The Peripatetic Graveyard Rabbit

Catholic Cemetery Records Online

2009-07-14T01:25:00.000-07:00

Catholic cemeteries in any given location generally are owned or controlled by the diocese or archdiocese for that area. The good news is that all of the major dioceses and some not-so-major ones have web pages devoted to their Catholic cemeteries. But these websites vary in terms of the genealogical information one will find there. Most will at least include a note about the diocese's policies and procedures for genealogical research. My (less-than-scientific) canvass of diocesean procedures indicates that many will respond to mail requests for information and charge a small fee for the service. Many dioceses have PDF forms online for genealogical requests or direct email access for questions. But several dioceses have gone a step further, with searchable databases for their cemeteries.

Two of the better searchable databases can be found in the Archdiocese of St Louis and the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. Other U.S. dioceses with searchable cemetery records online include:

Archdiocese of Seattle
Diocese of Fresno (Calif.)
Diocese of Wilmington (Del.)(includes Eastern Shore of Maryland)

If you know of other sites with searchable databases of Catholic cemetery records, please share in the comments here.

When Is An Indian Burial Ground Not an Indian Burial Ground?

2009-07-10T08:32:00.000-07:00

Answer: When We Want to Build a Sam's Club!

Read all about it!

For more: see the post at Deep Fried Kudzu.

Sixty-five Years Ago . . . Isn't Really That Long Ago

2009-06-06T10:29:00.001-07:00

The American Cemetery and Memorial, Normandy, France
Maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission, an agency of the United States Government

Greenwood Cemetery, St Louis

2009-06-05T10:55:00.000-07:00

Greenwood Cemetery is an African-American cemetery in St. in St. Louis County. It has a rich and storied history in has seen good times and bad. It is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Greenwood has an estimated 50,000 graves. The earliest grave dates from 1874. Here is an excerpt from the national register of historic places nomination form for Greenwood Cemetery:

Established on January 19, 1874 by Herman Krueger, this is the first non-sectarian commercial cemetery for African Americans in the St. Louis metropolitan area. The cemetery has approximately 6000 marked graves, but is thought to contain over 50,000 burials. The graves represent a cross section of the African American community in St. Louis from former slaves and common laborers to community leaders in the small but thriving black middle class. The cemetery is characteristic of the rural cemetery movement, however, remnants of African and Southern black burial customs can be found throughout the cemetery.

Many of the people buried at Greenwood were originally inhabitants of Mississippi and other Southern states who participated in this Great Migration.

With desegregation, however, the need for separate cemeteries eventually ended, as did the commercial viability of St Louis' black privately owned cemeteries. By the 1980s all three commercial black cemeteries in the city had been sold to new owners, who soon discovered that there were no perpetual-care funds to maintain the facilities. The only source of income was the sale of new plots—a source inadequate to the maintenance needs at Greenwood. The result was that the cemetery rapidly declined and became a dumping ground and target for vandals.

State of Missouri, Department of Natural Resources, Nomination Form for Greenwood Cemetery to be on National Register of Historic Places (2004) [edited for brevity and consistency].

Bud light was soon on the horizon for Greenwood Cemetery. In March, 2000, the Attorney General of Missouri acted to declare Greenwood "abandoned" in that way forced the sale of the cemetery to St Louis County. Since that time, a nonprofit group known as Friends of Greenwood Cemetery has worked tirelessly to improve the condition of Greenwood Cemetery. Many of the group members are individuals who have family members buried in the cemetery. The Friends' efforts have been supported by the Missouri National Guard, Monsanto, the Boy Scouts, Southwestern Bell (now AT&T), and other organizations. Their efforts, though sincere, have at times been frustrating.

I recently was in contact with a Find-A-Grave volunteer who said while parts of the cemetery are still in poor condition, the group working on it has "cut down brush and tress in the center and uncovered some markers that go back to the 20's." They've also fixed a road.

At this link, there is a video that describes recent efforts to rehabilitate Greenwood Cemetery. All those who volunteer for such projects deserve the community's gratitude!

A number of notable people are buried at Greenwood. These include Harriet Scott, the wife of Dred Scott, and many musicians, artists, businesspeople, educators, and other prominent persons in the history of Black St. Louis.

My great great grandfather Elias A. Bowie [not to be confused with his son Elias G. Bowie, or his other son, Elias Bowie Jr., my granduncle] who died in 1970, is buried at Greenwood.

