Shockingly new finds

Last Sunday I went cemetery hunting with my friend Bob. Bob is a local professional genealogist and knows where a fair amount of family cemeteries are located. Since I've been trying to locate as many of the cemeteries as I can in Frederick county he's a great asset.

Our first stop was the Clemson Family cemetery just north of Frederick. Somehow I totally missed this one when compiling my directions to all the cemeteries in the area as someone had already given directions on Find a Grave. Still, I confirmed where the cemetery was and was able to get some photos. The cemetery is in need of some serious upkeep as many of the stones have fallen over or are buried.

Our next stop was the Cronice Fundenburg cemetery. Bob knew about this cemetery as it's visible from US-15, but he'd never stopped there before. The stones are in the middle of a field, but fenced off. We next stopped at Mount Prospect Methodist where the Morningstar cemetery was transferred to. There are only two stones, one tombstone and one that's probably a foot stone. If not for Bob I never would have known where it was moved to.

A few weeks ago Bob had talked to someone he knew who used to mow lawns and was told where the Shiloh Methodist Protestant Church cemetery was located. Holdcraft said that the stones were piled in the rear, and now they are laying down and leaning against a fence. Most of the stones are at least in decent shape, though a few are broken.

Shiloh Cemetery

We next went to find the Cock-Grahame cemetery that Bob knew how to find.  This one is located near the Monocacy north of MD 26. We needed to walk through a cow field, which was interesting just to see the cows look at us probably wondering why we're walking through their field.

When we got to the fence which we needed to get over, it turned out it was electrified. Climbing over Bob got shocked but didn't say much about it. When I went to go over I got shocked, and it hurt like hell. I'm not sure if it was because I hit the fence with my keys or I'm just not used to getting shocked like Bob, but it took me a minute to try and get over the fence again, which I did without getting shocked.

The Cock-Grahame cemetery is small, only two stones currently remain, but it does have something I've never seen or even heard about in other places in Frederick county, a vault.

Cock-Grahame Vault

It was empty when I was there, and when Holdcraft wrote his description he was told kids used to take bones from it. I felt like Indiana Jones slipping in to the vault to take a look, notice the 'vines' hanging over the front. I do wonder what the opening above the entrance is for.

Leaving the cemetery I didn't get shocked, though I think Bob might have caught a small jolt. Unfortunately, after tracking through the cow field two ways, ten feet before I  stepped in a cow patty, I guess I'll need to pay attention the whole way and not just 99% of the walk.

After dropping off Bob, he had football to watch it seems, I stopped by two more family cemeteries. The first one was the Stull family along Bethel Road. This cemetery is in a front yard along the road, based upon some photos one stone has been moved, though it is still there. My last cemetery of the day was the Miller family which is also along  the road. Not having seen any photos of the cemetery I can't say for sure, but there is at least one stone missing since Holdcraft did his survey and there is a cement block there to hold a stone.

All in all it was a great day to go looking for cemeteries.