As a genealogist I can say that alot of people don't know where their ancestors are buried. These videos are a blessing. And the humility in your voice is comforting and heart warming. Thank you.
In my home country of Liberia, we have a day specific for looking after graves and it’s called Decoration Day. Family members take flowers to decorate the graves of their loved ones after clearing the graves of any dirt or grass and if the grave needs repainting, they paint it. And if the headstone needs the writing on it written again, they do that. I think all countries should practice Decoration Day
In the U.S., it's called Memorial Day. But hardly anyone looks after graves. After the Civil War, some ladies in Columbus, Mississippi started to look after the graves of both the Union and Confederate dead. It was called "Decoration Day", which became Memorial Day. Other towns claim they started Memorial Day. I don't know the truth of it, but since you're from Liberia you must've inherited Decoration Day from the U.S. early on, after the founding of that nation.
Oh! That's what Decoration Day really is. When I was young, a long time ago, we would celebrate Decoration Day. Dad would dress us up and we would ride the trolley in Philly and go put flags on the graves of our relatives. I was about 5 or 6 and I still have old pictures of me in front of the tombstone. I have to get back to Philly as soon as lock down lifts and place some flags and flowers on my family's grave. Good reason to go back home, I miss Philly.
Thats because they're the last family member with a certain name that never married or was married and had nor kids(for example the last member of Abraham Lincoln's family died in the 70s)
I was thinking the same thing.... they're left in peace out in nature... the only thing is I wish someone would put a plaque up and maybe but some flowers down on each grave. Clean them off maybe
Most people do not give a second thought to old graves. These were people that helped build this great country of ours. We should have a moment of silence for the people that helped in giving us every thing we have today. They were Americans and we should honor them.
I love old graves. The idea anyway. When I lived in en gland us kids would go to the village cemetery to smoke cigarettes. These were downright creepy ! And somatic as I'd have to walk a mile from the bus stop in another village to get home in the dark. Sheep on one side and a vast empty field on the other with one streetlight which was right in front of the aforementioned svry place. . . . I miss it!
t e r I N E E D L E R I live in a place called Gallows Hill which has a second placename so not to put off property buyers off. After work, I walk home in the dark. Daylight hours are shorter here in winter months. I never feel daunted by the placename Gallows Hill. In fact, I didn't know my place was called that and still is. I know the other name that is sunny. I believe that if you look after your deads like Native Americans and Buddhists do in honouring them, they look after you.
As sad as it is, we will all be forgotten at some point. Slave or not, these were people who loved, lived, cried and hurt in their time. I would say, everyone watching this should say a little prayer for them.
UPDATE: DEC. 28, 2019 I went to this cemetery on Christmas Day to visit Alva's grave. I noticed a huge dead pine tree had fallen across the remains of the road leading up into the cemetery. There's another one dead, but still standing and it's only a matter of time before it goes. I was probably the first person to visit Alva's grave in at least 25 to 30 years maybe longer at or near Christmas. In fact I may have been the first one to have made the visit on Christmas Day to that cemetery in at least that long or longer. I sat for a moment next to her grave and told her she wasn't forgotten anymore nor was anyone else buried there. And while I couldn't guarantee that a cleanup and salvage operation would ever take place, I was gonna do my best to pull it off. If I go down, I'll go down having fought till the bitter end for her and everyone buried there including the veterans. I would've given everything I had to win. When I got up to leave, I looked at her picture and said Merry Christmas Alva!
@@danbruner3563 Happy New Year to you too. There's a cemetery in Memphis that has a very similar history and look, it's called Zion Cemetery. Look it up.😁
@@bubblybubbles4023 I just found a video here on youtube while doing a search for that cemetery. VERY INTERESTING! It was abandoned in the 1970's and then a cleanup began I think it said somewhere in the late 90's I believe? It's 15 acres and 11 more need to be cleared. The cemetery here is according to the tax records for the city 200' on all four sides. The graves are from the survey I've made in a concentrated area and not as scattered from one end to the other as I had thought. This will make it alot easier to focus first on the area where the graves are and clean up that part first. If anymore are on the hillside( which I haven't found ) we can find them as we work our way down.
@sickpuupy That seems like a good idea, except could you image the outcry from the family and the community; if an inmate was found to be standing on the grave of someone he killed.[Sounds like a Steven King Novel] Under those circumstances it's not out of the realm of possibilities. I do understand what you're saying, and using people in some type of correctional manner might be a good idea. A community service program perhaps, or scared straight might be workable.
@@Torontogal1973 violent offenders aren't allowed out to do things like this. It's non-violent ones. Like fraud, tax offenders, someone in possession of small amounts of drugs.
Many years ago, we would pack a lunch and go to the cemetery to clean the headstones and grave. This was an all day excursion. I was young and bored so I walked around the cemetery looking at pictures that were on the headstone, until then I didn’t know children could die.
I heard this was popular in the states until the 50s and 60s. Families would go out on memorial day have potlucks, visit their departed and living family, then everyone would pitch in and clean up the family plot. I've been told stories by my much older cousins that our family would donate time to their community (Youngstown Ohio Ukrainian community from 1910s - 1970s) at the church cemetery. They would do things like clean the graves for the generations that were older and couldn't do the work themselves or had no family to help for one reason or another, they would dig graves for the poorer (which is relative because everyone was poor) families that couldn't pay, etc. My daughters and I go out at the very least a few times a year and spend a few hours cleaning and decorating our family Graves. Hopefully this tradition will resurface for everyone once again.
Thank goodness we look after the cemeteries in the UK. 1971 and that place is in a terrible state. They will still have family that is living today. It's very sad
My time left on earth is short. I told my family to cremate me and (for all I care) flush my ashes down the toilet. It doesn't take long for family and friends to forget where their loved ones/ancestors are buried.
Mark D : i was about to type the same thing. Judging from the iris and daffodils planted around the walled section, these people left some loved ones behind.. maybe they could somehow be tracked down and contacted, and/or get a group of good Samaritans together to clean the area up?
I’m guessing this might be an African American cemetery. Miss Alva May Hawkins looked like a black woman from her picture, and when I looked her up I was able to get a better picture, and she def does look African American. African Americans and Caucasian’s usually weren’t buried in the same cemeteries, and if they were, I don’t think they got the actual tomb stones, It would have been a rock or something. Plus she passed in the ‘60s, and even then, African Americans and Caucasians had separate cemeteries. I’m still searching for more info tho. Also the way some of the tomb stones are make me think it’s an African American Cemetery as well. --------(Edit)----------- So I found more information, I did some deep digging. Miss Alva May Hawkins was an African American woman who was born in Georgia. She was a maid, with her highest level of education being 6th grade. In 1940 she lived in McCray, Muscogee, Georgia on Whitesvill Road. There were 4 other members in her household ranging from the ages of 45-17. Her mothers name was Leola Hawkins, I didn’t find any info about her father, and she had 2 sisters and 1 brother. I was able to find these old census records and find some info and I’m def looking for more.
I actually think it’s Beautiful.. Nature and Natural.. And peaceful.. like the wilderness.. we are all going to turn to dust.. And I would rather be here than in some fancy huge cemetery.. But I love Nature..
NEWS ON THIS CEMETERY: I contacted the property tax office here and found that first of all there's no listed owner only an address which is a P.O. Box number and nothing more. The lady I talked to at the property tax office couldn't confirm who owned it and she was almost certain the City didn't. So I licked a stamp and sent a letter to whoever may be on the other end of that P.O. Box informing them of who I am and what I would like to do with permission. I included all my contact info and haven't heard anything back as of yet and that was three weeks ago. On another note, during my last visit out there to sweep some of the vegetation and pine straw off the slabs of the graves, I noticed in one corner of the cemetery ( no graves located there )that surveyors had been there as a bunch of vegetation had been knocked down and I found old wood stakes with orange tape marking the entire perimeter of the cemetery. The property just outside of here is for sale so whoever owns that property probably had to do that legally to make sure that the cemetery isn't disturbed and to find out where it's boundaries are. This is really strange. Nobody can tell me who owns that cemetery. I want to make sure I cover all aspects of this and get permission IF POSSIBLE before I head out there with an army of volunteers. My next course of action may be to contact the newspaper and tv news stations to see if they'd be willing to do a story on it. Maybe then we could get some answers.
