5th Visit, October 11, 1999, Page 1

 We returned on Monday and in just over an hour we had the rest of the area cleared. Another beautiful day. Maybe there is something to what Judy says about the ancestors smiling on us. Judy, Tim, Miranda, and Collin looked at the rest of the headstones and tried to read them. Some of the inscriptions are worn almost completely off. We found 52 headstones and there are probably many more covered with dirt and grass. Judy is going to send the information to Ernie Miles who maintains a website that includes Tioga County cemetery inscriptions.  After we had left Bill arrived with a large load of top soil. He and Kathy unloaded and spread it in the area of William and Elizabeth's headstone and at the entrance where there was a big hole. We all went to Tim's house for pizza.

After we completed the mowing this is what the cemetery looked like. 

Check out that sky. Certainly someone is smiling on us.


Standing in the back corner looking forward gives an idea of the size and terrible condition of the cemetery.

More of the same. Headstones tipped over and depressions in the ground.


    There must be other people who have ancestors here. Some of the surnames seem to be quite prevalent in the area. Cornell (Cornell Hollow?),  Walker (Walker Road?), Whittemore (Whittemore Hill Road?). Other headstones are just interesting to read. The headstone of Polly Worrick reads she was born in 1777 and died in 1867. In the back corner is a very small stone that reads "First child born on Whittemore Hill".   Maybe we can inspire decendants of  the various surnames to help take care of the cemetery. It would be ideal if over the next year or so we could reset all of the headstones, fill all the low areas and keep it mowed. However, I think that is more than one family can handle on a voluntary basis. Even a family as big as this one.
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