Mt Perkins!!

On Sunday morning I said a tearful good-bye to Cincinnati and headed for 

Clermont County, my second home. First stop, Mt Moriah Cemetery outside of Amelia, Ohio. Some of my Nashes are buried there. I stopped at the grave of William and Ruth (great-great grandparents married in Clermont County in 1816). The graves of my aunt and uncle are  located behind them on an angle. Pieces of the tombstone of Ruth's mother, Anna Lewis, have been placed between the two grave sites. Anna's stone was moved when a new subdivision spread across the small country cemetery where she was buried. Only the stone was moved. 

All of the graves are in the old section of the cemetery located next to the little white brick chapel which dates back to the middle 1800's. As I sat there and relaxed with my family on a rainy Sunday morning, the bell in the steeple of the old country church began to ring. I think the bell rang a few times before i realized what was happening. I just sat there and enjoyed it, knowing that somehow I was sharing this moment with my ancestors.

I stopped at the Amelia IOOF Cemetery to visit the grave of my grandparents and great-grandparents. More Nashes. Then I stopped by the cemetery in Batavia to visit my Perkins ancestors. It was such a peaceful Sunday afternoon. That was when the idea hit me. Go find Perkins Lane. 

Perkins Lane, of course, is located on Perkins Hill and I live in Flat As A Pancake Northwest Ohio. No problem! I had been doing pretty good driving up and down the hills so far. What could possibly go wrong? Only the fact that the road went straight up the hill. It was an experience that I won't soon forget. Going up the hill wasn't so bad, but coming back down and knowing what to expect was a little problematic!! But, I made it and -- yes, I would do it again. 

I found Perkins Lane and at the end of it I found what looked like an old farm house. Possibly my great grandfather's house? The house is located on what used to be his land and more importantly on a lane that bears his name. This gives me two houses to research when I return to Clermont County in the fall.

I thought the conference this year was a huge success. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, greeting old friends and meeting new cousins. After all that is what it is all about. There were so many great lectures that it was hard to choose which one to attend. Fortunately the notes in the syllabus were unusually complete this year so that even if you had to miss a session, you could get a good idea of what the speaker covered. Also, remember the FGS Conference is in Fort Wayne, Indiana this year and it may be possible to catch some of the  sessions you missed in Cincy. 

The last day of the conference, I went back to the Exhibit Hall and ordered my Flip-Pal. It is going to take a month to get it and I can't wait to put it to use. Thanks to Thomas MacEntee, who confirmed that I will be able to easily use the scanner on the large books in the courthouse and "stitch" the panels together. 

Altogether last week was very successful for me. I made the trip to Cincy by myself, something I was having second thoughts about; picked up lots of new information at the conference; and climbed Mt. Perkins.  Next stop -- Fort Wayne.