Update to Wreaths Across America

I finally recieved the photos that were taken when I participated in Wreaths Across America on December 13th at the San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery in Gustine, California.

I am the Rabbit with the blue coat!

Wreaths Across America

REMEMBER the fallen

HONOR those who serve

TEACH our children the value of Freedom

This is the motto of Wreaths Across America, a nationwide project, started by one man who simply wanted to show his remembrance for fallen soldiers.

The Wreaths Across America story began over 15 years ago when Worcester Wreath Company (a for-profit commercial business from Harrington, Maine) began a tradition of placing wreaths on the headstones of our Nation's fallen heroes at Arlington National Cemetery during the holidays.

Humbled with a new understanding about the impact the Arlington Wreath Project has made, not only in honoring the dead, but recognizing the sacrifices of the living, Morrill Worcester - President of Worcester Wreath Company committed himself to doing more, by reaching out across the country.

On Saturday, December 13th, along with members of El Toyon Chapter NSDAR, I went to the San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery in Gustine, California to attend the wreath laying ceremony. It was a very moving experience. We laid wreaths on the graves of my step-father Lyle Dean Hartley, a past regent of El Toyon Chapter NSDAR Esther Bonta and the husband of a chapter member Milton Farley.

A little about San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery - In 1989, the Romero Ranch Company donated land to the Department of Veterans Affairs for the creation of a National Cemetery. The first phase developed 105 acres of the land, and was completed in May 1992, giving enough space for the interment of over 20,000 remains.
There is a small military museum on site, which has exhibits of uniforms, medals, and other memorabilia. The California Korean War Veterans Memorial, erected in 1998. It consists of 16 five foot tall granite monoliths arranged in a circle. Engraved on each monolith is the name of the 2,495 veterans from California who died during the Korean War. The 11th Airborne Memorial is a granite and bronze monument that was dedicated on May 11, 2002, in honor of all airborne soldiers. The sculptor was William Porteus, a member of the 511th unit.

(Photo of Arlington National Cemetery by James Varhegyi)

Engraving After The Fact

My post yesterday about my 3rd great grandfather, Daniel Derondo Delaney, got me to thinking.

I would like to have the date of death etched into the headstone for Daniel. It sounds like a simple thing to have done, right? But sometimes my mind can come up with all kinds of "what ifs" and "but what ifs". Such as:

Would I have to prove that Daniel is my 3rd great grandfather to who ever is in charge?

Would I need permission to commission this? If so, then from who?

Would I need to be there in person to make sure the job gets done?

I am guessing that this isn't the type of thing you call around and get estimates for. How do I select someone to do the job and must it be a headstone shop or can anyone who owns a dremel do the job?

The owner of the plot at the cemetery was Earnest Francis Sheern who was my 2nd great grandfather. He died in 1939. So who owns the plot now? Do I need their permission?

Oh all those questions, had me thinking of more :

The plot has 4 graves on it that I know of, I was told that the plot holds up to 8 graves. The plot was paid for in 1911. When I die, could I be buried there? Would they make me re-buy the plot? How does this stuff work?

Just some things that made me go hhmmm. Time to go find some answers.

Yoo-Hoo! Are You In There Daniel?

This headstone is located in Mount Olivet Catholic Cemetery just outside Moline, Elk County, Kansas. I have spent 5 years trying to confirm if my 3rd great grandfather, Daniel Derondo Delaney, is buried with his wife Ellen Collins. The headstone does not have the date of death on it. In the last week or so I have received an abundance of information and my answer is : I'm not sure either of them are buried here!


An obituary for Ellen Delaney in 1901 said that she was buried at the catholic cemetery in Boston. In 1904 when Daniel died, his obit did not state where he was to be buried. I posted to a message board inquiring about the location of Boston Cemetery and was told that it wasn't called that anymore. It is now Mount Olivet Cemetery. About 5 years ago, I made a request to RAOGK (Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness) for a photo of the Delaney's headstone and a wonderful volunteer took the time to not only take the photo above but explain to me that Boston Cemetery and Mount Olivet were not the same cemetery. He said that for some reason the cemetery closed at Boston and that the majority of the burials in Boston were removed to Mount Olivet but he did not know when this happened.


