Tombstone Tuesday ~ Miner Headstones

In my heart I had come to the conclusion that my great grandparents headstones had been covered in mud and that was why I couldn't find them. My ggrandfather John Clayton Miner passed on September 23, 1939. My ggrandmother Gladys A. Miner (Richmond) passed on January 11, 1944. After spending a day at Mountain View Cemetery last August unable to find markers for either of them, I left feeling quite sad.

If you remember, I spoke with my father and informed him that there wasn't a headstone for either of them. He found it very hard to believe that one had never been placed, which is what I told him probably was the case. Then, several months later after reading a fellow genealogists blog post, I hoped I was wrong that my ggrandparents didn't have a headstone. I hoped the grade of the hill and the weather had eventually covered the markers. It was time to call the cemetery to find out the truth.

Today I did just that. I called the cemetery. I wanted and expected them to tell me there had been markers placed for each of them. I was wrong. My heart sank when I was informed there have never been markers.

I asked what was required for me to have one placed for them. An information packet will be mailed to me. I also asked for copies of other information, which will be mailed to me with this packet.

I am quite saddened to know the truth, yet I am determined to rectify this.

Thanks for stopping by!

Wishing you success in all of your genealogical treasure hunts!

Copyright © 2010 By Cheryl Palmer

Comments

  1. I know how you feel. I have a couple of gg grandparents who are "tombstoneless." After all the research that has been done you feel like you really did know them and it's sad there is no marker saying "I was here. I walked the earth." I wish you luck.

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  2. Cheryl, please keep us posted on what is required to have a missing headstone placed for an ancestor. I have come across similar incidences in my own searching and I'd be curious to hear more of your adventures with this project. :o)

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  3. Cheryl, your post has jogged my inerta to get moving on rectifying the situation of my Orena, who too is stoneless.

    This seems to happen more often than I thought.

    Thanks for the post

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  4. Hi Michelle, yes I do feel sad about this. I felt sad about this kind of thing before I was ever involved in genealogy and family history. So much so, that I did buy a headstone for someone, I just couldn't stand that there wasn't one.

    Hi Karma_Fox, I have added a headstone before to a grave site, however it was at an extremely small country cemetery so I didn't need "permission." I do know I need to buy the headstone and have the company communicate with the cemetery (unless I buy them from the cemetery) about placing them. I believe I end up signing and agreeing to everything in the end. I will keep you informed.

    Hi Joan, it really is amazing how many "stoneless" burials there are. I was informed from the cemetery that there are so many more that I am unaware of, that it is more common than anyone realizes. Very sad to me.

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  5. It is very sad when no tombstone was placed. My grandmother and her sister looked for where their sister was buried and couldn't find the grave. The family couldn't afford to put a tombstone on the grave at the time of her death, there were 6 children still living.It was marked by a rock and the location to a certain tree but over the years the rock was moved and they couldn't remember which tree. Now I don't remember which cemetery she was buried, so this little girl will never have a tombstone.

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  6. I hope you may be able to place a tombstone over them if you want.
    Here in sweden ordinary people in the 19th cventury and before usually did not have any tombstones.
    And to day old ones can bee taken away after 25 years after a person is decesead if the family does not pay more for the upkeep

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  7. Hi Harriet,

    A very sad story indeed. Unfortunately time changes those elements of rocks and trees etc.

    Hi Anna-Karin S,

    I do plan to place a headstone if possible for each of them.I find it very interesting that customs change so much in different countries.I am curious if it is expensive to pay for upkeep?

    Thank you both for commenting.

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