Newport Cemetery, Perry County, Pennsylvania

I know, I’m Lancaster Pennsylvania’s Graveyard Rabbit!  Why on earth is my first blog about Perry County, Pennsylvania??  To understand that, you have to understand Linda.

So let’s talk about Linda and Graveyards, Cemeteries, Final Resting Spots or whatever you may call them. They are a passion in my life. I cannot drive by one and wonder if I have “somebody” who is buried there. My husband swears we have stopped at every cemetery in mid-state Pennsylvania! My goal is to prove him wrong.

The picture in the header was taken less than a week ago. We were on our way to a picnic with friends and I spied a cemetery where I know some of my ancestors are buried. Of course, I’ve been there, but I had to stop again! . . . with friends in the car, with people waiting for us, and with no purpose other than to stop and see it and take a picture or two. 45 minutes later we were on the road again! I’m sure you understand!

I need to pull weeds from around the stones, remove trash and generally straighten up the site (and those adjacent to the site, as well.) My husband knows the drill and helps. Our friends on the other hand, were probably confused and thought we were odd.

Newport Cemetery is about an hour and a half from our home and stands above Newport on a hill, with an outstanding view. It is in Perry County, the brunt of all mid-state Pennsylvania jokes. Joke or no joke, my ancestors once had thriving lives here and I love this area.

Buried in this cemetery is not only my great-great-grandmother, but her parents as well.  Mary J. Ziegler Gantt Carvell’s stone is weathered and she is buried with her first husband.  He had died in his 20′s and it is almost like my g-g-grandfather had given her back when she died!  He is buried 2 counties away.

. . . . and her parents, Philip and Ann Eliza Troup Ziegler.  The stones each face different ways.  Don’t you wonder why?

Now, I’ll get down to business and concentrate on Lancaster County!  Notice I did not promise to stick only to Lancaster County?

Too many Ancestors and too many Graveyards in Pennsylvania for a promise like that!