Dan Bruner hello. You need to check The closest plantation in the area check the closest three and that way you can pinpoint the Moravians some plantations did share their burial grounds so within that area check whoever was the closest within 100 miles to the plantation so that way you can narrow down who the owner is it looks like if those were slave burials of burials before they always stay close to their families so it should be possible that you can find it through that way most tax office and I specially enjoyed it with the war in the break up of slavery a lot of records have been lost but somehow I’m still stand that can help you pinpoint who is who
great Job you're doing Dan, to keep these folks memories and history alive, i'm writing this on April 7th 2020, and i hope by now some progress has been made,, i'm surprised that the local community doesn't come together and a get a bunch of people in their and clean the place up and show some respect for these folks who are resting there,, mostly the military folks !,,, pleae keep us updated
Omg wow. Soooo many spirits just watching you. Not in a sinister way...more out of curiosity. Love ur videos. Raw footage no background music...no stupid fake stunts to get views, informative, interesting and well done! Thank you for doing this video i enjoyed it. :)
This is private property and older family gone and they still have plots left to buried other family and don’t have the resources to fix them up. Or enough family that cares😞
I could be wrong, but i believe it is no longer considered private property as the military bought out huge swaths of land, including whole towns....as TimesThree suggested, try contacting DoD as they may have more information
I don't think you are right about DOD and Veterans Affairs cleaning stones. I have never seen or heard of any such service in my area. In fact, I've tried to get help from them on leaning stones and was told to contact a monument service.
I really like the comment you made anout dying twice. I have seen many videos of another channel and that person will not read the names . When I have sadly gone to a cemetery I will walk around and read names out loud . I have always felt saying the names gives proof that the person had existed , lived, had family and hopefully had friends. This is the first video of yours I have watched . Thank you .
@@daleellison6759 wow.. I bet you have had some really interesting experiences . So many people are afraid of visiting a cemetery . I have to admit I have never been in one at night. I have been interested in reading headstones since I was a little girl . I am from a small town in Louisiana , (I live in Texas ), when we would visit my grandparents me and my sister would always go to a rather big cemetery just across the street . Of course I don't remember any names and we had no family buried there. I just remember that it was very old. I know I will never return there as all my relatives are gone now . Thank you for your reply and thanks for caring about long lost people .
I do that too...I go read the names, the date of birth and death, and ponder what kind of person that was that once walked the earth, what kind of life did they live....
If you're in search of the owner of this Cemetery Land: Perhaps look for an obituary of a newer grave. If any survivors are still alive you could ask them who they arranged to have the burial with. Perhaps they can give a name of a funeral home. The funeral home maybe then lead you to who they contacted to make arrangements for burial on that property. Just a thought.
Though I agree, I hate to see any memorial site left to nature,, but I have to admit,, when I hear the birds, and natural quite,, these folks are truly resting in peace. I pray for their souls. Thanks for your efforts, very interesting.
1956rider The Bible says to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord !!! No Praying once your dead 💀 your dead ! It’s just a body !! Sure study the word!
Ashes to ashes dust to dust. It's the cycle . We return to the earth our bodies break down the enriched soil feeds the plants, the plants become homes to animals, new humans eat the animals and plants. Nothing is wasted. It all cycles . No matter how much we try to fight it or prevent it. The cycle continues.
You should notify the state historical society or the closest university's archeology department so this site can be investigated and preserved or moved. Either would have the resources to find the history of the cemetery and maybe surviving family.
Unfortunately I tried that with an old slave cemetery I found. See “The Tale Of Samantha Street” video. Nobody cared. And probably even less so with this one since burials continues to the 1980’s.
Call the local office of the NAACP. They might give advice since it seems most of the burials are of black people. (Going by what you said and also the picture on one of the more recent stones.) Once, someone cared, and whoever owns the cemetery might have some legal obligation to maintain it that they are getting away with ignoring. There are organizations that might help you make people care, or who can tell you who else to approach, if you want. Have you tried media coverage?
Local NAACP chapter was contacted about the aforementioned Samantha Street cemetery. They didn’t care. Contacted the paper that previously did an article on our explorations. They also had no interest.
Sidestep Adventures Jeez, I'm sorry. It's hard to believe that the world is as it is now. I vaguely remember when some building was being constructed in NYC a forgotten slave/black grave yard was uncovered. There was an archological dig and bones and artifacts were recovered. The building site allocated land and after it was completed everything was reinterred in this space with a big marker giving info on what was discovered, etc. Nicely landscaped, very peaceful. Maybe you could interest NatGeo or the Smithsonian, but probably their funds are committed also. Weren't there a number of Veterans there? Is there a Black Veterans association? I'll stop. It's probably a lost cause. I just hate to see history lost. 60 Minutes? Ok, I'll shut up.
it is listed in the find a grave website it has 106 graves listed even the woman's picture on the stone is listed her sister posted on the website find a grave showing picture of her 50 year old sister's grave buried there. I am sure family members who are living have relatives deceased. Yea the family members still living should go clean up the area to make it better.
Hey Love, bring a broom with you. that way, you can clean them all without cleaning with your feet. That way you don't feel like you are disrespecting the deceased. Thank you for your work.❤
They are not forgotten...they had their names spoken .By you . They still live as long as your video exists and we hear and see these hallowed grounds . So you give these folks life by doing this thank you
I agree completely! You die forever the last time someone speaks your name. He is assuring they still live by uncovering and reading their names aloud. It brings me to tears to watch him. He is doing sacred work.
Despite the overgrowth and disrepair I felt a peace about this place! Thank you for being so respectful! Really wish someone would go in an tackle a clean up! Maybe try contacting the Local VFW and see if they can offer any help or advice.
19:11 - Interesting to see the picture with the headstone... it really brings it to reality that this once was a living person with a life story. I wonder what her life was like and how she passed...
@@anonz975 Times were harder back then plus they didn't have the medicine and technology that we do today to help people with illnesses etc so people died younger.
So, so, sad ! I also love to explore cemeteries. The saddest one is in our local cemetery "Here I lie as I lived. Alone....". Old Honest George Buchanan 70 years old 1817
@@chandracox6814 Maybe now. But I'd imagine back then with the lack of what we have now to entertain ourselves, a social life would be pretty beneficial for happiness.
As a child- I was taken to the 2family cemetery that were close , where my great and great family was buried. One on the grave sites ( with 4 or 5 ) gravestone had moss on them. Long story short- I want to go back and find them, clean them off and make them proud and not forgotten. But, I’m bedridden and will never see them again. These graveyards are in Rudyard, Michigan in the UP. I love these videos but I cry, we have lost our respect for our families that came before us!
When I saw the grave that an animal had dug under to make their home - As a lover of wildlife, I thought - perfect! I'd share my space with a critter - c'mon in!
I totally agree with you. Cemeteries are for both the living and the dead. I love all cemeteries. They are so peaceful. I don't know if it's just me but even though you are in a cemetery next to a busy road somehow you can't hear the car's etc. And I love the fact that if you're in a cemetery alone you get that feeling your not alone. Wayne (From the U.K 🇬🇧)
UPDATE: 2/28/21 Shippey Cemetery is on the front page of the print edition of Columbus Ledger Enquirer and went online either Friday or yesterday on their site. It was a huge story that I thought was well written by reporters Nick Wooten and Mike Haskey. Check it out if you have a chance and thanks for all your comments. THANK YOU Robert & Cody for finding this place! There's already been 6 people that have sent me personal messages that read the story and are offering to join in the effort to clear and clean out the cemetery as well as other areas of expertise that can be contributed. It's all very urgently needed. I'm very humbled by the responses so far.
After generations, people don’t even know who they were or little about them. I actually did some research on my mothers family (couldn’t find much on my fathers side) and found out my great great grandfather was a civil war vet and served under Grant and then Sherman on his march to the sea. I’m 67 years old and never knew anything about him. I found his grave and cleaned it up. Those veterans should have a flag on their grave and someone should notify the local VFW
I took my husband several years ago where my great grandma is buried, I was shocked! Everyone who had taken care of the cemetery through the years had passed away, and it was all covered over by thorns and brush, it was sad to see😢
No offense but i think you can do what those everyone done before......i mean your turn now if that was your great grandma you have a legacy not that hard to clean your ancestors grave.
You should carry clippers for the vines and brush, and a soft brush (such as brush used with a dustpan) to clear the stones without damage. Very interesting video.
What a special place, burials as recently as 1980..whoa!!! The trees that are covering are young. I suspect that this cemetery had caretakers for a while, and after they passed away, none of the younger descendents took an interest. That was the story in my family as well. Thank you for showing this place!♥️
Looks like a well to me...picture an old school hand pump that folks could use for flowers, etc. Our local National Cemetery has them to this day. God bless the forgotten...very sad.
When I was a kid on weekends we would go to old grave yards in N/E Missouri and N/W Iowa looking up our old family graves. They were spread over 4 or 5 different counties... We had a very large past family. Each of your way back great, great,& 3X's great grandmothers had 13 to 20 kids many of thee kids died before they were 5 years old. But the ones that lived married young like 15 years old and started popping out kids they all had very large families... That's just the way it was back then because few kids lived past 12 years of age we found out going through the Cemeteries over the years... Great video thanks for sharing it... Be blessed... BBE
We did the same thing in Germany. We grew up going from graveyard to graveyard while my dad did family research. Luckily German cemetaries have playgrounds in them.
