A worn, discolored tombstone sits in the family cemetery, Sunnyside, marking the burial site of Sarah Boyd Logan Shepherd Howe. Adorning the stone is a calla lily, symbolizing majestic beauty and marriage. Inscribed on her stone is the quote, “There will be rest in Heaven.” Indeed, life at that time was strenuous: taking care of 11 children, sewing, weaving, knitting, supervising the servants, and ensuring “useful tasks were being done after chores” for all the children and servants. Did she live in constant fear of the Indians since her great-great-grandfather, Colonel James Patton, was killed in the horrific Indian massacre at Draper’s Meadows? It would be reasonable to be anxious after losing three children and a grandchild; it might have been a burden too significant to bear on this earth.

As cows graze and bears sleep on the old bramble grown and forgotten cemetery, those who have served our country over generations lie forgotten. Decades of neglected maintenance left graves weathered and broken to the point of obsolescence. Once a father, son and soldier, these abandoned souls passed on leaving many grieving for a life lost through service or otherwise. Now abandoned to a stranger’s care, they seem almost forgotten. Only one worn and battered flag sat memorializing Dr. William E. Hoge who served in the Civil War. But it is not only who we remember, but how we remember them which expresses our values in believing the worth of a life. The neglect of this cemetery is unfathomable. My promise to the dead is to celebrate their life of accomplishments, service and commitment.