I received a very pleasant surprise in my email this evening. My friends from Haysville, Joyce and Jan, had been visiting cemeteries in Kansas and Missouri, recently, for
genealogical purposes (and I can't tell you how I envy their being able to do that). They happened upon some Queen Anne's Lace (Daucus carota) and took some pictures. Their mom, Marge, emailed copies to me. Every time I look at this flower, I am struck by its intricate beauty. Thank you so much for the lovely photos!
Thinking about Joyce's and Jan's going to the different cemeteries reminds me of my cemetery visits. I think my interest in cemeteries began in the late 80s. We were driving through Huntsville, TX and found the cemetery with Sam Houston's grave. That particular cemetery, Oakwood, has several historic graves. We walked around reading the tombstones, many being quite ornate. Then, during our summers with my parents in Cherokee, IA, we would pass a number of old cemeteries as we'd travel from one place to another. I think I drove my dad nuts making him stop whenever I'd spot one. Especially when it was raining.
Not far from where we live is the place where gold was discovered by James Marshall - Coloma, CA. In the immediate area of the gold discovery are a number of historic cemeteries. We've discovered several more whilst out and about, driving through the foothills (I love that word, whilst). I believe we have a map book of the area cemeteries. We visited one in Latrobe, CA, Bryant Cemetery, a couple of weeks ago. We used to stop by there frequently, but it had been a number of years since our last visit. The earliest grave is dated in the 1840s, if I'm remembering correctly.
Another cemetery near here is the Jayhawk Cemetery in Rescue, CA. Obviously, this one caught our attention. We've been there a bunch of times. We took my parents to 
see it a couple of years ago. I even spent a Mother's Day there one year. We thought it would be a peaceful, leisurely thing, to walk through the cemetery, reading tombstones. Tim, Brett, Bethany, and I drove out to the cemetery. Brett thought we were stupid and stayed in the car to listen to the radio. Yep, dead battery. This cemetery is out in the middle of nowhere! We hadn't planned on spending the whole day out there. I handled it with my usual grace and sweet spirit.
I mentioned to Tim that I would like to find that map book and go around to the cemeteries in this area, taking photos, and making notes of dates and family names. I have a feeling I don't have a clue where I stored that book. Maybe it will be with those gift cards we received a few Christmases ago. I should never put anything in that spot where things won't get lost. I always forget where that place is.
As it turns out, while looking for the links for this post, I found all kinds of information on the area's cemeteries. I guess I don't need the book.
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