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Court rescinds approval of grave transfers |
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Written by DeadGirl
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Saturday, 01 July 2006 |
Russellville, KY
By Chris Cooper-Managing Editor
Logan County Magistrate Harold Prince opened Tuesday's Fiscal Court meeting by attempting to change his vote concerning the removal of graves at an old cemetery located out Hwy. 100 near Russellville.
Prince joined magistrates Curtis Watkins, Jo Orange, Harris Dockins and Judge/Executive John Guion in passing a resolution submitted by Logan County Seed Processing, LLC at its June 14 meeting. The resolution permitted the company to remove and relocate six graves at 3186 Franklin Road Russellville. Magistrates Dickie Carter and Ranny Adler had voted no on the resolution.
Prince said Tuesday that because of new information regarding the cemetery, he wanted to change his vote to 'no' on the removal. The court reversed its decision by a unanimous vote. Dockins said he had been contacted by the management of the seed company, who told him they wished to withdraw their application anyway.
Dockins continued delivering the company's message, saying they were only trying to move the graves to a historical cemetery where there was perpetual care. “They said they thought they were doing what was right,” said Dockins, adding that a company representative said if there were people out there that didn't want it done that was okay with them.
The company had submitted an application to the court expressing its desire to remove the graves and relocate them to Berea Cemetery in the Adairville/Schochoh area. The rationale for the removal- according to the seed company's application- was to permit a renovation and expansion of their business.
Soon after the resolution was passed June 14 information was published in the N-D&L that there were many more graves located in the cemetery than just six.
Judy Lyne, president of the Logan County Genealogical Society and expert on Logan County's hidden cemeteries, expressed her concern after hearing of the request. She told the N-D&L there were many graves both marked and unmarked at that particular cemetery, which is known as both the Copeland and the Harper Cemetery.
At the cemetery there are at least 45 to 50 markers, most being field stones. Lyne reported it is very common in small rural cemeteries to have field stones marking a grave. The deceased either had little money for a stone or sometimes slaves' graves were marked in that fashion. Lyne said there are some people who believe just because they are field stones they are nothing. “These are graves,” said Lyne.
According to Lyne, this cemetery was bulldozed in the late 1970s and many markers were destroyed and displaced.
Four descendants of deceased persons buried in the Copeland/Harper Cemetery surfaced soon after the story broke concerning the removal of the graves.
Margaret Head Simms of Bardstown and her brother, Billy Head of Russellville, appeared at Tuesday's Fiscal Court meeting armed with historical data on their great-great grandfather, James William Copeland who they claim is buried in the cemetery next to the seed company.
According to Simms, her great-grandfather was born in 1866 and was murdered in 1904 by Bill Hutcheson a family member who was arrested for the crime but never convicted.
Simms and her brother didn't address the court and left soon after the court reversed their decision. She did, however, express her relief to the N-D&L that the cemetery would not be moved but also noted her annoyance that “elected officials make decisions and not investigate them first.”
Retired Simpson County Judge/Executive Kenneth ‘Chico' Harper and his wife Clara Nell of Middleton were also at the courthouse Tuesday to inform the court of Mr. Harper's great-great-grandfather Jesse Harper who is buried in the Copeland/Harper Cemetery. The Harpers also left before addressing the court.
Judge. Harper had collected historical data as well on his great-great-grandfather. He told the N-D&L that his great-great-grandfather died in 1863. He has learned the Harpers had lived less than a half a mile from the cemetery for years until relocating in the Auburn area. He said the hill just down from the seed company is known as Harper Hill.
Tere-sea Rhea White of Bowling Green said her great-great-grandfather was also James William Copeland, who was of Indian decent. White said her daughter, who is currently in law school, stumbled upon the cemetery story on the N-D&L website and informed her mother.
They submitted a request for dismissal of the court's resolution which stated, “The citizens of Logan County should be afforded security by their county government whether today or a 100 years from now. The residents of Logan County should not have to question whether their loved ones will rest in peace; eternal rest should be a certainty.”
White was among 14 people who submitted letters against the removal of the graves in Copeland/Harper Cemetery.
http://www.newsdemocratleader.com/articles/2006/06/30/news/news01.txt |
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Taphophilia?
taphophilia (taf′ō-fil′ē-ă)
ORIGIN:
From the Greek words taphos, meaning "tomb" or "sepulcher" and philia, meaning "attraction or affinity to something, in particular the love or obsession with something"
DEFINITION: 1. An excessive interest in graves and cemeteries. 2. A love or fondness for funerals, graves, and cemeteries. 3. In psychiatry, a morbid attraction to graves and cemeteries
Quote Repository
“The living come with grassy tread To read the gravestones on the hill; The graveyard draws the living still, But never anymore the dead. The verses in it say and say: 'The ones who living come today To read the stones and go away Tomorrow dead will come to stay.'” by Robert Frost from 1923 N
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