Calvin Smith was also a preacher.
(Jan 3) I have been trying to get ahold of the keeper of this cemetery and obtain copies of the burial records from so long ago. I talked with them (husband and wife) once in May of 2006, after many calls around to find out who was in charge. They said they would get back to me, but this hasn't happened yet. Photos will have to come in due time.
(Jan 9) I have gotten ahold of Carl Crockett, the keeper of the grounds I was referred to by Miller Funeral Home in Metropolis, Illinois. He told me he's been taking care of the place since he was 12 years old, and now he's in his 50's. He has a younger guy doing the harder labor and he does the rest. He doesn't really like the job, but he's stuck and got elected to be the Secretary of the Board.
I again asked him if there was a map and any burial records available for me to compare my own records to.
He told me somewhere there is an old map of the cemetery grounds, emphasis on old, which he doesn't recall actually ever seeing. He told me the burial records are a bit lacking, too. I got the impression most records would be in family bibles and with the local paper's archives. I asked him who a family would come to for burial arrangements with the church, and he said, "Well... me, I guess."
I asked him what I could do to help. He said "Send money. When we run out of money at certain times of year the place goes unkempt because we can't pay someone to do the mowing." I asked differently, what I could do to help with his job, so that people coming to pay respects to departed loved ones would know where to go, would know who was related to who, and so that new families would know what space is available for the future. I asked if there would be any resistance from the Board to outside volunteer help, he said it would be most welcome. I added that I was fully aware of my distance restraint, he interrupted that sometimes someone farther removed is just the thing to get a job done.
So we reached the conclusion that I would help make a new map, rustle up some volunteers to walk the grounds, making notations of the occupied graves, wether they have markers, and what information is on them. We would work together on the problem of burial records, and hopefully, by the end of this, he would be able to call up in print or on his computer just who was where and all the other conveniences of large-scale cemeteries I've become accustomed to.
My first assignment to myself was to talk to my dad about surveying and what equipment I would need to get an accurate reading of the property. He told me to call on the county land and zoning person who would have property boundaries of everything in one form or another... If I could get a copy of the property lines, just as though I was going to buy it from the owner, that would be the best beginning to a cemetery map. Then every grave and lot would be in relation to the road and buildings...
So I got online and found the Massac County Zoning Administrator... I'll tell you, it is so easy to talk to folks out there. Not like most people in the Bay Area who are too busy to talk to you or are so bound by rules (real or imaginary) that they can only help so much... I expected so much "Who wants to know?" and "Fill out this form", but Penny told me right off I'd want the plat maps, and he'd look for an electronic copy of the property.
What he emailed me was a PDF, which I converted and put the street names on it, and show below.
What he emailed me was a PDF, which I converted and put the street names on it, and show below.
This is our starting point. I'm excited to have this opportunity to do some sleeve-rolling service to my ancestors' (and present-day cousins') community. Map of [6758-6873] New Columbia Rd Grantsburg, IL 62943, US
More to come.
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