I finally get someone at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Moline to check into the burials for me. I had asked if the church were indeed the caretakers for the cemetery and if they had burial records. I also asked why the cemetery at Boston closed and why the need to move the remains.


I received part of the answers to my questions. I was told that:


1. Yes, according to church records, Daniel and Ellen Collins are buried at Mount Olivet.

2. No, they do not know why Daniel's date of death is not on the stone.

3. The graves were moved from Boston Cemetery to Mount Olivet in 1961

4. No, they do not know why the cemetery at Boston closed and why the graves were re-located.

BIG BONUS INFORMATION = total confusion:

The reply also told me that the Delaney stone was located in Section 7, Lot 61 and in the same place are the graves of Ray Sheern (died 1907), Helen Sheern (died 1900) and Ann Sheern (died 1892) . The lot was purchased by E.F. Sheern in 1911.

Ann Sheern is my 2nd great grandmother and E. F. Sheern is her son my great grandfather. Ray and Helen Sheern are children of E. F. Sheern. E. F. Sheern married Jenny Delaney who is the daughter of Daniel and Ellen. Are you with me still?

Now with all this information here is my confusion:

E. F. Sheern buys the plot in 1911 in Mount Olivet but his mother and children and his in-laws the Delaneys died before that.

Let's assume that everyone was buried originally at Boston Cemetery. The church says that the graves were moved in 1961. Why would E. F. Sheern buy a plot that remains empty until 1961. E.F. Sheern died in 1939 and is not buried there.

Why was Daniel's death information never etched on his stone? His sons and daughter all had money enough to have it done?

Were the remains really removed from Boston Cemetery? Maybe just the headstones were moved?
By the way, Boston cemetery still has graves and markers.

Time to put on my rabbit ears and fasten my seat belt. It could be a bumpy ride on the way to finding the answers

A Mason in our Midst?

Pleasant Hill, Cass County, Missouri is where the Skillman branch of my family lived from about 1850 to around 1900. My 3rd great grandparents are buried in the Pleasant Hill Cemetery. Josias Payne Skillman and his wife Lavenia Thomas Wilson were both born in Bourbon County, Kentucky and they both died in Pleasant Hill.

Lavenia is the granddaughter of Richard Thomas (my 5th great grandfather) and grand niece of General Philemon Thomas (Richard's brother) whom you've seen mentioned before on this blog and over at The Educated Genealogist.





Joseph Payne Skillman is the son of Christopher Skillman and Henrietta Payne. He made a living as a ferryman. Pleasant Hill is situated at the confluence of the Kansas and Missouri Rivers.

(Josias Skillman is the handsome man on the right with the spectacles)

The most surprising thing is that I have had these photos of their headstones for well over a year and never noticed the icon engraved on Josias' stone. I believe that the icon is masonic in nature. In all of my research, nothing I have come across would have led me to thinking that he belonged to a masonic society. Oh happy day! Josias isn't a brick wall, but I never knew to much about him. This discovery has opened a new avenue of research for me.

Of course this is before my becoming The Educated Graveyard Rabbit. Not much gets by this Rabbit now!

General Philemon Thomas - Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Over on my other blog, The Educated Genealogist, I had written a couple of posts about my 5th great grandfather Richard Thomas here and here.

In this blog, I will introduce you to his younger brother General Philemon Thomas. Philemon was born 2 February 1763 in Orange County, North Carolina to Richard Thomas and Frances Hawkins.

Served in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War (most notably the Battle of Guilford), the the United States Army during the War of 1812 and commanded the forces that captured the Spanish fort at Baton Rouge in 1810. Later in life, Thomas served in both the Kentucky State and Louisiana State legislatures and was twice elected to the U.S. Congress representing Louisiana's 2nd District in the United States House of Representatives, serving from 1831 to 1835.

Philemon died 18 November 1847 and was first buried at the Old Baton Rouge Post Cemetery of the Arsenal Grounds. In 1886, the US Army Corps of engineers removed a levee and he was re-interred in the National Cemetery at Baton Rouge.

