I have a general question about what you folks feel about cemetery
preservation versus leaving them in their "natural" state.

My great great grandparents are buried in a small grouping of very
poor condition grave sites. The land is not defined as to boundaries, or
marked as a cemetery. It is located in a rural area, about 50 feet
From a state highway. There are about four or five gravesite groupings,
all in very poor condition. The entire area is about 50-60 feet square.

Their headstones may or may not be the original stones, since they are
duplicates of each other, whereas they died in 1839 and 1841,
respectively. They are each about 42 inches high, 1.5 inches thick, and
20 inches wide. My cousin believes these stones were placed on their
graves some time after their deaths by a relative who wanted better or
matching stones than he (my cousin) believes were originally placed at
the time of their burials. I'm not sure that is the case, but in any
event, the stones are clearly quite old, and weathered. My GG
Grandmother's headstone is broken, about two inches above the ground. It
was lying on the ground, covered over with dirt and decomposed leaves,
when we found the site about two years ago. The town had been noted in
historical documents, but the exact location of this non dedicated,
non-marked area was not previously known to any of the currently living
descendants. 

My concern is with vandals and possible theft of these old weathered
stones, since they are not that heavy. The other families gravestones
are broken down or overgrown with trees or bushes, whereas my ancestors
site is in the open. I want to erect a low brick wall to protect them
From falling limbs and trees, and to block the view of the two stones
visually from the busy highway. I propose planting indigenous bushes on
the highway side of the wall, so that in a few years, all that could be
seen from the highway would be a clump of bushes.

My cousin only wants to re erect the broken stone with repair cement,
and otherwise leave the site in its current state, which would be two
stones standing alone. He believes that the construction process or the
new wall (before the bushes grow) may attract vandals more than just the
two stones standing.

Anybody wishing to give me their opinion, either way, I would appreciate
it. I will leave it to your discretion if you answer on the list, or to
me privately. If you know of a List or Forum dedicated to cemeteries
which would be a more appropriate place for this topic, please forward
my message there.

Thanks in advance to anybody who wishes to express their opinion.

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