Sunday, September 11, 2011

9/11 Ten Years Later

I don't think anyone in the United States of America is not thinking about what happened a decade ago today.  A decade, I can't believe it's been that long, seems like only yesterday; when I was watching Matt Lauer on the Today Show, and he ended a interview with some breaking news.  Life changed that day not only for everyone in America, but for the world also.  Today, memorials will be dedicated to all those who lost their lives on that tragic day. More than 1100 individuals were never found, their families had nothing to bury. These memorials are the finale resting place of their loved ones, a place to be visited and for them to be remembered.  Those lives are what we need to remember, we as a world will never forget how they all perished. The families of those who died have taught us how they lived, and how they lived is so very important.  The families showed us how they were able to go on after such a tragedy.  It is hard enough to mourn a mother, father, child, husband, wife, sister, brother, uncle, aunt, cousin, or friend; but to do it with the entire world watching, gave the nation strength in knowing who they were, who they loved! That is why we Never Forgot!
On those memorials are craved the names of all those who died on that day in New York, Washington D.C. and in Pennsylvania.  Someday grandchildren, great grandchildren, great great grandchildren and even great great great grandchildren will visit the sites, and time will pass like it does on every historic event.  Today though it is still fresh in our minds; and we give honor to those who died on this day.  May you never be forgotten!

Friday, September 9, 2011

Back to Work

Wow it seems like forever since we have been out to Howard Cemetery to work.  But we are planning to work this weekend getting some stones reset.  Yeah.  I know it's not everybody's idea of fun, but we are looking forward to a peaceful weekend among the stones.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Iphone Apps for Cemeteries

Well I downloaded three iphone apps for cemeteries and gravestones, those being tombfinder, restingpot and billiongraves all are free and can be found in the app store.  Billiongraves does have a 2.99 feature to view records, but I have not paid that yet!   Now that our family crisis has passed and I have time today I will be trying these apps out, to see what kind of results I get.  When it comes to GPS their can be tons of variables, and unless you have a very expensive survey unit the location can vary greatly, but going to see how each compares.  I will keep you posted.

As for our family crisis my husband had to have surgery to release pressure on his brain from a bleed.  He came off a horse on the 7th of Aug and hurt his tailbone and back.  For a very experienced horseman it was his pride that seemed to be more hurt,  he shook it off and I slathered Tiger Balm on the aches.  He did mentioned he bumped his head, but that did not really bother my cowboy.   Well over a week and a half later he starts getting headaches and they kept increasing in pain.  Like any touch guy he took ibuprofen and kept on working, thought it was job stress.  Well he did finally tell me and I made a Doctors Appt.  well he had no neurological problems, so the Doctor thought it could be job stress or not sleeping right.  But, he ordered a CT scan just in case.  Well next day at the CT scan they admitted him to the ER and transferred him to the premiere trauma hospital in our area.  Turns out he had a bleed that had clotted, started to bleed again and had caused a mid line shift.  The doctors were amazed that he only presented with headaches and had no neurological problems; which would have been an obvious sign something was seriously wrong.  My husband could tell I was worried as I got very calm and "matter of fact" in my speech.  You can always tell when I am in a crisis as I am not a crier, I get deadly serious.  So we spent time in Methodist Hospital, him having surgery and recovering, me being calm.  It wasn't until I knew he was going to be alright and going home that I got emotional.  He was never so happy to leave a place as the food was lousy!  Which was good, as my son would have said, "Dad had been off his feed" since the 7th, so we should have known something was wrong.  Family joke as we have livestock, and them going off feed is a good sign something is wrong with an animal. 
The entire way as I drove myself to Methodist Hospital, I kept thinking, yes I love cemeteries and am having a blast restoring Howard; but I do not want to be visiting my husband in one.   I kept imagining all the other people in the ER wanting the same thing and those of us who would be granted our hopes and those who would be having to visit a cemetery.  It brought what I do front and center; as we all at some point in our lives don't get that hope and have to visit or find our final resting spot.  But not today or hopefully for a long time to come.        

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Homer Black

Homer Black was the spouse of Nora B. Smith, who has had a sketch previously on this blog.  Homer was the son of John Black 1849-1920 and Elizabeth Ellen Brumfield b.1855  They were united in marriage on 28 Dec 1871in Indiana.  Elizabeth Ellen Brumfield was the daughter of Nathan Brumfield b.1815 and Lucy Ann Hightshue b.1822 d 26 Feb 1892  Why this is interesting to the Howard Cemetery Restoration and Preservation Project is that Lucy Ann Hightshue is the Great Gr. Gr. Gr. Gr. Aunt of Ray Keith Everett, the guy who does a lot of the labor for the project.