RIVER DEBRIS –TSGS Dock of Shame

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Cemetery Vandalism, AGAIN...

I do not understand how anyone could get pleasure or think that knocking down tombstones is funny or cool??? Let's realize first that any idiot can damage tombstones. Secondly, there are family members who care about these tombstones, most are not abandoned over the years. Also, each grave marker, no matter how old or small, is a monument or memorial to that person's life and should be given respect by all. Something that is often missed by these vandals that do their dirty work in the dark, is the staggering costs to repair the damages... this is a serious criminal offense. Each stone is a historical record for all to see, not destroy! Would these fools do this to their mother's grave or to someone they deeply cared for? I am sure they think no one saw them running amuck, probably giggling like little school girls, knocking down markers that could not defend themselves from such cowardly actions in the dead of the night... but, I believe God was watching!


Members of this small church in Vanderburgh County are trying to figure out how to make repairs after vandals hit their cemetery twice in a week's time. Phyllis Happe, a member of Zoar United Church of Christ, says damage estimates are totaling $100,000. "That's not easy to come up with for a small church with maybe 100 people in it. We will do something with them. We will not leave our cemetery in disrepair, but it may take time." Deputies with the Vanderburgh County Sheriff's office tell NEWS 25, they do not have any suspects or leads in this case.

Tamara Kincaide posted this link on the INVANDER email list on Friday: Cemetery Vandals Hit Zoar United Church of Christ Cemetery
http://www.news25.us/global/story.asp?s=12674528

I just hope these sick vandals can handle the haunts of the ghosts from these graves of the tombstones that were damaged! - JGWest

RIVER DEBRIS –TSGS Dock of Shame

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A Tale About A Five-Year-Old Witch Child...
that appears to be false!

- Photo taken by Bonnie Gass (click for larger image)

Here is the story as it is told on The Shadowlands website:
http://www.theshadowlands.net/places/kentucky.htm

Marion [Kentucky] - Pilot's Knobb - Witches Grave - This cemetery is
located off of Ford's Ferry Road in Marion. The legend behind this
cemetery is about a five year old girl who was burned at the stake,
along with her mother, in the late 1800's to the early 1900's for
witchcraft. It is not known what happened to the body of the mother,
however the little girl, Mary Evelyn, is buried in a steel lined grave
that is covered with rock and not dirt. She has a white picket fence
surrounding her grave. The base of this fence is a series of crosses
that connect end to end. However she is not tall enough to climb over
the fence, unlike a normal 5 year old. Her tombstone looks brand new
even though it is close to 100 years old, as does the fence. She paces
inside this fence when someone comes to visit her making faces at them
and reaching out to them. She sleeps during the day but is very evident
at night. The legend also says that she can not rest because she is
searching for her mother but can not escape the confines of the fence.
Many unexplainable things occur at this cemetery. For one the "Watcher"
makes himself very know and tries to follow you out of the cemetery.
The "Watcher" was murdered at the swinging bridge but haunts the
witch's grave. He is trying to get to the little witch but because of
the crosses that surround her he is unable to because he is evil.
Crosses appear in the trees both upright and upside down, directly over
her grave, though they face different directions. She presents herself
as a normal 5-year-old little girl in a white dress, though her dress
is scorched at the bottom as is her blonde hair. If you lay on her
grave she will hold you down refusing to let go until someone from
outside of the fence pulls you free. However never lay on the grave
when you are alone because chances are you will be pulled into her
grave to be with her thus giving her more power. As with every haunted
cemetery people that are open to the spirit world sees something different.

Another account & an actual reported visit to the cemetery during daytime & then later at night by The Louisville Ghost Hunters Society:
http://www.louisvilleghs.com/LGHS_MASTER/SUB/Legends/Pilots%20Knob/pilots_knob.htm

Certainly interesting stories, but then along comes a genealogical researcher... look at what she says and found out!!!

"After learning about this story and the websites from Bonnie, I decided to do some checking to see what I could find out about it. I wanted documented facts only. Below is what I found. Thanks Bonnie Gass for telling me about this." - Peggy Gilkey.

The Truth

Mary Evelyn Ford's Death Certificate shows that she was not burned as a witch but died from peritonitis ( inflammation of the stomach lining) and rec(t)al impaction. Also her mother Mary Rebecca (Davis) Ford was still living in the 1920 Crittenden Co., Ky. U.S. Federal Census: h/h 64/64 Ford's Ferry Dist., four years after the death of Mary Evelyn. Neither was burned for being a witch. Shame on the one that started this story about a "Little Witch Girl"
http://www.westernkyhistory.org/crittenden/pilotknobcem.html

Evelyn Ford's parents were James Andrew Ford b. 13 April 1857 d. 17 Sept. 1927 and Mary Rebecca Davis Ford b. 1869 d. 1955. (Burned as a witch, I think NOT!) They are buried by Evelyn and also a son Corbett C 1892-1970 and a dau. Cavey Busey 1897-1980. I imagine the only news story would have been an obit, but as you can see most of them lived a good long life.

[The death Certificate is a little hard to read, but you can see that Evelyn Ford did not die from burns or even related to such cause. Why the story of "witchcraft" for the child & her mother remains a mystery. More research may unfold more facts to bring this "River Debris" into proper perspective... and this poor child's spirit will be able to finally Rest in Peace! - JGWest]

- Submitted by Peggy Gilkey

RIVER DEBRIS –TSGS Dock of Shame

On September 26, 2009, we selected the murderer of a Census Taker for the "Dock of Shame" -

"A part-time Census Bureau field worker was found hanged in Kentucky 12 Sep 2009 with the word "fed" scrawled across his chest, according to a law enforcement source. Bill Sparkman, 51, was found at the Daniel Boone National Forest in rural southeast Kentucky."

