Cemeteries of the future

After reading a article yesterday I found on line I began to wonder what will the future cemetery look like? We are running out of land, more and more people are being cremated and not even having stones. How will the genealogist of tomorrow be able to have the opportunity to search through cemeteries like we enjoy today, looking for that elusive ancestor.

One of the web sites we looked at had this cold impersonal tall sky scrapper style building that was a mausoleum.

One of my favorite ways to spend a nice summer day is to wonder through a cemetery wondering about the people buried there who were they? What was their life like?

I know it has become a problem especially in bigger cities but my mind and heart does not always agree. I still visit my Great Great Great Grandparents graves and put flowers on them out of respect.

I guess only time will tell. First they say no homemade headstones, then there is no place to put people when they pass on. My husband does not understand why this saddens me it makes sense to him he wants to cremated. The poor man he just looks at me shakes his head when he is the one that doesn't understand. It is another tradition that we are loosing. But at least he still goes with me and tries to understand I have to give him credit for that.

cemetery rules

I had a sexton from a local cemetery tell me they no longer will be allowing homemade markers placed on grave sites per the township board. I am very disappointed by this since some of the homemade markers are Linda's and my favorites.

They are concerned that they will not weather and wear well over time. Some of them I agree but go by individual bases and have them approved prior to placing it something!

What worried me is that he said other area cemeteries are also talking about doing this. Some stones I have seen are down right tacky, some show a bit of the personality, some help the builder heal by doing a last thing for the deceased. There are so many reasons right down to the high cost of markers. I want a homemade stone just to be different and show a little of who I am. A huge rock (not manufactured) with a plaque would be good.

I hope they reconsider, bend a little. Lighten up! I am attending the next township meeting so please wish me luck. Please let me know if any of you have come across this problem with small rural cemeteries or any for that matter. I want to have my facts straight and all my ducks in a row. My husband says he will go to bail me out. I am not sure why he would think I would need that. I just feel passionate that people should have the right to express themselves even in death.

Memorial Day

I feel I need to add a note as to my surprise at how many people I have talked to that do not know why we celebrate Memorial Day, why we changed the date or that we even did. I asked people from 83 years to 7. Most of the "young people" said it was a day off school and that school was almost over for the summer. I had a few people tell me it was a holiday to honor our military veterans. Heaven forbid when I mentioned it use to be called "Decoration Day".

Yes I know not everyone is interested in history and genealogy as we are but...We have this holiday every year! If a person is going to celebrate it they should at lest know what and why it is.

It started to honor the Union veterans of the Civil War on 30 May 1867. It originally was called Decoration Day as this was a day the family would visit the cemetery decorate the grave and often have a family picnic. The date was changed by the government for a 3 day weekend.

OK I am done with my rant but I was surprised maybe it is because we have had so many military people in our family. Maybe it is because Grandma took decorating the graves so seriously. But I also know that I would like to thank each and every veteran of all the wars that fought to give us the rights we have and for all they went through to give us the freedom we take for granted every day. I still stand up for the first flag in a parade place my hand on my heart and Thank God and our Veterans each and every one of them.

Try voicing what you think in a few other countries on your blog and see what happens...

Memorial Day

It seems on Memorial Day people seem to visit cemeteries they never go to or give a second thought to any other time.
I talked to a person this past week who said she only visits the cemetery once a year on Memorial Day and was complaining because her family members grave site had weeds growing around the stone and all the others around it were so neat. I asked her if she was from out of town thinking I could adopt the site when I did my families. She promptly spoke up and said "oh I just live down the road". I then kindly (I hope) told her that the sexton mows and cares for the cemeteries but often the families are the ones who cares for the stones and the weeds that grow next to them.
I wonder if she even gives it another thought until next year?