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Date:         Wed, 21 May 2003 22:02:19 -0700
Reply-To:     wilden1@JUNO.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Stan Wilder <wilden1@JUNO.COM>
Subject:      Memorial Day
Comments: To: ellisjames@yahoo.com
Comments: cc: vintagebus@type2.com, awilde@kexp.org,
          wetwesties@yahoogroups.com, opinions@arizonarepublic.com
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Over the years of camping in my Westy I often found myself in small towns or just intentionally took the road less traveled because I liked to drive at 50 mph. I often visited local small town grave yards just out of curiosity. You can learn a lot in grave yards. You'll discover who founded the town, his long string of heirs and extended family. You'll discover who held the power for many generations by the size and placement of their memorial stones. You'll be able to tell who still has family in the area by the tiny hedges and neatly trimmed grass surrounding their final place of rest. I found many stones stating "Buried In France", Lost in Action "Sipan". Often all of the War Casualties are buried in a grouping ............... it will have an impact on you when you find these. It isn't uncommon to find civil war stones that were donated by the VFW, American Legion, Womens Axillary, Eastern Star or Masonic groups to replace wood or soft stones that eroded with the years. Throughout cemeteries you'll find victims of the 1934 Flu Epidemic, Smallpox epidemics and other natural and unnatural disasters. I've never been one that takes rubbings from grave stones but many are quite historic in preparing a family tree. Some of the most poignant stones were produced in the mid 30s through 40s. They have small porcelain pictures of the persons buried there. It is a chilling episode to see those pictures, still brilliant in color after so many years. I don't know if it is common practice in other areas of the country but I sometimes see grave stones with the persons name, birth / death dates and an epitaph followed by the words "a Negro". You can learn a lot in small town graveyards, just depends what you're open to learning.

Stan Wilder

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