Also buried at Greenwood is a man named Lee Shelton. Lee Shelton died at the Missouri State penitentiary in 1912. He was serving a term for the murder of a man named William Lyons.

Contest Question [what's this?] : What were the meteorological, astronomical, and seasonal conditions on the night of the murder of William Lyons (according to the most popular folk culture account of the murder)?

If you know the answer to this question, put the answer in a comment to this post, or as a comment to the post on this link over at Geneablogie. State the source for your answer!

Image Sources:

1. Greenwood photograph: State of Missouri, Secretary of State, Missouri State Archives Missouri Digital Heritage Collections: Greenwood Cemetery Funerary Art [photographer and date unknown], available at

http://cdm.sos.mo.gov/cdm4/browse.php?CISOROOT=%2Fgreenwood&CISOSORT=title|r
(accessed 5 June 2009)

2. Shelton Death Certificate: State of Missouri, Secretary of State, Missouri State Archives, Missouri Death Certificates, 1910-1958. Available at
http://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/resources/deathcertificates/#search (searched 4 June 2009)

Memorial Day 2009

2009-05-25T16:31:00.000-07:00

If you haven't been to Arlington Cemetery in the last several years, you may not recognize the memorial shown above. It is the "Women in Military Service for America" memorial and it stands near the gate of the cemetery.

The women's memorial is intended to recall all women who gave their lives in military service. But there's one group of servicewomen who were nearly forgotten by the Government with respect to recognition. That group is the Women's Airforce Service Pilots ("WASPs") of World War II. These were the first women pilots employed by the United States military.

The government first used women to fly military airplanes in 1942. The Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS) was formed in September of that year under the command of Nancy Love at New Castle Army Air Base, Delaware. This unit ferried aircraft from factories to airfields, freeing the male pilots for combat duty.

In 1943, the Army activated the 319th Women's Flying Training Detahcment at Ellington Army Air Field, near Houston, Texas. The commander was renowned aviator Jacqueline Cochran. Later, the two women's flying units were combined under the name "Women's Airforce Service Pilots." Cochran was given overall command, and training was moved to Avenger Field near Sweetwater, Texas.

The women pilots flew almost every military aircraft in the U.S. inventory. In addition to ferrying duty, the WASPs towed targets for live-fire antiaircraft exercises, trained male pilots in some of the advanced aircraft, flew simulated bomb and strafing runs for training combat troops, and performed other flying duties when and where necessary to relieve male pilots.

On March 3, 1943, Margaret Sanford Oldenberg of Contra Costa County, California, became the first WASP to die in the line of duty when her plane crashed five miles from the airfield. Overall, thirty-eight women were killed in the line of duty.

But the Government did not consider the WASPs to be service veterans. They were therefore entitled to no medals, and no funeral honors. That changed somewhat in 1977 when Congress passed a law permitting the Secretary of Dfense to recognize the WASPs as having performed military duty. Despite this change in status, the Army, which operates Arlington National Cemetery, refused to allow WASP members to be buried there until 2002.

In 2002, former WASP Irene Kinne Englund died at age 84. Her family attempted to have her buried at Arlington based on her WASP service. They were told that she eligible, but onl;y because her husband was a World War II veteran, not because of her own service. Her daughter, Judith Englund, took up the cause for her mother and all WASPs. Several months later, the Army changed its mind.

One June 15, 2002, WASP Irene Kinne Englund became the first of her sisters of the air to have a full military funeral at Arlington.

Cross-posted at Geneablogie.

Chinese "Tomb Sweeping Day" A Fraud--Idea Stolen From Middle America!

2009-04-04T09:37:00.000-07:00

See this.

Tomb Sweeping Day

2009-04-03T22:06:00.000-07:00

As I write this from the Bloggcast Center in the Pacific Time Zone, it's nearly dawn on April 5, 2009 in China. That means that one of the biggest holidays in China is nearly over. That would be "Tomb Sweeping Day."

Tomb Sweeping Day is called "Qing Ming" in Chinese, which means "clear and bright." A traditional holiday, it was made an official holiday by the Chinese government last year. People go to cemeteries to remember their dead ancestors by cleaning the family gravesite and placing flowers and other memorial items.

China Daily reported yesterday (Friday in the USA) that an estimated 21.6 million people will travel by rail for Tomb Sweping Day activities, according to the Chinese Ministry of Railroads.