Antibiotics and a lot of vaccines weren't discovered and used till around the middle 1900s. That is the reason for the high children's mortality rates.
Robert and Cody, your videos are very informative but melancholy at the same time. Every grave encapsulated stories and their era. For myself, as a living member of my family i must constantly visit my deceased love ones so their memories continue to live on ... regards from Brunei 💕
As sad and forgotten as these graves are we must remember....graves and tombstones are for the living, a place to come and place flowers, show respect and reflect on the past. The dead are dead....ashes to ashes, dust to dust.
What a wonderful idea! Maybe a community service group could come and clean up, do some research. Heartbreaking to see all of these loved ones forgotten. Each one of these folks was someone’s loved one❤️
As a Viet Nam Veteran and watching your videos I sense your frustration with respect for those who have gone before us. I really appreciate your efforts. I got hooked on genealogy from one of my uncles and have researched my families. I've done my share of roaming cemeteries. I never knew there were so many abandoned cemeteries until I started watching your videos.
I am 59 years old now. When I was very young maybe 8 or 9 years old my fathers parents lived in a three room shack in rural North Carolina. They didn't have running water but had a well in the back yard. I remember every time we went to visit running and drawing some water from that well. It was always very cold. There was a cemetery on a hill about 50 yards away from the house. On one visit I was drinking from the cup my Grandfather had on a rope at the well when my father walked up. He said boy don't you know that water ran in that well off them dead folks up that hill. I never drank from that well again.
I love old cemeteries big time -- I loved doing genealogy since I was 12 years old, when my Cherokee/Pennsylvania Deutsch Grandfather past way in 1976 ! I love investigating old bury grounds, especially like your exploring there ! I know of all my relatives way back to Germany, England, Scottish, Ireland, Cherokee Nation Relatives from doing research since age 12. Awesome Stuff !
Thank you for posting these videos because when these cemeteries are long gone people in the future will still able to get an idea of what they looked like!!
This cemetery is in the same state of disarray as others across the country. If you contact your county recorders office, then can tell you who owns the land it's on and who managed the cemetery. You can then share your video with your board of supervisors or commissioners, civic organizations, the local VFW and other veterans organizations. That's how you go about getting the cemetery cleaned up and taken care of. In rural Oregon there was one like this, we got the local Boy Scouts to clean it up and it's a yearly project.
Thanks for putting the word out. I hope that what he says he cares, that he will take into consideration the information given. It would be great to see that someone cares enough to make a change. What it would look like after it's cleaned up, with respect for those gone on before us. I know I definitely wouldn't want my son who served, for his to look like this even after the rest of his family has passed. Thank you for your service and blessings to you
That appears to be an Old Spring head! It was probably getting the ground real wet & they needed that area for burying people so they dug it out & put concrete around it. Where the concrete slab was would’ve been to keep debris people & animals from falling in. The hole in it most likely was an old wooden box like a lot of old wells was & they had it where the hole was & fixed so you could draw water from it maybe with an old crank wheel to pull a bucket up. Then all that rotted & fell down into the spring! The dirt pile you saw was most likely where they dug this spring head up & discarded the dirt. They then made a concrete top & the wooden box to draw water from it. There could’ve been an old old church there close & they used that water also. But I’m gonna assume that the spring head kept that ground wet so they dug it out & made a way to cover it & also get water from it to utilize that ground for burial plots after getn rid of the wet ground from the spring. That’s most likely what they done in my opinion.
Our lives get so full and busy the past seams to melt away..thank you for sharing this peaceful trek through time.would love to see the graves cleared off. Hopefully somewhere there is a listing of all .
who's "they"? if its private and all the families have passed , no one can keep up with it. Judging the ground, it appears that land has flooded before (like badly flooded, that didn't go away for a while)
@@coffeehigh420 It's a TERRIBLE thing that descendents don't show the initiative to come together and maintain the grounds! How sad and cruel to be forgotten. We all make choices and it is evident that the descendants have made theirs.
Thank you for sharing this. Imagine a beautifully kept cemetery, which this one once was. But then the funding runs out, no one is left to take care of it or wants to, and it all grows over. This one is clearly beyond all hope. Countless cemeteries here in the US are also growing over and forgotten. May these souls rest in peace.
So very sad indeed. I live in the coastal area of NC and so many family farms had grave sites on their property. When all the family had died off and the farm sold the graves were forgotten and grown over by vegetation. It breaks my heart. Thank you for saying the names of the deceased.
I'm in the Foothills of NC. Many adventures have taken me up into The Appalachian Mtns looking for old homesteads. Finding an old homestead almost always results in finding forgotten family graves. Families buried family members on their property instead of church plots. It truly is sad that after a short period of time ppl are forgotten.
I grew up in coastal NC, and we had a small family graveyard too. I helped take care of it until I went to college and it got overgrown. I felt bad about that but am unable to clear it since a tornado came and knocked down a 100+ year old Oak tree whose trunk is easily 8 feet wide, so I uploaded the images to findagrave.com in case anybody still cares. www.findagrave.com/cemetery/47769/memorial-search?page=1#sr-179187294
@@amberdawn2601 hey there that was nice of you to have added them to find a grave...I have doing my family tree and I think I have some umplett in my family. Not sure if this one is one of them but I'm sure gonna look... you know where Gates county is?
I have also thought the phrase of dying twice was very sad. I really enjoyed this video. I love exploring these forgotten cemeteries and it makes me kind of happy to know at least someone visited them one more time. You can only imagine the fascinating stories their lives may have been.
Wow! That is one excellent quality video. I loved that tour!! Thanks for posting it. As sad as it seems for a graveyard to be in such disrepair (especially since it's not THAT old - the 70's are hardly ancient history), it's so peaceful and beautiful there, I can't imagine the occupants don't enjoy it. I loved that there was hardly any trash and no notable vandalism. It's a place that appears to have respect, if not upkeep. My guess is the heavy erosion makes it near-impossible for upkeep, but I seriously think it's rather elegant the way it is.
@@daleellison6759 I used to love going a local cemetery late at night and just take in the essence. It was the most peaceful experience. Maybe one day I'll haul myself out there to do that again.
What a kind and generous man you are! Thank you for visiting those folks, speaking their names and caring about what happens to them. God bless you sir. It is sad to think that some may have been washed away.
This video made me both sad and angry. ALL graveyards should be looked after no matter how old. Here in the U.K they have groups called "Friends of " then the name of the graveyard. And they look after it making sure it's tidy and in good condition. The other thing that makes me so sad is those that are forgotten. Yes sometimes it's because the family blood line is finished but most of the time it's because once they are buried that's it, no one cares. I just hope that doesn't happen with me when I'm called. Thank you for posting this video. It shows that YOU care. And that my friend is outstanding. Wayne (From the U.K 🇬🇧)
@@apachewolf1132 Hi. We have groups like this all over the U.K especially in rural areas. After looking into it I found out there isn't one in the area I live so I've set one up. Maybe you could do you same. Talk to your local padre first and go from there. I hope you do manage to set a group up, it's very self rewarding. Wayne (from the U.K. 🇬🇧)
@@waynejfoster9860 Thank you Wayne, as a matter of fact I will be discussing this matter with some members of the community and see what can be done in organizing a group that will work in helping to keep the forgotten ones memory alive. I'm glad to hear that wonderful people such as yourself take the time to honor the departed. Great to hear from you my friend.
@@apachewolf1132 That's great 😃. I hope you get a good response. Not only does it keep memories alive and make cemeteries and headstones nice and tidy for all but it's also very rewarding and gives a great sense of community spirit. It's a great shame when graves and the deceased are sometimes forgotten. You will bring each person back to life if you know what I mean. If you need any advice please get back to me and also please let me know if you get a good response from your community. Good luck and God bless you 😃. Wayne (from the U.K. 🇬🇧)
Thank you Wayne, you are an inspiration to all . Likewise, if I can be of any assistance please let me know. God bless you my friend and all your colleagues
Every time I see a tomb stone with a picture like on Alva's, makes me think things like "who is she/he as a person" or "what kind of life he/she have before he/she left the world". Its similar to my grandparents tombstone who have the same thing as hers except that they are in one tombstone. They are closest to me when I was a kid, they died when I was six years old and I don't have any idea what is happening 'cause no one explains it in my family to me that time. Now I'm in my 30s, I terribly miss them so much.
Did you ever come to a conclusion about the cemented hole? I was thinking it could be an outhouse site. The hole is elongated like outhouse sites here in kansas that i have seen, one of which is on my family's farm.
