Always having had a fascination for graveyards turned this hobby into an obsession. What I didn’t realize, being a native of northwest Ohio, was that reaching into the past of Pope County, Illinois would reveal the most wonderful descendants of the very people I sought. There is no way I could have compiled the data found in my books without the help of hundreds of people that live in or visit this beautiful county.
I hope my hobby of finding cemeteries and recording their GPS readings will become a useful tool for genealogists. Listing the GPS reading for a forgotten, abandoned cemetery will help future genealogists find cemeteries that become lost with the changing times. The GPS reading will never change; therefore, a hundred years from now the cemetery’s location can still be found.
If the descendants that I spoke with are any indication of their ancestors then Pope County, Illinois is truly an exceptional place with dedicated, caring people with quick smiles and waves. I want to tell the world how great Pope County is, but at the same time I want to keep it a secret so that it does not change.
Thank you Pope County! I hope my books somehow give back at least a little compared to the great amount it has given to me.
Carol-Enjoyed our chat here yesterday. Sorry I lost the name of the Hernando, MS grntleman tho. Actually, the whiteside cemetery is on our “back door neighbor” ‘s property. You might make a note of that on the blog article. Enjoyed the visit in person & online here.