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From: <>
Subject: Re: Mark My Grave...
Date: Thu, 2 Oct 1997 14:22:26 -0400 (EDT)

I've seen two cemeteries in southern Illinois that were not recognized in the
usual way, but the locals knew about them. One in Massac County close to the
Ohio was at the back of a farm and supposedly a slave cemetery. I couldn't
tell at first where it was, then I noticed a pattern in the patches of purple
iris that grow in that area. I thought it was where an old farm house had
been, then when I looked at each clump of irises, there was a round river
stone usually toward one side of the clump and the others were placed in such
a fashion that rows of graves could be imagined. When I looked closer, there
were small river stones as in a circle around each grave. I had to scrape
some soil off to find how they were laid out as most were buried with time.
It's amazing what you can find if you give it a little thought.

The other cemetery was back on an island in the tiny river behind our
property in Illinois. I had always heard there were Indian graves there and
when I looked, there was just the faintest indentions and differences in
grasses that made up patterns in rows. Just a few graves to mark the
travelers of so many years ago. I didn't take time to look for rocks because
all the rocks look the same in our area and probably wouldn't have meant
anything.

LaDonna Leavens Walen

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