Its sad that this has been so forgotten and neglected. My grandmother use to say, a forgotten grave is such a shameful thing. I find it so sad, that some of the younger generation don't even care. Even tho its only the body that remains, the soul isnt there ! Wow what do people think death is. . No such thing as purgetory ???? its the idea of showing some respect for their life lived & Remembering ! Thanks for sharing. Alva Mae Hawkins was born the same year my mother was born, 1919 Gone but never forgotten.
Isn't there anything that can be done, or anyone you can call about these military Graves? These poor men gave their lives for our country and this is the way they have to spend eternity, well their bodies anyway. No military personnel, or anyone for that matter, should have to try to rest in peace in that way that's sad. Thank you for this video even though it broke my heart to watch. You are a very caring person it seems.
Rhonda Hanna they’re dead.. I promise they don’t care. They were taken care of and respected when they were first put in the ground, their job is done serving the country. They’re just dust and bones now.
Rhonda Hanna they’re dead.. I promise they don’t care. They were taken care of and respected when they were first put in the ground, their job is done serving the country. They’re just dust and bones now.
@@jugsbunny6910 LOL LOL, I know Juliet. It's just sad I don't like to see when people are disposed of like trash that's all. The way I looked at it was if that was my grandfather or my uncle or something I would have wanted them to be left to rest in peace respectively. That's the way I looked at it. Honestly, I'm not the only person who feels that way. But you do make a very good point I've always thought of that, when you're dead, what the hell does it matter you know LOL LOL.
That open hole was an old well, but over the years filled up with debris..so be extra careful while walking in the woods for that very reason. I see them quite often in the woods of NC
I wish you had taken a broom with you! That flat one near the beginning would have been readable with a good sweeping. I could see some letters above the birth date clearly enough to read. I'm quite experienced with headstones being an avid genealogist for 42y and have photographed thousands of headstones for Find A Grave, the California Tombstone Project and transcribed hundreds of stones in our local cemeteries. 😊. Also you could contact the LDS church about at least getting a transcription of all the names here. You or the people buried there don't have to be members.
GenKatQltr There is an old, eroded black cemetery in Calvert, Texas, that I was trying to do some ancestry research at, but I was afraid snakes might be in there. About 2 or 3 miles away is a Confederate cemetery, which is well taken care of.
@@Precious-zb7mh Well it’s a great thing that the Confederate Cemetery is taken care of. Those men are the ones who DIED to free the coloreds after all….
@Little Dorrit_Lisa Stop! Don't ever put shaving cream or any kind of chemicals on a headstone or marker! They will eat away at the stone, especially engraved/chiseled areas, and totally obliterate them much faster than time might. After all, people had to sacrifice to put these stones up and the stones should be left alone out of respect and decency. Another thing is that it is a felony to do anything destructive, disrespectful, or that will alter a stone's composition or even its appearance if it might be permanent or change what was on it originally. Some people have gotten into trouble for using chalk on them, making chalk drawings, or scraping away at moss or mold. Removing the last 2 things will weaken the stone's surface, may even take entire bits and pieces out of it.
No, you really should not be rubbing anything on a marble headstone. You are destroying it by doing so. The best way to read them is to clean them ever so gently with a soft brush, then photograph them with a digital camera. When you get home, flip the exposure. The writing usually pops right up when you swap black/white.
There is an update to this video: th-cam.com/video/wM8fPINfv0o/w-d-xo.html
Kyle Wheeler I appreciate that. I love how people can misconstrue every action you take.
@Trini4th are you really acting like that when your channel is what it is??
@@smokeydaze4331 I have no disrespectful /offensive content..so explain your point?
Hi sidestep why don't you bring a rake and some gloves so you can clear the stones better.
If I were buried I would like someone to clear my grave off.
As a genealogist I can say that alot of people don't know where their ancestors are buried. These videos are a blessing. And the humility in your voice is comforting and heart warming. Thank you.
Wow. I'm 7th generation Canadian. My family has history
I was just thinking that as well..
are we family?!
@@thepenitentcop1033 dont know.
Yea good job boys.
In my home country of Liberia, we have a day specific for looking after graves and it’s called Decoration Day. Family members take flowers to decorate the graves of their loved ones after clearing the graves of any dirt or grass and if the grave needs repainting, they paint it. And if the headstone needs the writing on it written again, they do that. I think all countries should practice Decoration Day
Same in my country Philippines, November 1.
In the U.S., it's called Memorial Day. But hardly anyone looks after graves. After the Civil War, some ladies in Columbus, Mississippi started to look after the graves of both the Union and Confederate dead. It was called "Decoration Day", which became Memorial Day.
Other towns claim they started Memorial Day. I don't know the truth of it, but since you're from Liberia you must've inherited Decoration Day from the U.S. early on, after the founding of that nation.
That's a good idea.
I'm mexico we have the Day if the dead! Similar to yoursa
Oh! That's what Decoration Day really is. When I was young, a long time ago, we would celebrate Decoration Day. Dad would dress us up and we would ride the trolley in Philly and go put flags on the graves of our relatives. I was about 5 or 6 and I still have old pictures of me in front of the tombstone. I have to get back to Philly as soon as lock down lifts and place some flags and flowers on my family's grave. Good reason to go back home, I miss Philly.
The saddest death is when the last person who remembers you, passes away themselves...
real life begin in death and it lasts for eternity.
@@Pro-Deo death is scary but the most scary thing is not knowing how you die.
Thats because they're the last family member with a certain name that never married or was married and had nor kids(for example the last member of Abraham Lincoln's family died in the 70s)
@@Pro-Deo
Nah, it doesnt
Once you're off, it's done for good.existence is over.
@@granny2677 You're nuts!
These people are not forgotten they hold their name in heaven for eternity. ❤
So sweet of you mam to say something like this✨✨✨God bless you🕊🕊🕊
Bob
You
True ♥️🕊
It is something nice to say but is it true ?
How do you know all of them went to heaven?? Some of them could have been bad in this life lol
To be honest, i could only wish be be buried in a cemetery like that. To me it looks peaceful..Nothing more peaceful than the woods.
I understand that so much. It’s not creepy to me at all.
Absolutely
I was thinking the same thing.... they're left in peace out in nature... the only thing is I wish someone would put a plaque up and maybe but some flowers down on each grave. Clean them off maybe
Totally Agree !!!
Yes I love the look of the place. God is looking after them now and yes nature's wonderful resting place. 👍💛
Most people do not give a second thought to old graves. These were people that helped build this great country of ours. We should have a moment of silence for the people that helped in giving us every thing we have today. They were Americans and we should honor them.
I love old graves. The idea anyway. When I lived in en gland us kids would go to the village cemetery to smoke cigarettes. These were downright creepy ! And somatic as I'd have to walk a mile from the bus stop in another village to get home in the dark. Sheep on one side and a vast empty field on the other with one streetlight which was right in front of the aforementioned svry place. . . . I miss it!
I think they were honored when buried. I love attention being brought to cemeteries like these.
t e r I N E E D L E R I live in a place called Gallows Hill which has a second placename so not to put off property buyers off. After work, I walk home in the dark. Daylight hours are shorter here in winter months. I never feel daunted by the placename Gallows Hill. In fact, I didn't know my place was called that and still is. I know the other name that is sunny.
I believe that if you look after your deads like Native Americans and Buddhists do in honouring them, they look after you.
I`m not american, but agree with you. In all countries buried people once gave their best to provide good things for us.
"North" Americans
As sad as it is, we will all be forgotten at some point. Slave or not, these were people who loved, lived, cried and hurt in their time. I would say, everyone watching this should say a little prayer for them.
UPDATE: DEC. 28, 2019
I went to this cemetery on Christmas Day to visit Alva's grave. I noticed a huge dead pine tree had fallen across the remains of the road leading up into the cemetery. There's another one dead, but still standing and it's only a matter of time before it goes. I was probably the first person to visit Alva's grave in at least 25 to 30 years maybe longer at or near Christmas. In fact I may have been the first one to have made the visit on Christmas Day to that cemetery in at least that long or longer. I sat for a moment next to her grave and told her she wasn't forgotten anymore nor was anyone else buried there. And while I couldn't guarantee that a cleanup and salvage operation would ever take place, I was gonna do my best to pull it off. If I go down, I'll go down having fought till the bitter end for her and everyone buried there including the veterans. I would've given everything I had to win. When I got up to leave, I looked at her picture and said Merry Christmas Alva!
The cemetery looks familiar is that in Memphis?
Good morning Bubbly Bubbles,
Happy New Year! This cemetery is in Columbus, Georgia.
@@danbruner3563 Happy New Year to you too. There's a cemetery in Memphis that has a very similar history and look, it's called Zion Cemetery. Look it up.😁
@@bubblybubbles4023
I just found a video here on youtube while doing a search for that cemetery. VERY INTERESTING! It was abandoned in the 1970's and then a cleanup began I think it said somewhere in the late 90's I believe? It's 15 acres and 11 more need to be cleared. The cemetery here is according to the tax records for the city 200' on all four sides. The graves are from the survey I've made in a concentrated area and not as scattered from one end to the other as I had thought. This will make it alot easier to focus first on the area where the graves are and clean up that part first. If anymore are on the hillside( which I haven't found ) we can find them as we work our way down.