The inscription on his stone reads:

TO THE MEMORY OF GEN'L. PHILEMON THOMAS
WHO WAS BORN IN ORANGE COUNTY, VA.
FEBY. 9TH, 1763
AND DIED
IN BATON ROUGE, LA.
NOV. 18TH 1847
THIS TABLET ERECTED BY HIS CHILDREN
HE WAS A SOLDIER OF '76' AND OF '14', A MEMBER
OF THE CONVENTION THAT FRAMED THE CONSTITUTION
OF KENTUCKY AND A MEMBER OF HER LEGISLATURE

HE REMOVED TO LOUISIANA IN 1806
COMMANDED THE FORCES WHICH CAPTURED THE
SPANISH FORT AT BATON ROUGE IN 1810. SERVED
MANY YEARS IN THE LEGISLATURE OF LOUISIANA.
AND WAS TWICE ELECTED TO THE CONGRESS OF THE
U.S. THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER, HE WAS CALLED
A PATRIOT AND A GOOD CITIZEN - WE KNOW HIM
TO BE A KIND FATHER AND A FIRM CHRISTIAN.
"SIC TIBI IN TERRA LEVIS"

Of course, being the curious kind of Rabbit I am, I looked up the Latin. It translates pretty close to "May the earth rest lightly on you".

Caterpillar Man

Here in Stockton, California we actually have a famous person buried in the Rural Cemetery. Even his tomb-house is pretty elaborate compared to the rest in the cemetery. While I was at the cemetery I took this picture on impulse, not knowing at the time I would become a Graveyard Rabbit. I am glad I kept it because now I have something to blog about this week!

Benjamin Holt - Can any of you guess what he is famous for? Well here’s a hint - He invented the Caterpillar Tractor.

Benjamin Holt was born in New Hampshire on New Year's Day in 1849. He was the fourth son of William Knox and Harriet A. Holt. Benjamin's older brothers were Charles, William Harrison and Ames Frank. The Holt family operated a saw mill in New Hampshire and processed hardwoods for wheel and wagon construction.
At the age of 20, Benjamin went to work at his father's lumber factory. Three years later, he received an interest in the business. His three older brothers left New Hampshire years before in the 1860s and set up a similar business in San Francisco. Their company, called C.H. Holt and Co., produced wooden wheels and later metal wheels for streetcars. Benjamin shipped hardwoods from New Hampshire to his brothers, who took the wood to dry in the arid climate in Stockton.

In 1883, the Holt brothers formed a new company, the Stockton Wheel Co. Recognized as the “mechanical and entrepreneurial genius of the family,” Benjamin moved out west in 1883 to manage the new business. The Stockton Wheel Co. factory cost $65,000 to construct It consisted of a three-story brick building and a one-story wood frame building. It employed 25 men.

Sinking into the mud was a common problem on farmland surrounding Stockton where Holt made his residence. Caterpillar tracks allowed practical cultivation on an industrial scale on the rich farmland. Holt's tractors had a conventional wheel on the front which was used to steer and caterpillar-type wheels on the back, and looked very similar to traction engines. Holt patented the caterpillar track on December 7 1907, having first invented it on November 24 1904.

Benjamin Holt died 5 December 1920 and was buried at Stockton Rural Cemetery. In honor of Benjamin, we have a street and a school here in Stockton named after him.

The Real Definition of a Volunteer

About 10 miles south of my home in Stockton is a little town called Manteca. The East Union Cemetery in Manteca is in a pickle. It's a complicated story, but here are the simple facts:

It seems that the cemetery had been operating for about two years without a valid license or a licensed manager as required by California State Law. The East Union Cemetery is privately owned and run by a board of directors. Delinquent loans and tax problems occurred under an earlier board, which had not met for at least two years and failed to hire a licensed cemetery manager, among other issues. The problems came to a head in late June after an administrative law judge ruled the California Department of Consumer Affairs Cemetery and Funeral Bureau could revoke the East Union Cemetery Association's license to operate.

Up to that point, the cemetery's plight was not known to the general community. Once it became public, a new, larger board was formed in a last-ditch effort to save the historic cemetery. In an effort to pay off loans and back taxes, this new board used money from the principal of the cemetery's Endowment Fund. Because they used the money for purposes other than what the Endowment Fund is legally intended for, The Bureau was left with no choice but to seize the account so that the Endowment Fund would be protected and not depleted further.

