SCENEin Passing
MARIE WHITEHEAD
Nobody seems to have a map for the lots at Cedar Hill Cemetery.

The problem developed when a good citizen tried to find her late mother's assigned space. Her mom decided before the end to be buried at another cemetery. Her daughter thought it would be charitable to release the location to another person, and thus began the search. John Williams at city hall was her first contact. I have spoken with him since. Obviously, there was such a plat or map at one time. The question is, how many spaces remain and who owns them? It is understood that city hall personnel continue to look for this info, but to date, to no avail.

Do you have the deed or deeds to any of these empty spaces? A map is not needed for those who are already interred. What is needed is a record of those lots which have been sold but never used.

There are several remarks of humor that could be made for this problem, but who wants to laugh over such a serious situation? If you have any suggestions, or any deeds that might help resolve this issue, please share your information with John Williams at (903) 683-2213. Our loved ones' final resting place is sacred. To know that others still living want to help utilize all the lots, well, it's compassion at its finest. In the not too distant future, we are going to need to consider a new cemetery.

Now, right here in our city, not new, just still here, is the problem of a deteriorating museum. At least the ceiling is falling. Our dedicated curator, Kevin Stingley, gets busy at the approach of every rain cloud, placing buckets of all sizes under the drips. It is a mess. When we think about how much time, money, work, priceless contributions of history are locked into this one splendid facility, well, it causes the chest to swell with pride. Because of the priceless value of its contents, this structure is priceless, beyond price.

This is a problem that money can fix. As you may have noticed in life, there really are some problems which money cannot fix. What is needed is a really hard push for volunteer contributions. I am making a mistake to launch this idea without a clue as to the cost. But several have suggested we could expect it to cost about $10,000 to $15,000. Well, that number is high enough for me to believe it is something we can do. It would be nice if an arm of our government could step up to the plate and say, "Here is what you need." But I have to believe that if enough of you get the message, we can collect enough volunteer funds to put a new roof over our history. This includes individuals, clubs, organizations, businesses, any unit of organized life not only can participate, but I hope, will want to participate. If we can't do this voluntarily, what's the alternative? A scene like the weekend's pictures from the stormlashed, downtown area of Atlanta, Ga. might be a miniature comparison. If we sit on our bottom half, tying the hands, heart and mind of our top half, well, okay. To do nothing today, is to absolutely guarantee tomorrow's death of our splendid Summers A. Norman Museum, more recently renamed Heritage Center of East Texas. All who have given to this vast collection of memorabilia would be disappointed that we who live are so lacking in appreciation. And to do nothing invites the notion that some may not value the museum. Some might say, "Go ahead and burn it down, set fire to it." If we do not fix that roof, we will end up having to haul off its unbelievable, historical contents as rubble, after a gully-washing, rain storm floods the building's aisles turning them into small rivers of water. I have every belief, faith, confidence that we can save our precious possessions of the past. This stuff is not being made any more. Think about it. And no, I haven't contributed anything to it for display. But I have sent money and perhaps more later. Please send in what might be called a "Responsible Citizen" contribution. This is our history, our county, our town, our ancestors. And to the historically minded workers who have brought this museum together from the beginning, we offer heart felt thanks. Without the ground work of those early on visionaries (some are now deceased), we wouldn't have anything now to worry about getting wet. Rain is not always a blessing to everyone. Mail your tax deductible donation to the Heritage Center, P. O. Box 974, Rusk, 75785. For more information, contact Mr. Stingley at (903) 683-5643 or visit the museum's website at www.hccc-museum.org.

Part 3, the good news. The lad that everybody claims as their own, Tommie Rogers, was in town last week. He remembered that it was Wednesday while visiting with Kay Hunter Epperson and Gary. He asked that she drive him to FUMC. Luckily, the choir had just finished its practice and the joy broke out. Love and laughter to see this young man, all grown up after three visits to Iraq. He hopes to stay with the military in the states until next year when he will wrap up his service and begin a new life with a beautiful new bride. They are to marry June 27 in Çolorado, her home state.

Here's a one line smile: "No one is listening (or reading) until you make a mistake." Keep smiling. mwhitehead@mediactr.com