We had several cemeteries to visit, as family was kind of scattered around the countryside. When we went to the cemetery where my great-grandfather was buried, it was an all morning undertaking. No pun intended.
Since this cemetery was out in the country, the county was responsible for keeping it mowed. However, whoever was charged for my relatives' cemetery, didn't do a very good job. So, my father would drive his tractor/mower all the way across country to get there, then mow down the tall grass on the hillside, while my uncle used the push mower to clean up around the stones and the women pulled weeds and clipped around the stones. It was a bunch of busy bees, but the cemetery shone when we left.
The flowers were always peonies, irises and sprigs of spirarea. When those were already done blooming, my mother would pot up some geraniums. There had to be some flowers of some kind with a small US flag to the side. I loved to go there because there was such a variety of birds and their songs kept us entertained.
My great-grandfather was a captain of the Civil War and he was revered by all in the family. We heard the stories over and over again about his travels, the battles he fought in and how the men admired and adored him. He later fought for Rural Free Delivery and won. He was an staunch Democrat and known for his blasphemy of "egad" and "by jove" but I never did figure those out as being bad words to use.
I haven't been back to visit that cemetery because I can never find it. But my uncle fought for and won a new edict (new at that time) that the county would either have their employees mow that cemetery, without fail so many times/year or be fined by the cemetery association he started around the end of WWII. I understand they now hire out that task, but out of honor to my uncle, I should check to be sure.
After cleaning that cemetery, we would retire to my grandmother's house for fried chicken and all the trimmings, with freezers of homemade ice cream to top it off. The crock of freshly squeezed lemonade had to be replenished several times during the day, as that nasty job of clearing the cemetery was exhausting...even for a child of 4-5.
Hmmm! I may have to make a little trip to that cemetery today and check the ol' Captain out, as well as inspect the grounds to be sure my uncle's wishes are being followed almost 70 years later.
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