You are blessed! If you didn't already have a guardian angel, you certainly have one now!
Wouldn't it be nice if a group went out there and cleaned it up to make it look like a Cemetary again...😌👍💓
Michele Austin I don't feel it's sad personally. It's nature taking back and creating new life.
I'd actually be willing to travel to this Cemetery and help clean it up.
@sickpuupy That seems like a good idea, except could you image the outcry from the family and the community; if an inmate was found to be standing on the grave of someone he killed.[Sounds like a Steven King Novel] Under those circumstances it's not out of the realm of possibilities. I do understand what you're saying, and using people in some type of correctional manner might be a good idea. A community service program perhaps, or scared straight might be workable.
@@Torontogal1973 violent offenders aren't allowed out to do things like this. It's non-violent ones. Like fraud, tax offenders, someone in possession of small amounts of drugs.
Nancy Pelosi - Lets make cemeteries great again.
In Scotland we have picnics at the graves... we always tidy up and say "Thank you"
Many years ago, we would pack a lunch and go to the cemetery to clean the headstones and grave. This was an all day excursion. I was young and bored so I walked around the cemetery looking at pictures that were on the headstone, until then I didn’t know children could die.
Both of those are great.
Lynn where in Scotland are you from
Hispanic cultures do the same on All Souls' Day.
I heard this was popular in the states until the 50s and 60s. Families would go out on memorial day have potlucks, visit their departed and living family, then everyone would pitch in and clean up the family plot. I've been told stories by my much older cousins that our family would donate time to their community (Youngstown Ohio Ukrainian community from 1910s - 1970s) at the church cemetery. They would do things like clean the graves for the generations that were older and couldn't do the work themselves or had no family to help for one reason or another, they would dig graves for the poorer (which is relative because everyone was poor) families that couldn't pay, etc. My daughters and I go out at the very least a few times a year and spend a few hours cleaning and decorating our family Graves. Hopefully this tradition will resurface for everyone once again.
Thank goodness we look after the cemeteries in the UK. 1971 and that place is in a terrible state. They will still have family that is living today. It's very sad
Nice watching this video here. Hello Susan how are you doing with your family I hope you’re safe from the crazy covid?
This is what my life has come to, watching sad cemetery videos in my spare time.
Be glad you are alive to watch it. (Lol)
😂😂😂😂
My time left on earth is short. I told my family to cremate me and (for all I care) flush my ashes down the toilet. It doesn't take long for family and friends to forget where their loved ones/ancestors are buried.
"To Speak their name is to live again."
VERY SAD TO SEE THESE GRAVES ALMOST FORGOTTEN ABOUT 🐆💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙
I like what said
😔😔😔♥️♥️
What a shame. It would be nice if someone could clear the brush out. WW2 vets should have a better place to rest in peace.
I agree. It's very disrespectful. But I guess in the time to come everyone will be forgotten.
I’ll be honest I’d love to be buried there. It’s peaceful and with nature in the woods.
Mark D I agree what a shame ... dam government should look after those who fought for their country shame on them.
Mark D : i was about to type the same thing. Judging from the iris and daffodils planted around the walled section, these people left some loved ones behind.. maybe they could somehow be tracked down and contacted, and/or get a group of good Samaritans together to clean the area up?
I was thinking that cleaning this place up would be a great civics project for a school or the scouts.
Sad to see the cemetery is eroding away and no one cares about it anymore.Well done for covering this.
I’m guessing this might be an African American cemetery. Miss Alva May Hawkins looked like a black woman from her picture, and when I looked her up I was able to get a better picture, and she def does look African American. African Americans and Caucasian’s usually weren’t buried in the same cemeteries, and if they were, I don’t think they got the actual tomb stones, It would have been a rock or something. Plus she passed in the ‘60s, and even then, African Americans and Caucasians had separate cemeteries. I’m still searching for more info tho. Also the way some of the tomb stones are make me think it’s an African American Cemetery as well.
--------(Edit)-----------
So I found more information, I did some deep digging. Miss Alva May Hawkins was an African American woman who was born in Georgia. She was a maid, with her highest level of education being 6th grade. In 1940 she lived in McCray, Muscogee, Georgia on Whitesvill Road. There were 4 other members in her household ranging from the ages of 45-17. Her mothers name was Leola Hawkins, I didn’t find any info about her father, and she had 2 sisters and 1 brother. I was able to find these old census records and find some info and I’m def looking for more.
bonita nzinga , I would just like to commend you for your research.
Thank you
Excellent research!
That's near me
Great work
Wow. Thanks for the research
I actually think it’s Beautiful.. Nature and Natural.. And peaceful.. like the wilderness.. we are all going to turn to dust.. And I would rather be here than in some fancy huge cemetery.. But I love Nature..
Several people have made similar comments.... I never really looked at it that way, as peaceful and going back to nature. Great viewpoint.
I agree.
I love it too going back to nature and then hearing this guy walking around with the sounds of male Cardinal's spring songs to me is heaven .
I'd rather be here too it's so peaceful
I agree.
You probably made them happy acknowledging them. Just sad it is so overgrown
Pauline Reeves exactly! We adventurist never forget!
They are sleeping. Cant tell anything
Yup
The dead know nothing
Jane Doe they know more about what’s out there than we do
NEWS ON THIS CEMETERY:
I contacted the property tax office here and found that first of all there's no listed owner only an address which is a P.O. Box number and nothing more. The lady I talked to at the property tax office couldn't confirm who owned it and she was almost certain the City didn't. So I licked a stamp and sent a letter to whoever may be on the other end of that P.O. Box informing them of who I am and what I would like to do with permission. I included all my contact info and haven't heard anything back as of yet and that was three weeks ago. On another note, during my last visit out there to sweep some of the vegetation and pine straw off the slabs of the graves, I noticed in one corner of the cemetery ( no graves located there )that surveyors had been there as a bunch of vegetation had been knocked down and I found old wood stakes with orange tape marking the entire perimeter of the cemetery. The property just outside of here is for sale so whoever owns that property probably had to do that legally to make sure that the cemetery isn't disturbed and to find out where it's boundaries are.
This is really strange. Nobody can tell me who owns that cemetery. I want to make sure I cover all aspects of this and get permission IF POSSIBLE before I head out there with an army of volunteers.
My next course of action may be to contact the newspaper and tv news stations to see if they'd be willing to do a story on it. Maybe then we could get some answers.
Dan Bruner hello. You need to check The closest plantation in the area check the closest three and that way you can pinpoint the Moravians some plantations did share their burial grounds so within that area check whoever was the closest within 100 miles to the plantation so that way you can narrow down who the owner is it looks like if those were slave burials of burials before they always stay close to their families so it should be possible that you can find it through that way most tax office and I specially enjoyed it with the war in the break up of slavery a lot of records have been lost but somehow I’m still stand that can help you pinpoint who is who
great Job you're doing Dan, to keep these folks memories and history alive, i'm writing this on April 7th 2020, and i hope by now some progress has been made,, i'm surprised that the local community doesn't come together and a get a bunch of people in their and clean the place up and show some respect for these folks who are resting there,, mostly the military folks !,,, pleae keep us updated
Did you ever get a response from your letter?
Try local funeral homes.. there must be a paper trail...
Dan Bruner My guess would be to look up churches that were nearby in that timeframe. Someone has to hold title to that land.
Omg wow. Soooo many spirits just watching you. Not in a sinister way...more out of curiosity. Love ur videos. Raw footage no background music...no stupid fake stunts to get views, informative, interesting and well done! Thank you for doing this video i enjoyed it. :)
I agree Amy, excellent video presented respectfully.
Agree too💐
When you find a military grave contact the DOD or Veterans affairs they come and clean it up take pictures and notify next of kin.
This is private property and older family gone and they still have plots left to buried other family and don’t have the resources to fix them up. Or enough family that cares😞
That's good info to know.
I could be wrong, but i believe it is no longer considered private property as the military bought out huge swaths of land, including whole towns....as TimesThree suggested, try contacting DoD as they may have more information
I don't think you are right about DOD and Veterans Affairs cleaning stones. I have never seen or heard of any such service in my area. In fact, I've tried to get help from them on leaning stones and was told to contact a monument service.
CL C we got our Ancient Family Cemetery proclaimed a National Monument. They should look into doing that.
I really like the comment you made anout dying twice. I have seen many videos of another channel and that person will not read the names . When I have sadly gone to a cemetery I will walk around and read names out loud . I have always felt saying the names gives proof that the person had existed , lived, had family and hopefully had friends.
