Digging holes in the Carey cemetery in July was not the activity one would call a vacation. As the man leaned on his grandfather's ancient shovel, he felt the steady drip of sweat fall down his back from the tip of the neckerchief around his head. Looking into the woods he thought about the first wagons that struggled up the Indian trail along the White river not far from him, bringing pioneers that eventually built up farms in what became the White River Township. Likely, they were sweating and puffing along with the oxen just as he was today. The man looked out across the open fields and considered how hard it must have been to fell the trees and get stumps out of the ground when the settlers first occupied the land they bought. No chainsaws and front-end loaders around then. Just digging the 2 post-holes was not a pleasant task. Putting the 4 X 4 posts in the ground reminded the shovel man of how his ancestors struggled to dig foundations to build their rough, timber cabins to get out from living under a rain-fly. Finally the "Historic Cemetery" sign was mounted on the posts and the man's eyes drifted down to the two pioneer names that are printed on the sign, "Rebecca Strahl and Ransom Smith." They were his people and he felt the strength in his arms and the pride in his heart.

J. P. Smith, July, 2012.

Digging holes in the Carey cemetery in July was not the activity one would call a vacation. As the man leaned on his grandfather's ancient shovel, he felt the steady drip of sweat fall down his back from the tip of the neckerchief around his head. Looking into the woods he thought about the first wagons that struggled up the Indian trail along the White river not far from him, bringing pioneers that eventually built up farms in what became the White River Township. Likely, they were sweating and puffing along with the oxen just as he was today. The man looked out across the open fields and considered how hard it must have been to fell the trees and get stumps out of the ground when the settlers first occupied the land they bought. No chainsaws and front-end loaders around then. Just digging the 2 post-holes was not a pleasant task. Putting the 4 X 4 posts in the ground reminded the shovel man of how his ancestors struggled to dig foundations to build their rough, timber cabins to get out from living under a rain-fly. Finally the "Historic Cemetery" sign was mounted on the posts and the man's eyes drifted down to the two pioneer names that are printed on the sign, "Rebecca Strahl and Ransom Smith." They were his people and he felt the strength in his arms and the pride in his heart.

J. P. Smith, July, 2012.