Not too surprisingly, I suppose, is the fact that Tomb Sweeping DAy has taken on political significance. The Chinese government is using this year's Tomb Weeping Day to dedicate monuments to "heroic martyrs" of the Communist revolution. And in Taiwan, a womens rights group has brought attention to the apparently gender-biased attitudes of Taiwanese funeral directors.

According to yesterday's (today in USA) China Post, a professor at Chengchi University says that women who marry have their names registered with their husbands' families for memorial purposes. As a result, says Prof. Yan Wan-ying, Tomb Sweeping Day is a day of "common sorrow and regret" for Chinese women who, because of marriage are unable to honor their deceased parents.

These unequal traditions are being kept alive by government policies that favor men over women. For example, according to the professor, of the 151 questions on the government licensing examination for morticians, thirty-seven are "gender-related."

I should point out that tradition would celebrate Tomb Sweeping day on April 4 this year; the government's statutory holiday is Monday, April 6. So whether you celebrated today or you're just eager to have Monday off, Happy Tomb Sweeping Day and the highest regards to your ancestors.

PGYR Video of the Week

2009-03-25T17:58:00.000-07:00

From the National Center for Preservation Technology & Training, Natchitoches LA, an element of the U.S. Department of Interior, National Park Service

The Peripatetic Graveyard Rabbit News

2009-03-25T14:04:00.000-07:00

Now in beta phase.

Changes Coming to The PGYR

2009-02-16T20:06:00.000-08:00

The blogosphere is a dynamic place, constantly changing, and going in directions that we may not be able to predict with any degree of confidence. That's what makes it interesting. For awhile now I've been thinking about that subset of the blogosphere where I spend a lot of my time. I've been observing what I think may be an evolution in its nature.

But watching the blogosphere is like watching the galaxy. It can't be done in real time. By the time you see it, it's already moved on. Nonetheless, I think it worthwhile to try to flow with the dynamism rather than fight it or be swept away by it. In that frame of mind, I've spent some energy thinking about how The Peripatetic Graveyard Rabbit continues to orbit in its sphere (all those who get the unintentional mixed cosmological metaphor, well, . . . !).

Though we're just months old here at The PGYR, it's time to change. Over the next two weeks, The PGYR will roll out its changes--changes that I hope will flow with the dynamism (which I'll also explain) that I've been seeing in the genea-blogosphere.

Watch this space!

The Most Photographed Gravesite of 2009 Is . . .

2009-01-03T10:10:00.000-08:00

. . . this one at Oak Woods Cemetery in Chicago. The fascination with it is due in part to the fact that its intended beneficiaries are not dead yet. (click on image to enlarge)

Photo credit: Eric Allix Rogers (reallyboring on flickr.com). (Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic), uploaded to flickr 17 May 2008, viewed 3 Jan 2009.

Thanks to Chris Dunham for noticing before we did!

From China: Fewer People Visit Ancestors' Graves This Year

2008-12-21T15:52:00.000-08:00

Apparently it is a Chinese tradition to visit ones' ancestors' graves at the Winter Solstice festival. But the Shanghai Daily's English language online edition reports today (actually it's tomorrow there already) that the numbers of people gathering in cemeteries this year was down slightly from last year. The Daily said that officials attribute the drop (overall about 2% in the Shanghai area) to bad weather as well as suggestions not to visit during peak periods.

The Daily reported that one cemetery, the Binhaiguyuan Cemetery, received just 91,000 visitors yesterday (today here on the U.S. West Coast), which represented a drop of 20% from last year. The Daily said that some families arrived at cemeteries as early as 3:30 a.m. to avoid crowds and traffic.

Chinese visit their ancestors' graves traditionally at the winter solstice and at the Qingming Festival in early April.

Grace Hill Cemetery, Longview, Texas

2008-12-17T05:56:00.000-08:00

My visit to Grace Hill Cemetery in May, 2004, may have been the inspiration to blog about genealogy and related topics.

I had flown into Shreveport, Louisiana, on a business trip and decided to take a couple more days for genealogy research in the region. I drove about an hour west on I-20 to get to Longview, ancestral home of many in my Bowie line.

I got to Grace Hill Cemetery rather late in the day. I knew it was likely that many of my Bowie relatives were buried there, but at that point I had just one death certificate. It was for my great-great-grandmother, Amanda McCray Bowie.

Grace Hill Cemetery is near the intersection of U.S. Highway 80 (West Marshall Avenue), a major thoroughfare, and McCann Road in Longview.