This is the first video of yours I have watched . Thank you .
That's weird.. I thought I was the only one who did that. I agree. I feel like it's a way to keep their memory going.
@@daleellison6759 wow.. I bet you have had some really interesting experiences . So many people are afraid of visiting a cemetery . I have to admit I have never been in one at night. I have been interested in reading headstones since I was a little girl . I am from a small town in Louisiana , (I live in Texas ), when we would visit my grandparents me and my sister would always go to a rather big cemetery just across the street . Of course I don't remember any names and we had no family buried there. I just remember that it was very old. I know I will never return there as all my relatives are gone now . Thank you for your reply and thanks for caring about long lost people .
Dale Ellison ❤️
kdl28 ❤️
I do that too...I go read the names, the date of birth and death, and ponder what kind of person that was that once walked the earth, what kind of life did they live....
If you're in search of the owner of this Cemetery Land: Perhaps look for an obituary of a newer grave. If any survivors are still alive you could ask them who they arranged to have the burial with.
Perhaps they can give a name of a funeral home. The funeral home maybe then lead you to who they contacted to make arrangements for burial on that property. Just a thought.
This video is so inspirational. It made me reflect on some things like loneliness, life, people and how short life is ... 😭💜
Though I agree, I hate to see any memorial site left to nature,, but I have to admit,, when I hear the birds, and natural quite,, these folks are truly resting in peace. I pray for their souls. Thanks for your efforts, very interesting.
Absolutely
1956rider The Bible says to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord !!! No Praying once your dead 💀 your dead ! It’s just a body !! Sure study the word!
Ashes to ashes dust to dust. It's the cycle . We return to the earth our bodies break down the enriched soil feeds the plants, the plants become homes to animals, new humans eat the animals and plants. Nothing is wasted. It all cycles . No matter how much we try to fight it or prevent it. The cycle continues.
I say leave them alone. Its the natural cycle of things - no one is there anyway, just bones and headstones.
@@amandakurtz7732 , This is very true Amanda, I always loved that verse!
You should notify the state historical society or the closest university's archeology department so this site can be investigated and preserved or moved. Either would have the resources to find the history of the cemetery and maybe surviving family.
Unfortunately I tried that with an old slave cemetery I found. See “The Tale Of Samantha Street” video.
Nobody cared.
And probably even less so with this one since burials continues to the 1980’s.
Call the local office of the NAACP. They might give advice since it seems most of the burials are of black people. (Going by what you said and also the picture on one of the more recent stones.) Once, someone cared, and whoever owns the cemetery might have some legal obligation to maintain it that they are getting away with ignoring. There are organizations that might help you make people care, or who can tell you who else to approach, if you want. Have you tried media coverage?
Local NAACP chapter was contacted about the aforementioned Samantha Street cemetery. They didn’t care. Contacted the paper that previously did an article on our explorations. They also had no interest.
Sidestep Adventures Jeez, I'm sorry. It's hard to believe that the world is as it is now. I vaguely remember when some building was being constructed in NYC a forgotten slave/black grave yard was uncovered. There was an archological dig and bones and artifacts were recovered. The building site allocated land and after it was completed everything was reinterred in this space with a big marker giving info on what was discovered, etc. Nicely landscaped, very peaceful. Maybe you could interest NatGeo or the Smithsonian, but probably their funds are committed also. Weren't there a number of Veterans there? Is there a Black Veterans association? I'll stop. It's probably a lost cause. I just hate to see history lost. 60 Minutes? Ok, I'll shut up.
it is listed in the find a grave website it has 106 graves listed even the woman's picture on the stone is listed her sister posted on the website find a grave showing picture of her 50 year old sister's grave buried there. I am sure family members who are living have relatives deceased. Yea the family members still living should go clean up the area to make it better.
Hey Love, bring a broom with you. that way, you can clean them all without cleaning with your feet. That way you don't feel like you are disrespecting the deceased. Thank you for your work.❤
They are not forgotten...they had their names spoken .By you .
They still live as long as your video exists and we hear and see these hallowed grounds .
So you give these folks life by doing this thank you
I agree completely! You die forever the last time someone speaks your name. He is assuring they still live by uncovering and reading their names aloud. It brings me to tears to watch him. He is doing sacred work.
You spoke their name, so you saved them for dying the second time !
nigga pleaseee
btw i am nigga descent
"Don't cry for me dear when I'm gone, rejoice that I was here." ~plr~
Love the tombstones with pictures on them. Puts a face with the name.
The name of the cemetery is "Shippy Cemetery" in Double Churches, Muscogee County, Georgia
Despite the overgrowth and disrepair I felt a peace about this place! Thank you for being so respectful! Really wish someone would go in an tackle a clean up! Maybe try contacting the Local VFW and see if they can offer any help or advice.
19:11 - Interesting to see the picture with the headstone... it really brings it to reality that this once was a living person with a life story. I wonder what her life was like and how she passed...
It sure does!
I was surprised they all died so young. Not as kids but young adults.
She was beautiful.
I know so interesting and sad at the same time. She was beautiful and young too.
@@anonz975 Times were harder back then plus they didn't have the medicine and technology that we do today to help people with illnesses etc so people died younger.
It may be forgotten , but mother nature will never forget them. she will care for them
There is nothing more peaceful than a grave yard. The singing of the birds adds a very nice touch. Nice presentation guys! Keep up the good work.💯👋
Yeah, I don't see anything "creepy" about this cemetery at all. It seems peaceful and beautiful out there.
I agree. The only thing I thought was creepy was the open hole. It also made a good title.
Maybe it's the inside of what was an outhouse? haha
So, so, sad ! I also love to explore cemeteries. The saddest one is in our local cemetery "Here I lie as I lived. Alone....". Old Honest George Buchanan 70 years old 1817
Wow
💔
There's nothing sad about living alone.
What state is that located in? I’m in Missouri and we have some interesting cemeteries.
@@chandracox6814 Maybe now. But I'd imagine back then with the lack of what we have now to entertain ourselves, a social life would be pretty beneficial for happiness.
Thank you for the video it's such a shame about the forgotten graves I do think it's a beautiful place to be laid to rest though. Love from the UK.
As a child- I was taken to the 2family cemetery that were close , where my great and great family was buried. One on the grave sites ( with 4 or 5 ) gravestone had moss on them. Long story short- I want to go back and find them, clean them off and make them proud and not forgotten. But, I’m bedridden and will never see them again.
These graveyards are in Rudyard, Michigan in the UP.
I love these videos but I cry, we have lost our respect for our families that came before us!
I'd rather be there in the woods than in some crowded Cemetery with people always walking around me
Thomas Ward Me too! It’s so quiet.
When I saw the grave that an animal had dug under to make their home - As a lover of wildlife, I thought - perfect! I'd share my space with a critter - c'mon in!
Unfortunately with cemeteries like this people who remember them have also passed. Cemeteries are for the living in many ways.
In all ways ... the dead have no more needs
I totally agree with you. Cemeteries are for both the living and the dead. I love all cemeteries. They are so peaceful. I don't know if it's just me but even though you are in a cemetery next to a busy road somehow you can't hear the car's etc. And I love the fact that if you're in a cemetery alone you get that feeling your not alone. Wayne (From the U.K 🇬🇧)
Indeed. At least with cremation the remains can be 'passed on' generation after generation.
YES , U R correct . Our bodies are a vessel - merely a ‘ meat suit ‘ that house our valuable / precious spirit . Cemeteries ARE only for the living .
This gonna be us one day
I don't see how it's so sad to be forgotten. Life is for the living. And if there's no one left to grieve you then there is no more sorrow.
UPDATE: 2/28/21
Shippey Cemetery is on the front page of the print edition of Columbus Ledger Enquirer and went online either Friday or yesterday on their site. It was a huge story that I thought was well written by reporters Nick Wooten and Mike Haskey. Check it out if you have a chance and thanks for all your comments. THANK YOU Robert & Cody for finding this place! There's already been 6 people that have sent me personal messages that read the story and are offering to join in the effort to clear and clean out the cemetery as well as other areas of expertise that can be contributed. It's all very urgently needed. I'm very humbled by the responses so far.
Thank u for sharing this historic cemetery with us 🙂
This is absolutely heartbreaking to see. It's a shame this cemetery has fallen into such disrepair. So many died so young too.
After generations, people don’t even know who they were or little about them. I actually did some research on my mothers family (couldn’t find much on my fathers side) and found out my great great grandfather was a civil war vet and served under Grant and then Sherman on his march to the sea. I’m 67 years old and never knew anything about him. I found his grave and cleaned it up. Those veterans should have a flag on their grave and someone should notify the local VFW
You’re always so respectful and kind.
