AGP - Gravin' with Auntie, Part 1

Gravin' with Auntie - Part 1

When Dennis opened this google group [1] it was a great idea and a great contribution to the website...after thinking it over...what did I want to do with the google group that would include all of you and anyone who might be a contributor to our Arkansasgravestones site. This is my answer. To share with you a journey that began several years ago...the journey that has really just begun.

My father, Homer Littleton Leslie Lloyd Sharp was born in Strawberry, Lawrence County, Arkansas. His great grandfather was Ephraim Sharp for whom Sharp County, Arkansas was named...going in search of my "roots" the fun of searching through cemeteries for my kin became a wonderful passion for me...with my, now, 89 year old Aunt, Nancy Jane Sharp Odom we set out to "find them all" in the cemeteries of Arkansas and here were are, 2008, and still, as Dennis says, "gravin.

With that said ...the plan is to tell about our "gravin" with pictures of those we have met and who helped us along the way..when I decided to open the Arkansasgravestone site a very special person stepped forward and was the first one to offer help...and help she has.. taking on three counties from the beginning...Wilma Fields was the first County Coordinator and she will never know how much her saying "yes" did to help set the stage for what looks to be a very valuable and popular site for researchers...she was there when we went through the first few weeks of confusion and some bad days...she was there and stayed the course..the mission was and still is..every stone in every county of Arkansas on line, free and open to the public with no advertisements to take away from the spirit of the site. Someone able to see the actual picture of their ancestors gravestone even if they live in Japan, is what we intend. So, off we go as the story is told of our adventures.

My name is Ira May Sharp Bybee Dennis aka Tootie. I own and operate the Arkansasgravestone site and CC for SHARP County. Two people who have helped to make this a success is Tom Helms and Dennis Earle McAlister..When Tom said he would join in this great venture he brought professionalism, organization, and stability to the site...along with several hundred pictures that he had taken over time. Dennis (Denny) brought creativity, enthusiasm and mechanical know how that has added a great deal to the site. Plus his love for all things military has gained us a place on the net for a great database of information on veterans of Arkansas...he and Tom have worked out a search system for Veterans that rivals the best online service..with a twist...the researcher can actually see the gravestone of the person they were looking for, FREE.

What I will be sharing are pictures of people who helped us find cemeteries, took us to cemeteries and told us about little known cemeteries and how to find them...if only space would permit it would be a blast to tell you of the ventures of my Aunt! and I...a couple of "Cemetery Ladies" and some ventures we have had in the last 10 or so years. Aunt is a writer of verse..you may see one of her poems that she penned as I photographed SNOW Centery in Lawrence County.

This first picture is of Dr. Harold Willmuth, Tootie Dennis and Lavon Huskey. Aunt and I were hunting the Campbell Cemetery in Lawrence County. Dr. Hal is 83 and a retired Dentist..he was my Aunt's dentist. He owns the land that Campbell sets on...but it is now known as the POLSTON Cemetery...the Campbell's owned the land but they were not buried in this cemetery...the greater number of people buried there are the POLSTON family and Dr. Hal has put up signs as the Polston Cemetery. Polston Cemetery is located in the back roads of Lawrence County, but with good help we found it after driving a while. And there was Dr. Hal and Lavon and they were a most welcome site. Dr. Hal is a distant relative to us through the Sharp/Willmuth line..my ggrandmother was a Willmuth. Lavon is also kin to us..he married one of my third cousins Ruby Carolyn Sharp and He is also kin to me through the Sharp/Huskey line. This was not the last help we received from Lavon but that is another story.

Note 1: This series of articles was originally published on Google Groups.