I got to the cemetery at almost 5:00 p.m. due to circumstances beyond my control. It would be about closing time. I went to the caretaker's office (well, shack, really) and told a man there whose grave I was looking for. Like many cemeteries I have visited, the information age had yet to arrive here and the grave locations were kept on index cards in a small box. The man asked me if I knew Clarence Bowie. I said I knew of him, but didn't know him personally. Then the man said, "How do you know him?"

"Well, he's my cousin!" I told him. "Come on, cuz, let's go find Amanda's grave!" he replied.

We walked toward the eastern portion of the graveyard past a line of trees, and soon came to a row of mostly broken monuments. "There it is," he said pointing. Amanda Bowie's headstone is the largest monument in that row and it rested in the late afternoon shade of the trees. Next to it is the nearly as large headstone of Iba Bowie, one of the daughters of Amanda and John Wesley Bowie. Most of the other headstones were too broken or corroded to read, but the caretaker said that they were all likely Bowie family members in that row.

"Time was," he said,"that black people weren't allowed in this cemetery. Then they (the city) put up a fence and created a colored section. But after that the courts made 'em take down the fence so it would be one integrated cemetery."

"Where was the fence?" I asked naively. "You see this row of trees?" the caretaker asked. We were practically standing under them. "That's where the fence was." And indeed, I could tell that the trees formed a barrier of sorts between two sections of the cemetery. You could pass through this barrier, but it was still a barrier.

As I contemplated the two headstones, I was struck by how large they are. It must have cost the family s small fortune to afford them in the early twentieth century. How did they afford it? Why were Amanda and Iba seemingly singled out for special treatment? The caretaker didn't know the answers to those questions. He had not thought of them in any event.

Barrier tree line visible just behind grave of Iba Bowie.

This was not a rich family. Of the male Bowies I could find buried there, almost all were described as "laborers." The women either stayed at home or were cooks or other sorts of domestic servants. So how did they afford such elaborate monuments? The men's headstones were of the flat sort in the ground and were in terrible condition.

Perhaps the women were almost literally "put on a pedestal," explaining why their monuments are larger and generally better than the men's.

I wonder if this disparate treatment between the men and women relating to gravestones was just a Bowie family thing, or was it a Texas thing?

Graveyard or Landfill?

2008-12-05T12:16:00.000-08:00

When a rock and dirt recycling company in Clayton County, Georgia, wanted to expand its operations, the company came across a 311-grave African-American cemetery in the way. What to do?

A situation like this can be grief for all concerned. The families whose loved ones' remains lie in the cemetery are the most obviously affected. But the company, too, acting in good faith is also affected. And the public is affected as well.

In this case, the county commission, acting under Georgia law, has granted a permit to an archeologist to move the graves to a nearby cemetery. The original graveyard had become virtually inaccessible due to development all around it, including Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

This, however, is not an isolated incident. Every year, more historic graveyards are moved or built over. The diligence to prevent this is in the first instance on families and historians. Each state has laws governing the operation of cemeteries. Genealogists and historians would be well-advised to become generally familiar with such laws.

Here at The PGR, we'll from time to time present some of these laws. And we'll have more this week about the Georgia controversy.

A New Rabbit: Santa Fe's African American Graveyard Rabbit

2008-11-12T10:34:00.000-08:00

This new blog by the estimable George Geder can be found at http://africanancestryinsantafecemeteries.blogspot.com/.

George poses this interesting question: "How many African Americans are buried in Santa Fe, New Mexico? Who are they? What are their stories?"

His answers no doubt will fascinate and educate us. Check it out!

The Pyrrhic Monument at Meuse-Argonne

2008-11-10T20:04:00.000-08:00

Just east of the village of Romagne-sous-Montfaucon (Meuse), France, more than 14,000 Americans lie in repose. The place is Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery and Memorial, maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission. It is the largest American cemetery in France, covering more than 130 acres. It is also one of the largest monuments to the uselessness of World War I.

Most of the 14,000 or so souls here were killed in a single 47-day long slaughter known as the Meuse-Argonne offensive or the Battle of the Argonne Forest. Nearly 1.2 million (yes, that's right) U.S. soldiers took part in this now-obscure battle and more than 26,000 of them were killed. The battle, America's bloodiest, took place between September 26 and November 11, 1918. That a battle that took so many lives could be so little recalled is a shame.