[http://tsgsblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/river-debris-tsgs-dock-of-shame.html]

Recently, his death has been reported as a suicide that was perpetrated as a murder to ensure that the insurance proceeds would be paid.

According to a news report by Ian Urbina for The New York Times (24 Nov 2009):

"The Kentucky census worker found hanging from a tree with the word 'fed' scrawled on his chest staged his death to look like a homicide so that his son could collect his life insurance, the authorities said Tuesday. 'We believe this was an intentional act,' said Trooper Don Trosper, a Kentucky State Police spokesman. 'We believe the aim was to take his own life.' ”

It, now, appears that it is not a "murderer" of a Census Taker that is "river debris" that deserves to be in the TSGS Dock of Shame, but, rather, the Census Taker himself... Bill Sparkman.

- Compiled by JGWest

RIVER DEBRIS –TSGS Dock of Shame

Graveyard Desecration

Burr Oak Cemetery - Alsip, IL

Cemetery workers are accused in removing remains from plots (or double burying) in order to resale grave plots and then pocketing the money. They were dumping the remains into a common mass grave after digging them up from what is supposed to be their final resting place. This is another sad addition to our TSGS Dock of Shame.

- Submitted by JGWest

RIVER DEBRIS –TSGS Dock of Shame

Vandals knock over 35 headstones at Oak Hill Cemetery

The above is the headline of the Evansville Courier & Press on Thursday, 02 Apr 2009

Photos of the vandalism were posted on their web site story of this vandalism. Photographs provided by the office of Evansville Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel.

(Click on photos to enlarge)

There are eight overturned tombstones in this photo along the cemetery wall at Oak Hill Cemetery.

The newspaper article reads in part:

Police are searching for the person or people responsible for knocking down about 35 headstones at Oak Hill Cemetery in Evansville. Workers at the cemetery discovered the vandalism Wednesday morning. “This act of vandalism is unconscionable," Evansville Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel said in a statement. "I cannot understand what would prompt someone to commit this type of crime and we will not tolerate it. Our residents should not have to tolerate this type of destruction when they come to visit loved ones who have been laid to rest in any City cemetery." Officials say police will step up patrols at city cemeteries because of the vandalism. The city expects to have the stones uprighted within the next few days.

This "unconscionable" act of wreakless desecreation of grave sites and markers clearly qualifies the individuals responsible for this cowardly (in the dark of the night) immature and foolish distruction for the

"TSGS Dock of Shame!"

- Submitted by JGWest (Photos furnished by the Mayor's Office as posted on the Evansville Courier & Press web site.)

RIVER DEBRIS –TSGS Dock of Shame

What do you think? Does the Church Board have a case? Is this going to be a new problem for genalogists? Is this "River Debris?" Click on the photo to read it.

- Submitted by Don Counts

RIVER DEBRIS –TSGS Dock of Shame

Any cemetery vandalism or desecration is bad enough, but to steal statues and other sculptures to sell is the lowest. However, I recently learned that some people can even go lower! Last week I was in the office at Oak Hill Cemetery http://www.evansvillegov.org/cemeteries/ when a gentleman came in to report that his brother-in-law's brass military plaque had been removed and apparently stolen. This has become a major wave of thefts over the last several years, not just a result of the more recent economic problems. At a time when most of the nation is supporting our troops and mourning those soldiers who are killed, as well as, the hundreds of thousands veterans who have passed on... it is unconscionable to understand the theft of these memorials of those who served their country in war and peace. I implore all veterans and their families to help us spread the news of such dishonor for our fallen soldiers and veterans. These thieves are true scum & debris and qualify for the TSGS Dock of Shame! - by John G. West

Don Counts has found these news stories of how wide-spread this shame has become. Last year, in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, over 700 markers were stolen from the graves of American soldiers. These bronze plaques and flag holders were placed at every veteran's grave as a memorial to honor their service. In Texas, the grave of Purple Heart recipient Lance Corporal Jeremy Burris was desecrated only 2 days after his burial. Flower arrangements, personal notes, and flags decorating the grave site were torn down and destroyed. All of this destruction to steal and sell wire flower stands. In Georgia, a bronze statue depicting a Marine's boots, rifle and helmet was ripped out of the ground at the grave site of Corporal John Stalvey. Other graves have also been vandalized to steal the bronze plates traditionally placed on the grave sites of fallen service men and women. With the price of bronze on the rise, thieves are stealing these markers to sell as scrap metal. The cost of brass markers has risen to $28 each. Some counties cannot afford to replace the metal markers, so they are being forced to turn to cheaper aluminum markers.

John, I just found other articles, this one on Military.com: War Hero's Statue Stolen for Scrap http://www.military.com/news/article/war-heros-statue-stolen-for-scrap.html?ESRC=marine-a.nl
Veterans grave markers stolen in Waterloo
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2008/09/veterans_grave_markers_stolen.html
In West Virginia, it was vases bolted to headstones. In Washington state, it was bronze markers on veterans' graves. In Chicago, it was nearly half a million dollars' worth of brass ornaments.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25707334/
Cemeteries have new problem: metal theft
http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2008Jul16/0,4670,GraveRobbers,00.html
Working to get a marble marker to replace brass one stolen
http://www.leatherneckmagazine-digital.com/leatherneckmagazine/200810/?pg=4
173 Brass Markers Stolen From Graves of Veterans
http://www.vfwwebcom.org/forum/index.php?topic=1155.msg12275
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/record.xpd?id=110-h20080519-39