California law requires all private cemeteries licensed by the Bureau to establish, maintain and operate an Endowment Care Fund in a trust account. Every time the cemetery sells a "plot" - a burial space in the ground, a crypt space in a mausoleum, or a niche space for cremated remains - the cemetery collects an endowment care amount from the purchaser. All monies collected for endowment care must be placed in the trust account. The initial amount collected from the purchaser is what is referred to as "principal" and can never be utilized. Over time and through investments, the trust account continues to grow and generate interest income, and the interest income is what is available to use for the on-going maintenance of the cemetery into perpetuity.

The biggest dilemma by far is how and who would be responsible in burying the dead? For even though the state has revoked the cemetery association's business license and froze all of its funds, there was still the matter of the pre-paid burial plots. A legal provision allowed the association to hold the burials of individuals who have purchased their plots. But with the caretakers gone, who was going to dig the graves and take care of all the other tasks involved?

Enter a group of volunteers extraordinaire:
A retired law enforcement officer - Bill Good.A retired Bank of America president - Leon Sucht.A Sheriff's Team of Active Retired Seniors (STARS) volunteer - Victor Gulley.The director of the Manteca Historical Society and Museum - Evelyn Prouty.

Their new calling: grave diggers at Manteca's historic East Union Cemetery. Good, who took over as president of the reorganized cemetery association, learned by himself how to operate the cemetery's back hoe that is used to dig the graves. The rest of the work is done with shovels. That brawn part of the work is handled by Sucht, Gully and Prouty. They also had to learn by themselves how to operate the $18,000 equipment whose name none of them could tell but to which they have given descriptive name as "the casket-lowering thingy-jiggy".

For those who wish to make donations to help the cemetery, they can do so by sending checks to the Friends of the East Union Cemetery. Funds given to this organization do not go to the state but are strictly used to help the cemetery. An account has been opened at Delta National Bank in Manteca where people can go to make contributions. Donations can also be sent to: Friends of the East Union Cemetery, P.O. Box 591, Manteca, CA 95336.
For more information on how to help Friends of the East Union Cemetery or how to become a member, call (209) 823-8533.

An aside: In 2003, Travis Haroldson of Boy Scout Troop 438 catalogued the cemetery for his Eagle Scout Project. You can find the entire cemetery transcribed here.

Fabulous Find-A-Grave

Becky over at Grace and Glory recently blogged about discovering a website called Find-A-Grave . I thought everyone knew about this exceptionally useful website. According to my profile member page at Find -A-Grave, I have been a member for 2 years and 10 months.

Find- A- Grave, founded by Jim Tipton, is an online database of seventeen million cemetery and burial records. With millions of names and photos, it is an invaluable tool for the genealogist and family history buff.

How much does it cost to become a member and use Find A Grave? Nothing. Find A Grave is completely FREE! They do not charge anything for any of their services. You can become a member, create a memorial, submit data, add flowers, add photos and search the database at no charge.

My Observations on Cemeteries in North Carolina

We come to the end of the cemeteries I visited while in North Carolina in 2005. I went to 3 different counties - Cleveland, Gaston and Lincoln - in search of my ancestors. It was a very strange experience for me. The first difference I noted was that the cemeteries in North Carolina are not regulated to a few acres outside of town. Just about everywhere you find a church, there is a cemetery right next to it. Cemeteries are located right next to the Bi-Lo Grocery stores and the Waffle Houses. Everywhere you look, you'll see cemeteries. I have to tell you that it really creeped me out when I first arrived.

Most cemeteries in California are located on the outskirts of town. My feeling is that it was done this way because having to look at a cemetery all the time is bad for business and new housing developments. "Out of sight, out of mind". It is too sad to have to look at a cemetery everyday. West Coast people only want "Happy Thoughts". Yes they deal with death, but they deal with it as quickly as possible and then try to forget about it. My father died in 1988. He is buried in Fresno, about 3 hours from where I live. I am ashamed to tell you that I have not been to visit his grave since the day we buried him.



I was very nervous about just driving right up to a headstone, get out of the car, take pictures - like I was a tourist on vacation. Where I come from, you just don't go walking around in a cemetery. Not unless you have been double-dog- dared on a cold and windy night by a bunch of juvenile delinquents. Or so I am told.