As a result of the obscurity of this battle, the last Allied offensive of World War I, Meuse-Argonne Cemetery has few American visitors these days. And, after all, it has been ninety years since.

Perhaps the sheer beauty of the place somehow will compensate for the lack of visitors. (If a cemetery is built up in the middle of a forest, but nobody sees it . . . ?)

The cemetery and memorial were designed by the New York architectural firm of York & Sawyer. This internationally renowned firm also is credited with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York; the headquarters of the Brooklyn Trust Company (now part of JP Morgan Chase); the Law Quadrangle at the University of Michigan; and the Old Royal Bank Building in Montreal. The firm's other cemetery work includes Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn.

On this 90th anniversary of the "War to End All Wars," let us take a moment to go through Meuse-Argonne Cemetery and recall those who lie here forever.

Click here for our virtual trip to Meuse-Argonne.

What the Other Rabbits Are Up To

2008-11-01T10:16:00.000-07:00

If you're interested in a concise digest of the 90 or so articles published last week by members of the Association of Graveyard Rabbits around the world, go to the Association's blog to see This Week With The Graveyard Rabbits. Founder Terry Thornton has done the heavy lifting; thanks, Terry! With so many articles, almost everyone will find something of interest.

Colma, California: Dying to Go There

2008-10-31T20:54:00.000-07:00

Colma, a town in San Mateo County, California, just a few miles south of San Francisco, takes pride in the fact that it's mostly dead. And yet, folks are still dying to go there! That's right; it's no insult here to comment that the place seems to have little life about it.

Colma, you see, is a necropolis: almost 75% of the land in the town consists of cemeteries. There are more dead people in Colma than the 1,300 living ones.

Colma became a burial ground when San Francisco began to run out of land for just about anything, let alone cemeteries. By 1900, San Francisco faced potential health hazards from its lack of burial space. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors prohibited any more burials in the city. Within a dozen years, Colma, conveniently located on a rail line from downtown San Francisco, had a dozen cemeteries.

Then San Francisco took a more drastic step: all existing cemeteries were evicted from the city and thousands of bodies had to be removed. Colma was the place to take them.

Colma now has 17 cemeteries for humans and one for pets. Nearly everyone who dies in San Francisco is buried in Colma.

Satellite view of a part of Colma, California, with Holy Cross cemetery as focal point
(click to enlarge image)
From Google Maps

The town does have enterprises other than graveyards. There is an auto mall and two large shopping centers.

Many of Colma's cemeteries have monuments of historical significance and many famous folks are buried there. Among the celebrity dead in Colma are Joe DiMaggio, Wyatt Earp, and William Randolph Hearst.

The oldest and largest cemetery in Colma is Holy Cross Cemetery, owned by the Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco. It opened in 1887, long before San Francisco forced other cemeteries out of town.

The one pet cemetery, Pet's Rest, opened in 1947. Earl Taylor, a worker at Colma's Cypress Lawn cemetery, started Pet's Rest after hearing numerous people ask to bury pets with their loved ones in the other cemeteries.

The National Cemeteries

2008-10-30T21:15:00.000-07:00

Adapted from a post that originally appeared at GeneaBlogie on May 26, 2008

Like many folks, The Peripatetic Graveyard Rabbit has many relatives buried in national cemeteries. A few months ago, someone asked The PGR about the history of the national cemeteries.

In 1864, Congress passed a bill that authorized the President to acquire lands for national cemeteries. The Government established fourteen national cemeteries in the first year of authorization. In 2007, the Department of Veterans Affairs opened the 141st national cemetery, the South Florida National Cemetery at Lake Worth, Florida.

The 141 national cemeteries have more than 3 million graves, with the potential to grow to 5 million. This is important because today there are more than 24 million veterans eligible for burial in national cemeteries. VA says that historically about 12% of veterans choose a national cemetery.
Left: The nation's busiest National Cemetery at Calverton, New York

The term "national cemetery" refers to lands under the jurisdiction of three different departments. Most (125) of the national cemeteries are run by the Department of Veterans Affairs' National Cemetery Administration. Fourteen are operated by the Department of the Interior's National Park Service. These are cemeteries that are associated with national historic battlefield sites like Gettysburg, with one exception being the national cemetery at the Andrew Johnson National Historic Site in Tennessee. Except for the Andrew Johnson cemetery and the national cemetery at Andersonville, Georgia, all of the National Park Service-run cemeteries are closed to new burials.

