Grave Markers

I think I might have mentioned in a previous blog post that my daughter, son-in-law, and I drove down into north central Illinois seeking the graves of my Covill grandparents, without success. A genealogist in that county offered to have one of her volunteers look in the Greenfield Cemetery in La Moille, IL, for my grandfather's grave, which we hadn't been able to find. The volunteer found the location but no marker...which means, in essence, that no marker was ever placed for him.

That makes me sad, actually. And the worst part is that my sister and I buried our brother in 2006, without a marker. Doug had been estranged to us. His life insurance was in the name of his roommate, but she didn't have any authority to do anything with his remains. Thus, what arrangements my sister and I made, we did as his only legal next-of-kin and in the hope that his roommate would pay for it. We were frugal in our approach. We had Doug cremated, which was his wish, and spread his ashes in the family cemetery, which was also his wish...but without the permission of the cemetery authorities. His roommate did pay for his cremation and funeral arrangements, but disappeared thereafter, leaving us to wonder what to do about a grave marker. My sister and brother-in-law paid for the luncheon after his services. His burial was not without honor.

Doug was a veteran. He is entitled to a military grave marker, but all of his military documents are lost to us. Thus, I have decided to do whatever it takes to get what he deserves and find a way to get a marker placed on the grave where his remains would have been placed had he been a whole body upon burial. We first have to apply for a DD-214 form...proof of service--then talk to the cemetery people. I think we have proof that the family owns grave plots... It won't be easy. I just don't want to go to my own grave knowing that we never put anything up to remember his life. We'll see how this goes.

Meanwhile, it is rainy and gloomy here for the second day. Yuck!