Unlike most West-Coasters, the East Coasters like to keep their dear ones close to them. Even if they've been dead for over 150 years. I notice that the people in North Carolina have a way different attitude towards death than most people I know in California. Death isn't a scary thing to them. The graves I saw in these 3 counties were all well cared for. Most had fresh flowers. It didn't seem to matter if the person had died 1 day ago or 100,000 days ago. Visiting kin at the cemetery is something you do.



After spending a couple of weeks in these counties I got over the creepiness by telling myself , "Self - you are a professional and you are here doing your job. Remember that job you love so much?" Slowly, without my even noticing right away, I was pulling a weed or two, bringing flowers with me in case I found an ancestor that day and felt myself connecting with these people who basically gave me life.

Each one that I shared with you was a pioneer in the tri-county area - John Teeter Beam and his son John Beam, Peter Hoyle and his son Michael Hoyle, Sebastian Bess and All arriving around 1740-1760 and there are descendants of all these men still living on the same land to this very day!

Beaverdam Historical Cemetery - Gaston County, North Carolina

This historical cemetery is located about 6 miles outside of Cherryville, Gaston County, North Carolina

The pictures I took when I was there in 2005 came out horrible. It was late afternoon and the lighting was nonexistent. I would like to thank Mr. Richard Jordan who is a volunteer photographer at http://www.findagrave.com/ who went out to the cemetery for me and took the photos for me.

This is the entrance of Whitesides Road. You drive up this gravel path and the cemetery is on the left.





A group of descendants put up the brick wall around the stones.

The tombstones of my 6th great grandparents John and Mary (Hoyle) Beam.

John is the son of John Teeter Beam. The inscription on his stone reads:

In memory of John Beam, who died October 24, 1822, aged 52 years. "O yea whose cheeks the tears of pity stain; Draw near with reverence and attend; Here lies the husband's dear remains; The tender father and the generous friend."

Mary Hoyle Beam is the daughter of Michael Hoyle and Margaret Dellinger. I was only able to make out her name, birth - 1768 and date of death - 17 January 1847.

All You Need To Know In One Easy Headstone

About 3-4 miles outside of Dallas, Gaston County, North Carolina is one of those very small private family cemeteries. You know the kind - when folks used to bury their loved ones in the backyard next to the zucchini. This is where I found the final resting place of my 7th great grandparents Michael Hoyle and Margaret Dellinger. Michael, who was born 12 January 1738, is the son of Peter and Catherine Hoyle. Michael died 12 March 1793. Margaret, who was born 6 January 1750, is the daughter of Johann Philip Dellinger and Anna Maria Brandstatter. Margaret died 25 May 1827.

They share a single, large marble slab as a headstone. The inscription was really tough to make out as it was mostly eroded away, but this is what my eyes saw:

In memory of

Michael Hoyle died March 12, 1792, aged 62 years

Margaret Hoyle died May 25, 1827, aged 82 years

" Children, dear, as you pass by, Pray on these lines do cast an eye.

As you ware young, so once ware we; Prepare for death and eternity."

The stone must be in worse condition than when I was there in 2005 because now there is this stone that was erected by some descendants. This pretty much tells you all you need to know about this cemetery!

Boston Bess - Lincoln County, North Carolina

My 5th great grandparents are Boston Bess and Polly Carpenter. Their final resting place is Zion Methodist Church Cemetery located about 6 miles west of Lincolnton, Lincoln County, North Carolina.

Boston was born in Lincoln County in 1785, the son of Peter Bess and Christina Whittenburg. Peter's father Sebastian Bess was a pioneer of Lincoln County. Sebastian was granted a patent in 1754 for 300 acres of land in what is now Lincoln County.

Boston's headstone tells us that he was born 30 November 1785 and died 20 October 1869 at the age of 83 years, 10 months and 20 days

Located right next to Boston's stone is that of his wife Polly Carpenter Bess.

This stone is only 15 years older than the one for Boston, yet it is practically unreadable. The elements have all but erased the precious information recorded on it.

I was able to make out her name, that she died 11 April 1850 and was 58 years old.

Polly is the daughter of Peter "Hairy" Carpenter and Susanna Cox.

A quick bit of personal historical information that I am proud of - Susanna Cox's mother is Margaret Morris. Margaret's brother is Robert Morris, a financier of the American Revolution.

