Did you know that the Ohio History Connection (OHC) has a blog? Here are links to a two-part blog series written by OHC's Krista Horrocks - Projects Review Manager at the Ohio State Historic Preservation Office

This subject just might come under the "Who knew?" category -  or a nagging question - that begs a good answer.  So here it is.:  

Yes the Ohio History Connection (OHC) (formerly the Ohio Historical Society) has a blog.  The blog is specific to historic preservation in the State of Ohio.

When we consider historic preservation perhaps the first thoughts top of mind are the preservation of structures or perhaps battle sites, but not in this case.  

This blog is in two-parts discussing the discovery Krista Horrocks made of two grave markers that mysteriously were moved from their original gravesite locations to being on display at the Ohio History Connection! Each has their own story and Krista spotlights them individually in their own post.  

**********

The first blog post was published on February 21, 2023 entitled.:  

"Two Gravestones Out of Place: Part 1of 2 The Emma Kearnes Stone" 

*****

The second blog post was published on April 4, 2023 entitled.:

"Two Gravestones out of Place: Part 2 of 2 The Micheal Brucker Stone"

**********

Each marker has its own history separate from the other.  However, thanks to their common fate, their final destination brought them together at the OHC's Ohio Village. 

Krista Horrocks tells us the rest of their stories! Her outstanding sleuthing skills have served these markers well.  

Sharing her results as she has enables us to learn so much more about them and their history that inspires us to take the same steps if we were faced with the same situation!  

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  

Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving - 2019!

Happy Thanksgiving!

  

We do have much to be thankful for despite the setbacks that life throws at us. So it is that on Thanksgiving we devote a few moments to reflect on our country's past and the lives of the Mayflower pilgrims whose journey to America was perilous and uncertain.  Sadly, not all survived to reach its shores.  Yet, those who remained kept their courage and convictions.  Their strength sustained them to stay the course throughout the voyage and after they arrived in America.  They soon learned that they would be living on a landscape with a local culture that was vastly different than what they had left behind. It was their unwavering faith and fortitude that kept them going to adapt and even thrive.

"The rest is history"as they say, but what a glorious history and legacy these hardy pilgrims have given us.

In the spirit of sharing on a day of thanksgiving, here is a link to a "BillionGraves" Blog Post that I feel everyone can enjoy reading entitled: "Mayflower Family Gravestones."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Burial Hill Cemetery

The Town of Plymouth, Massachusetts

The Mayflower Society

Sharing an Updated Post by Amy Johnson Crow - " 5 Photos You Should Take at the Cemetery"

It is my pleasure to share a link to Amy Johnson Crow's latest blog post entitled:

"5 Photos You Should Take at the Cemetery"

Be sure to click on the orange box with the message: 

"Want to take better photos in the cemetery?  Click here for a free guide with 5 of my favorite tips." 

Tombstone Inscriptions Reveal if Your Ancestors were Quakers

So, you have visited the gravesites of some of your ancestors, and luckily for them (and you!), original and readable gravestones mark their final resting places.  

However, while paying your respects, you note something different about how the death date was inscribed -- an oddity you know you haven't seen on other gravestones.  You realize you do not see the name of the month; but rather the number of the month after the word"DIED".  For example,  you see"8th Month".  What does this mean?   

(Gravestone photos below from the Friends (Quaker) Cemetery

in North Lewisburg, Champaign County, Ohio). 

To help explain the reasons for the preference to use the number of the month rather than its name, we can turn to a well-written article in the "Quaker Calendar". 

We also need to consider the result of a larger element that over time has changed the world's dating system.  

For gaining a better understanding of these date changes, I have utilized a helpful resource provided at the website: 

"Search For Ancestors" and their page:

 "The Change from the Julian to the Gregorian Calendar."

~*~*~*~*~

Finally, I access the "Ancestor Birthday Search Calendar" to determine the date of birth; actually a calculated birth date, and I denote it as such.  

~*~*~*~*~
Thus, we can make this our first step on our longer journey to learn more about the lives of our Quaker ancestors!

How Twenty-First Century Technology Transforms "Silent" Tombstones into "Talkies"

Click on title to link to a story appearing in today's Cleveland "Plain Dealer" and offered online at "Cleveland.com" written by Mr. James Ewinger of the "Plain Dealer" newspaper.  

It is a well-written story about how the advancements in technology have reached the tombstones stage; to affix QR codes on tombstones which can be read by today's 'smartphones.'

I have added my 'two-cents worth' comment which appears after the article. 

If nothing else, reading news stories about these types of advancements reminds me that we all need to do what we can to document the lives of our relatives and loved ones whether we actually knew them or not.  

We simply cannot know at what point in history someone from a now distant future generation will search for information about them.  Being able to do that should be becoming easier, not more complicated.  

Keeping up with the advancements in technology also reminds us that the ability to 'read'  the information is also dependent upon having the appropriate device to do so.  All we have to do is consider the floppy disk, cassette tape or VHS tape, to realize how quickly outdated our technology has become in our own lifetime.  If current technology is not compatible with the source that means we can no longer view text or listen to music without some ability to convert it; which can be cost prohibitive for many of us.  

Call me old-fashioned, but I still believe not only in backing up the back ups, but making and keeping the time honored hard copy stored in as safe of a place as possible (backed up off-site of course!) is the best way to go.  One way to back up information off-site is to also share it with others so the history of our ancestors' lives is almost guaranteed not to be lost as the years march by to different drummers.