Wow, this week really flew by. I have had a terrific week and have enjoyed every minute of it. Tuesday and most of Wednesday I was going through the pictures I had taken and making sure the names on the markers aligned with my notes. I also needed to compile a list of pictures that I thought needed to be re-taken. I have learned I am not a great photographer but for the most part the pictures were good. Thursday and Friday Butch and Kim (sisters) took off work to help me and be a part of the project. A huge part might I add and a debt of gratitude is owed to them. Not only for taking off of work but for helping me now and in the future until the project is finished.
Thursday, Butch drove from Sonora, about 2 1/2 hours, arriving around noon. The three of us drove to Breckenridge first. We wanted to go to the courthouse to get a copy of the deed to the cemetery and see what other things we could scrounge up. In an earlier life Butch had done some land work thus knew more about what we needed to ask. So she took the lead on this. We soon learned she probably knew more than the very sweet young woman at the court house. However, while we were standing there, a landman named Lucas Knickerbocker, from Ft. Worth who happened to be working in the area, volunteered his time to help. He not only pulled out the county maps but also said we needed to go the abstract office and look for some records. He told us they charged $150 an hour, minimum of 1 hour for us to do our own research. I was taken back a bit at that amount. He said he had about 45 minutes on his time left and he was more than willing to help us on his dime. So off we go to the abstract office where we were able to get a copy of the warranty deed that was done in 1909 and later another acre in 1983. He then suggested we try the tax appraisal office for assistance with other documents. As we thought, no disrespect intended, they were useless.
We continued our day by driving out to the cemetery to meet Mr. and Mrs. Cooke. They have a rough sketch of the new part of the cemetery. I do mean rough, basically a piece of paper with with crude squares and names written by hand. I can only imagine what the old part will look like as we have not seen it as yet. None the less it was already 3 pm and we had not even started on cleaning off markers and re-taking some of the pictures.
As we started down the rows, Kim was cleaning off the markers that were covered with dirt and grass. It only made good sense for this to be her job since she is only 4′ 10″ and was much closer to the ground! 🙂 Butch was in charge of going down the list telling us who was next and I was taking pictures. Sometimes we were standing hip to hip hats off shoulders reared back trying to block the sun. The term we were using was “I need a 2 butt block!” On we went row after row sometimes together and sometimes off on our own hummers reading markers and taking note of so many children and the numerous soldiers including one from the Civil War or better known in the South as the War of Northern Aggression.
Kim was down the row from us cutting back some overgrown lantanas and gladiolas that were blocking the name on the marker. All of sudden Kim starts screaming ” Help me, Help me, my foot is in the grave” I am doubled over laughing trying to run down there. She told me to quit laughing and help her. My reply was….as soon as I take your picture! She had literally fallen in a hole at the head of the grave. One leg was was in the ground up to her knee! It almost scared her into residency! Of course she was thinking snakes and I was thinking she missed a prime opportunity for a practical joke. The only other incident was I was viciously attacked by 1 of 3 things; a flying marauder with no buzz, a minuscule one fang snake or a very nasty spider with an attitude. No real lasting effects except for a small hole and about a 4 x 5″ red spot that is warm to the touch and really itches.
We later drove down the road a spell to where the original school building still sits. Of course over the years upgrades (no pun intended), have been done and it was used for a while as a community center. It is now in disrepair and is over grown with weeds. We decided to go ahead on the dirt road journey driving through Moran and on into Cisco; driving over the recently completed bridge that had been washed away not too long ago. We stopped down where the old Cisco pool use to be along with the old zoo and vacation cabins. I found it to be rather creepy. Butch was very disappointed in the shape of it. A funny note on Butch, her sight has never been her strongest sense and as she was taking pictures of the dilapidated old pool, she pointed to something dead on the ground. I ask her what she was pointing at. She said some kind of big bird that was dead. As we were driving away I stopped next to the offending object, rolling down my window to see. I turned to her and said “for the record, birds to not have long rat like tails. That is a dead opossum.” I may not remember what I went in to the room for, but I will not let her forget that.
Friday we started our morning talking with a gentleman from a company that has software which allows you to log the cemetery data complete with pictures, links and so forth. It is not cheap, but after talking with Miles we are willing to pay the cost.
The rest of the day was for us to just to shop and do whatever we wanted to do. There isn’t anything better than good quality sister time. My day was great.
Even though this project is far from complete it is well on it’s way and we will continue to push forward toward the goal.