Peter Bess - Lincoln County, North Carolina

Bess Chapel United Methodist Church Cemetery is located about 5 miles outside of Cherryville, Lincoln County, North Carolina. When I traveled to North Carolina in 2005, I took these photos of the headstone of Peter Bess and his wife Sarah Beam Bess. They are my 4th great grandparents. Inscribed on one side is: Peter Bess February 22, 1820 - November 18, 1899 on the opposite side is: Sarah Bess August 27, 1823 - September 26, 1915. Of the two remaining sides, I was not able to read one as the elements had eroded it badly. But the other had inscribed a sorrowful little poem - "Our Father and Mother - HOW LONELY WE SLEEP IN THE CLAY, SINCE DEATH HAS CALLED US AWAY".

I was told that Peter Bess had donated the land for the cemetery to the church. There are suppose to be slaves buried in the stand of trees located at the back of the cemetery. This area is not cleaned off and I did not look in the over growth for the graves.

Peter Hoyle - Cleveland County, North Carolina

Right outside the town of Lawndale in Cleveland County, North Carolina you will find Kadesh United Methodist Church Cemetery.



This cemetery is the home to a monument placed to honor my 8th great grandparents Peter Hoyle and his wife Catherine Dales.



The monument was originally located at the Hoyle Homestead just outside of Dallas, Gaston County, North Carolina. The Hoyle House was built between 1750-1758 by Peter Hoyle and his sons and features rare corner post construction. It is the only known remaining structure in North Carolina with this type of construction and is listed on the National Historical Register.


For those who live in the area, the Gaston County Museum has a new exhibit - "The Hoyle House" which runs until October 25th. Better hurry!



If only all my ancestors left behind this kind of information.....the thrill of the hunt wouldn't be there, would it?

John Teeter Beam - Cleveland County, North Carolina

The New Prospect Baptist Church Cemetery is located near Shelby, Cleveland County, North Carolina. It is here that you will find not just a headstone, but more a monument that was erected for my 7th great grandfather John Teeter Beam.

I made a trip to North Carolina back in 2005 and visited with quite a few of my ancestors at their final resting places. I had never before been to visit an ancestor. The feeling I got from each and every one I went to was special. I told each of them thank you.

It still is mind-boggling to me that it took all of my ancestors - hundreds of them - all being in the right place at the right time for me to exist.

The inscription reads:

"SON OF MICHAEL BAUM (BEAM) AND WIFE, SARAH RUDOLPH. BORN IN HAMBURG, GERMANY. STUDIED THE WEAVER'S TRADE IN GENEVA, SWITZERLAND WHERE HE WAS MARRIED TO REBECCA RANYOLDS IN 1764. LANDED IN CHARLESTON, S.C. IN NOVEMBER 1767 WITH HIS WIFE AND TWO CHILDREN, JOHN AND DAVID. SETTLED ON BEAVER DAM CREEK THEN KNOWN AS MECKLENBURG COUNTY, NOW GASTON WHERE HE RESIDED UNTIL 1794, WHEN HE PURCHASED AND REMOVED TO THIS SITE. HIS WIFE DIED IN 1779 LEAVING HIM SIX CHILDREN. HE WAS MARRIED TO MISS ELIZABETH RUDOLPH IN LINCOLN COUNTY IN 1781, WHO DIED IN 1844, TO WHICH UNION NINE CHILDREN WERE BORN. IN 1801 HE BUILT ON THIS SITE A HOUSE OF WORSHIP FOR HIS OWN DENOMINATION, LUTHERAN, WHICH CHURCH HE ALWAYS OPENED TO ALL OTHER DENOMINATIONS. HE WAS AN ELDER IN SAID LUTHERAN CHURCH AT THE TIME OF HIS DEATH.

IN A PIONEER LIFE OF 75 YEARS HE MET EVERY EXPECTATION OF A MAN"

What is a Graveyard Rabbit?

The brainchild of Terry Thornton, The Association of Graveyard Rabbits is a group of individuals who are interested in promoting the historical importance of cemeteries, grave markers, and the family history to be learned from a study of burial customs, burying grounds, and tombstones. As a group we pledge to promote the study of cemeteries, promote the preservation of cemeteries, and promote the transcription of genealogical/historical information written in cemeteries.

While most of the Graveyard Rabbit websites you come across are specific to certain geographical locations, The Educated Graveyard Rabbit will take you to cemeteries located across the United States.