I took my husband several years ago where my great grandma is buried, I was shocked! Everyone who had taken care of the cemetery through the years had passed away, and it was all covered over by thorns and brush, it was sad to see😢
That is usually what happens. And families move away.
Get movin’
No offense but i think you can do what those everyone done before......i mean your turn now if that was your great grandma you have a legacy not that hard to clean your ancestors grave.
You should carry clippers for the vines and brush, and a soft brush (such as brush used with a dustpan) to clear the stones without damage. Very interesting video.
What a special place, burials as recently as 1980..whoa!!! The trees that are covering are young. I suspect that this cemetery had caretakers for a while, and after they passed away, none of the younger descendents took an interest. That was the story in my family as well. Thank you for showing this place!♥️
Robert, I watch and rewatch your videos. Your voice is peaceful and calming and you're so respectful of all of our ancestors. Thanks, again.
How sad. To have been buried just in the 80s and forgotten.😔😢
There are very few young people who ever will visit a cemetery now days.
You sir, are a very kind respectful human, your voice and demeanor show you are a good person, thank you 🙏✅👍🥇
What a tragedy! All of these forgotten loved ones, I'm glad you gave respect for the ones you came across.
Great share, so sad as to the state of the graves, but it seems sorta peaceful.
Looks like a well to me...picture an old school hand pump that folks could use for flowers, etc. Our local National Cemetery has them to this day. God bless the forgotten...very sad.
When I was a kid on weekends we would go to old grave yards in N/E Missouri and N/W Iowa looking up our old family graves. They were spread over 4 or 5 different counties... We had a very large past family. Each of your way back great, great,& 3X's great grandmothers had 13 to 20 kids many of thee kids died before they were 5 years old. But the ones that lived married young like 15 years old and started popping out kids they all had very large families... That's just the way it was back then because few kids lived past 12 years of age we found out going through the Cemeteries over the years...
Great video thanks for sharing it... Be blessed... BBE
I did the same thing growing up, we would go to the old family cemeteries and old family houses, usually abandoned.
We did the same thing in Germany. We grew up going from graveyard to graveyard while my dad did family research. Luckily German cemetaries have playgrounds in them.
Antibiotics and a lot of vaccines weren't discovered and used till around the middle 1900s. That is the reason for the high children's mortality rates.
How many kids did you end up having, Bobby?
Robert and Cody, your videos are very informative but melancholy at the same time. Every grave encapsulated stories and their era. For myself, as a living member of my family i must constantly visit my deceased love ones so their memories continue to live on ... regards from Brunei 💕
As sad and forgotten as these graves are we must remember....graves and tombstones are for the living, a place to come and place flowers, show respect and reflect on the past. The dead are dead....ashes to ashes, dust to dust.
Amazing.. Very interesting to watch.. look them up on Ancestry!! I found Miss Alva Mae Hawkins information on Ancestry!!
If you can try to find one of her relatives.
What a wonderful idea! Maybe a community service group could come and clean up, do some research. Heartbreaking to see all of these loved ones forgotten. Each one of these folks was someone’s loved one❤️
Wat did u find
@@swtsuthrnblle Most people are forgotten after, at most, 2-3 generations. People move, families break up, etc. It's to be expected.
What's good
THE DEAD CAN'T HURT YOU BUT,THE LIVING CAN
It's not the deceased who bother me, it's the living.
Exactly
No the dead cant hurt you, but they may make you hurt yourself...lol
Even though its overgrown and forgotten, it’s so peaceful. 💐
As a Viet Nam Veteran and watching your videos I sense your frustration with respect for those who have gone before us. I really appreciate your efforts. I got hooked on genealogy from one of my uncles and have researched my families. I've done my share of roaming cemeteries. I never knew there were so many abandoned cemeteries until I started watching your videos.
I am 59 years old now. When I was very young maybe 8 or 9 years old my fathers parents lived in a three room shack in rural North Carolina. They didn't have running water but had a well in the back yard. I remember every time we went to visit running and drawing some water from that well. It was always very cold. There was a cemetery on a hill about 50 yards away from the house. On one visit I was drinking from the cup my Grandfather had on a rope at the well when my father walked up. He said boy don't you know that water ran in that well off them dead folks up that hill. I never drank from that well again.
William NEWTON LOL I’d honestly freak out
Toe 🤭🤭
There is an abandoned quarry filled with water near where my family is burried. I went swimming there as a young folk never did me no harm
That was very Cruel thing 2 say
@@znayJ people weren't pc back then
I love old cemeteries big time -- I loved doing genealogy since I was 12 years old, when my Cherokee/Pennsylvania Deutsch Grandfather past way in 1976 ! I love investigating old bury grounds, especially like your exploring there ! I know of all my relatives way back to Germany, England, Scottish, Ireland, Cherokee Nation Relatives from doing research since age 12. Awesome Stuff !
Can you give me tips on this? I have been looking around to find out my history without having to fork out money.
MY GRANDPARENTS HAVE THIER PHOTOS IN CERAMIC AND GLASS GLAZING, STILL THERE AND CLEAR SINCE 1958GRANFATHER/1968MOM
Thank you for posting these videos because when these cemeteries are long gone people in the future will still able to get an idea of what they looked like!!
This cemetery is in the same state of disarray as others across the country. If you contact your county recorders office, then can tell you who owns the land it's on and who managed the cemetery. You can then share your video with your board of supervisors or commissioners, civic organizations, the local VFW and other veterans organizations. That's how you go about getting the cemetery cleaned up and taken care of. In rural Oregon there was one like this, we got the local Boy Scouts to clean it up and it's a yearly project.
That shows how much the military cares for their deads. It's not inviting for the ones left behind to visit the grave of a loved one either.
Thanks for putting the word out. I hope that what he says he cares, that he will take into consideration the information given. It would be great to see that someone cares enough to make a change. What it would look like after it's cleaned up, with respect for those gone on before us. I know I definitely wouldn't want my son who served, for his to look like this even after the rest of his family has passed. Thank you for your service and blessings to you
Dwight Lilly
I’d get local jail inmates to volunteer to maintain it in exchange for early release.
that wouldn;t happen to be near the southern Oregon coast would it?
That appears to be an Old Spring head! It was probably getting the ground real wet & they needed that area for burying people so they dug it out & put concrete around it. Where the concrete slab was would’ve been to keep debris people & animals from falling in. The hole in it most likely was an old wooden box like a lot of old wells was & they had it where the hole was & fixed so you could draw water from it maybe with an old crank wheel to pull a bucket up. Then all that rotted & fell down into the spring! The dirt pile you saw was most likely where they dug this spring head up & discarded the dirt. They then made a concrete top & the wooden box to draw water from it. There could’ve been an old old church there close & they used that water also. But I’m gonna assume that the spring head kept that ground wet so they dug it out & made a way to cover it & also get water from it to utilize that ground for burial plots after getn rid of the wet ground from the spring. That’s most likely what they done in my opinion.
You should carry a backpack with you with a little broom, clippers and other things to help to clear and clean the graves.
Our lives get so full and busy the past seams to melt away..thank you for sharing this peaceful trek through time.would love to see the graves cleared off. Hopefully somewhere there is a listing of all .
unbelievable how they spend billions to preserve the parks, etc., but cant take care of a military grave site... just wow
oh snap@Snap Johnson
who's "they"? if its private and all the families have passed , no one can keep up with it. Judging the ground, it appears that land has flooded before (like badly flooded, that didn't go away for a while)
whats with the anger issues ?@@shaquadradeloiserussell8659
A lot of these cemeteries are not government owned.
@@coffeehigh420 It's a TERRIBLE thing that descendents don't show the initiative to come together and maintain the grounds! How sad and cruel to be forgotten. We all make choices and it is evident that the descendants have made theirs.
Thank you for sharing this. Imagine a beautifully kept cemetery, which this one once was. But then the funding runs out, no one is left to take care of it or wants to, and it all grows over. This one is clearly beyond all hope. Countless cemeteries here in the US are also growing over and forgotten. May these souls rest in peace.
I love what y’all do. And I agree, photos help to make those that are buried and forgotten. Thank y’all for sharing💜
Thank you for being so respectful to these forgotten graves.
So very sad indeed. I live in the coastal area of NC and so many family farms had grave sites on their property. When all the family had died off and the farm sold the graves were forgotten and grown over by vegetation. It breaks my heart. Thank you for saying the names of the deceased.
Where in the coastal area of NC are you, JJDOGFATHER?
I'm in the Foothills of NC. Many adventures have taken me up into The Appalachian Mtns looking for old homesteads. Finding an old homestead almost always results in finding forgotten family graves. Families buried family members on their property instead of church plots. It truly is sad that after a short period of time ppl are forgotten.