Two of the national cemeteries are controlled by the Department of Defense through the Army. These are Arlington National Cemetery, perhaps the most well-known and most visited of the national cemeteries, and the cemetery at the Armed Forces Retirement Home (formerly the Soldiers and Sailors Home) in Washington, D.C.

A view of the National Cemetery maintained by the National Park Service at Andersonville, Georgia

In honoring our fallen troops, we should not forget that some are interred overseas. The American Battle Monuments Commission maintains 24 cemeteries in foreign countries which contain the graves of 125,000 Americans.

Genealogy Research Tip: The VA National Cemetery Administration has a nationwide grave locator to find graves of veterans. This contains the names of almost all the veterans buried in VA and National Park Service national cemeteries. In addition, it also has the names of veterans buried in non-government cemeteries for graves marked with a VA-provided marker. One thing not to overlook is that spouses, minor children, and unmarried disabled adult children of eligible veterans can also be interred in national cemeteries, even before the death of the veteran. (I reference, for example, the heart-breaking case of my cousin-by-marriage who has had the misfortune of having outlived two wives, both of whom lie waiting for him in repose at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery near St Louis). The Park Service is planning to put Civil War veterans grave locations in its excellent Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database. The American Battle Monuments Commission also has a searchable database.

If there is a national cemetery in your area, please pay a visit one day soon to give your respects to those who have given service to the nation.

Right: The American Battle Monuments Commission's American Cemetery and Memorial at Ardennes, Belgium, contains graves of 5,329 U.S. military dead.

Photo Credits: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, National Cemetery Administration; U.S. Department of Interior, National Park Service; American Battle Monuments Commission (an agency of the U.S. Government).

Uncle Monroe's Messy Memorial

2008-10-27T18:00:00.000-07:00

Originally Published in GeneaBlogie, July 16, 2006

I was surprised to learn two summers ago that my father's great uncle Monroe Bryant (September 8, 1900 -- December 3, 1953) is buried in Sacramento, just about 5 miles away from the Bloggcast Center. He was buried on December 17, 1953, in East Lawn Memorial Park in the well-to-do neighborhood of East Sacramento. East Lawn is Sacramento's oldest and most "prestigious" cemetery. Many members of "old money" families are buried there.

Monroe Bryant was 53 years old when he died of cirrhosis of the liver. He had been born in Rockport, Texas, and had spent a great portion of his life wandering the country. Apparently, he left most places just one step ahead of the sheriff.

Since it was so close I decided to visit Monroe Bryant's grave. It was 104° outside, but East Lawn's self-description sounded perfect:

Described as a "peaceful oasis in the heart of the city", East Lawn Memorial Park offers over 40 acres of serenity and solitude away from the hectic city pace, just minutes from the freeway. Lush greenery, mature trees (many hundreds of years old) and timeless architectuure define the beauty of the park, which has become a community landmark for those in the area.

However, as can be seen, Monroe Bryant didn't get the true East Lawn experience. This was a shocking and disappointing moment for me. On the other hand I'm not sure what I expected: Monroe Bryant was an alcoholic drifter.
Monroe Bryant's unmarked grave in Sacramento, California.

It is saddening, however, to find a relative's final resting place in such unsatisfactory condition. This grave is located in section S, Row 14, plot 82. It's in the "non-endovved" area of the cemetery. Apparently, there are plans to upgrade this section. In the meantime, however, I'll be working on getting marker for Monroe Bryant's grave.

The Peripatetic Graveyard Rabbit

2008-10-27T17:15:00.000-07:00

Welcome! The Peripatetic Graveyard Rabbit is a GeneaBlogie web publication and published in cooperation with The Association of Graveyard Rabbits. The irrepressible Terry Thornton, publisher of The Hill Country of Monroe County, Mississippi, and the indefatigable footnoteMaven (publisher of The footnoteMaven and Shades of the Departed as well as several others) founded the Association and it's grown by leaps and bounds in a matter of weeks. The Association is an organization of bloggers writing exclusively about graveyards, memorial markers, and the like.

Many of the Graveyard Rabbits focus on specific regions of the country. The Peripatetic Graveyard Rabbit will bring you information about cemeteries from all around the country (and even overseas). There will also be the occasional article about the law relevant to cemeteries and burial grounds.

We'll be here several times a month and we hope you'll join us as well as the other Rabbits for a close look at matters of grave concern.