I received a message back from the president of the Mellenville Union Cemetery Association. I have permission to clean my great-uncle's tombstone, and he said no one else would do it. That makes it pretty clear. My great-uncle and his wife lie behind the large rectangle stone near the center of the photo.
I wonder if it's the same case in Berkshire County. At one time I visited the cemetery near the old Great Barrington Fair. I think it was after the tornado hit the area. Most of the tombstones were illegible. I believe they were cleaned the wrong way some time in history. That was a great shame. The old tombstones are more delicate that you'd think.
I was warned to wait until the snow melted and the mud dried up. I guess he doesn't expect everyone to be a country girl.
I started a spreadsheet of family graves, starting with the earliest known one for George Winchell. There are a lot of graves in Berkshire County! It's difficult to know the best way to format the spreadsheet, but I do need it.