I grew up in coastal NC, and we had a small family graveyard too. I helped take care of it until I went to college and it got overgrown. I felt bad about that but am unable to clear it since a tornado came and knocked down a 100+ year old Oak tree whose trunk is easily 8 feet wide, so I uploaded the images to findagrave.com in case anybody still cares. www.findagrave.com/cemetery/47769/memorial-search?page=1#sr-179187294
@@amberdawn2601 hey there that was nice of you to have added them to find a grave...I have doing my family tree and I think I have some umplett in my family. Not sure if this one is one of them but I'm sure gonna look... you know where Gates county is?
@@paddicakes963 Why is being forgotten sad? I find it comforting to know that ...
You should be blessed for the kindness you’re showing to complete strangers who seem to have been forgotten. 🙏
Thank you.
I have also thought the phrase of dying twice was very sad. I really enjoyed this video. I love exploring these forgotten cemeteries and it makes me kind of happy to know at least someone visited them one more time. You can only imagine the fascinating stories their lives may have been.
God Bless you all for taking the time to help bring awareness to the different loved ones of others who are buried at this cemetery. Just subscribed.
Wow! That is one excellent quality video. I loved that tour!! Thanks for posting it. As sad as it seems for a graveyard to be in such disrepair (especially since it's not THAT old - the 70's are hardly ancient history), it's so peaceful and beautiful there, I can't imagine the occupants don't enjoy it. I loved that there was hardly any trash and no notable vandalism. It's a place that appears to have respect, if not upkeep. My guess is the heavy erosion makes it near-impossible for upkeep, but I seriously think it's rather elegant the way it is.
My girlfriend's 19 year old daughter calls the 90's the "old days"
I also thought the cemetery is beautiful as it is.
I so agree.
@@daleellison6759 I used to love going a local cemetery late at night and just take in the essence. It was the most peaceful experience. Maybe one day I'll haul myself out there to do that again.
What a kind and generous man you are! Thank you for visiting those folks, speaking their names and caring about what happens to them. God bless you sir. It is sad to think that some may have been washed away.
This would be a perfect project for an Eagle Scout! Just a suggestion!
Thank you very much
Thank you so much for your carefulness and concern for these once beloved people.
Remembrance of past lives is a solemn act of compassion and respect for human life.
I love how nature bring back life to this cemeterys. In germany you can be buried in woods called "Friedwald", no tombstones, just peacefull woods.
This video made me both sad and angry. ALL graveyards should be looked after no matter how old. Here in the U.K they have groups called "Friends of " then the name of the graveyard. And they look after it making sure it's tidy and in good condition. The other thing that makes me so sad is those that are forgotten. Yes sometimes it's because the family blood line is finished but most of the time it's because once they are buried that's it, no one cares. I just hope that doesn't happen with me when I'm called. Thank you for posting this video. It shows that YOU care. And that my friend is outstanding. Wayne (From the U.K 🇬🇧)
We really need this also. It's wonderful that some group care for the forgotten.
@@apachewolf1132 Hi. We have groups like this all over the U.K especially in rural areas. After looking into it I found out there isn't one in the area I live so I've set one up. Maybe you could do you same. Talk to your local padre first and go from there. I hope you do manage to set a group up, it's very self rewarding. Wayne (from the U.K. 🇬🇧)
@@waynejfoster9860 Thank you Wayne, as a matter of fact I will be discussing this matter with some members of the community and see what can be done in organizing a group that will work in helping to keep the forgotten ones memory alive. I'm glad to hear that wonderful people such as yourself take the time to honor the departed. Great to hear from you my friend.
@@apachewolf1132 That's great 😃. I hope you get a good response. Not only does it keep memories alive and make cemeteries and headstones nice and tidy for all but it's also very rewarding and gives a great sense of community spirit. It's a great shame when graves and the deceased are sometimes forgotten. You will bring each person back to life if you know what I mean. If you need any advice please get back to me and also please let me know if you get a good response from your community. Good luck and God bless you 😃. Wayne (from the U.K. 🇬🇧)
Thank you Wayne, you are an inspiration to all . Likewise, if I can be of any assistance please let me know. God bless you my friend and all your colleagues
thank you for this. as long as someone talks about them the people here will never be forgotten
Every time I see a tomb stone with a picture like on Alva's, makes me think things like "who is she/he as a person" or "what kind of life he/she have before he/she left the world".
Its similar to my grandparents tombstone who have the same thing as hers except that they are in one tombstone. They are closest to me when I was a kid, they died when I was six years old and I don't have any idea what is happening 'cause no one explains it in my family to me that time. Now I'm in my 30s, I terribly miss them so much.
Did you ever come to a conclusion about the cemented hole? I was thinking it could be an outhouse site. The hole is elongated like outhouse sites here in kansas that i have seen, one of which is on my family's farm.
Its sad that this has been so forgotten and neglected. My grandmother use to say, a forgotten grave is such a shameful thing. I find it so sad, that some of the younger generation don't even care. Even tho its only the body that remains, the soul isnt there ! Wow what do people think death is. . No such thing as purgetory ???? its the idea of showing some respect for their life lived & Remembering ! Thanks for sharing. Alva Mae Hawkins was born the same year my mother was born, 1919 Gone but never forgotten.
Take your meds. Purgatory? Rotflmfao.
Isn't there anything that can be done, or anyone you can call about these military Graves? These poor men gave their lives for our country and this is the way they have to spend eternity, well their bodies anyway. No military personnel, or anyone for that matter, should have to try to rest in peace in that way that's sad. Thank you for this video even though it broke my heart to watch. You are a very caring person it seems.
Rhonda Hanna they’re dead.. I promise they don’t care. They were taken care of and respected when they were first put in the ground, their job is done serving the country. They’re just dust and bones now.
Rhonda Hanna they’re dead.. I promise they don’t care. They were taken care of and respected when they were first put in the ground, their job is done serving the country. They’re just dust and bones now.
@@jugsbunny6910 LOL LOL, I know Juliet. It's just sad I don't like to see when people are disposed of like trash that's all. The way I looked at it was if that was my grandfather or my uncle or something I would have wanted them to be left to rest in peace respectively. That's the way I looked at it. Honestly, I'm not the only person who feels that way. But you do make a very good point I've always thought of that, when you're dead, what the hell does it matter you know LOL LOL.
That open hole was an old well, but over the years filled up with debris..so be extra careful while walking in the woods for that very reason.
I see them quite often in the woods of NC
That sound good Nancy, how are you doing with your family I hope you’re safe from the virus?
Bless you for what you do. You really care and respect the dead. God bless you and your crew.
Thank you for this video❤️❤️❤️not to many people remember the dead god bless 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏you for remembering the forgotten
I wish you had taken a broom with you! That flat one near the beginning would have been readable with a good sweeping. I could see some letters above the birth date clearly enough to read. I'm quite experienced with headstones being an avid genealogist for 42y and have photographed thousands of headstones for Find A Grave, the California Tombstone Project and transcribed hundreds of stones in our local cemeteries. 😊. Also you could contact the LDS church about at least getting a transcription of all the names here. You or the people buried there don't have to be members.
GenKatQltr There is an old, eroded black cemetery in Calvert, Texas, that I was trying to do some ancestry research at, but I was afraid snakes might be in there. About 2 or 3 miles away is a Confederate cemetery, which is well taken care of.
@@Precious-zb7mh Well it’s a great thing that the Confederate Cemetery is taken care of. Those men are the ones who DIED to free the coloreds after all….
I soooo thank you for sharing ALLLLLLLLLLL THESE LOVELY SOULS TO US ......SO SAD BUT THANKFUL I WAS ABLE TO SEE THEM
Thank you for showing this. I know of graves here in South Dakota that have been marked; forgotten and those that have been plowed over. So very sad.
It's amazing how quickly nature reclaims everything.
Rub Flour on the headstone. You will be able to read every word and it washes right off in the next rain. Research it, it works.
@Little Dorrit_Lisa Thanks for that tip, but will the shaving cream kill the surrounding vegitation?
@Little Dorrit_Lisa Stop! Don't ever put shaving cream or any kind of chemicals on a headstone or marker! They will eat away at the stone, especially engraved/chiseled areas, and totally obliterate them much faster than time might. After all, people had to sacrifice to put these stones up and the stones should be left alone out of respect and decency. Another thing is that it is a felony to do anything destructive, disrespectful, or that will alter a stone's composition or even its appearance if it might be permanent or change what was on it originally. Some people have gotten into trouble for using chalk on them, making chalk drawings, or scraping away at moss or mold. Removing the last 2 things will weaken the stone's surface, may even take entire bits and pieces out of it.
No, you really should not be rubbing anything on a marble headstone. You are destroying it by doing so. The best way to read them is to clean them ever so gently with a soft brush, then photograph them with a digital camera. When you get home, flip the exposure. The writing usually pops right up when you swap black/white.
It’s so beautiful in GA. Woods birds singing. Respect you so much😊🙏