Sitting Bull Monument and Gravesite

— Posted inTravel — 1 min read

The monument and gravesite of the great Sioux Chief and spiritual leader is located in the Standing Rock reservation overlooking the Missouri River near Mobridge, South Dakota.

The site, reached by paved roads, is noncommercialized and consists of a monument and plaque.

The bust on the monument was created by famed sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski.

The plaque lists events in Sitting Bull’s life.

The bust overlooks the hills and Missouri River.

Standing here, looking out over the now dammed river, ones mind thinks of the past and what changes have been wrought over the years.

Not All Roads Look Like Roads

— Posted inTravel — 1 min read

During the past month we have been traveling through what is know as the Great Plains. The one constant has been field after field of crops. Driving off the paved roads, we usually encounter gravel roads like this. Wheat on the left, canola on the right.

Here we are traveling down a road that doesn’t look like a road, but is a road. Just a seldom used one. For those who guessed at what is in these fields, corn on the right, soybeans on the left.

It is NOT a Morbid Hobby

— Posted inTravel — 2 min read

It is called Find a Grave™ and it is documenting the burial place or final disposition location of persons around the world though it originated in the United States and most of the entries are located there.

As we travel we go on the website and search for small cemeteries near where we are staying. On the Find a Grave™ website people have posted the information about someone for whom they would like a photo of that person’s grave marker to be posted on the Find s Grave™ page for that person. We make a list of the requests, then visit the cemetery, photograph the graves we can find and post them to the Find a Grave™ website. The comments we receive at times from the requestor can be quit heart warming. We feel it a worth while thing to do.

This cemetery was far out in the country and contained only 176 graves. (We learned many, many years ago that trying to find graves to photograph in large cemeteries unless they have a grave locator is a fools errand.) There were requests for photos of five grave markers. We were able to to find four of the five after looking at every grave marker in the cemetery twice. (We have learned over the years that people will put in requests for multiple cemeteries in an area because they do not know where the person was buried.) Let’s just say those requestors are place on our equivalent of the do not fly list.

This is certainly not a hobby for everyone. Likely it is hobby for very few people. The other side is that we have requested photos for ancestors and someone has taken their valuable time to search for the grave we requested and photographed it for us. My great-grandfather who was totally unknown to me until I took a DNA test was a case in point. Both my wife and I try to pay forward this very special, but little known endeavor as often as we can because Wetruly know from first hand experience how unbelievably heart warming it can be. Life is short, live it to its fullest.