We Honor Our "Unknowns

We Honor Our "Unknowns. . , Within this peaceful field are interred the remains of more than 1,200 former residents who lived, loved, worked, and played in our Buckhannon-Upshur community. Their grave markers all bear the same inscription of "unknown." The only distinction - one marker from the next is the number located in the left hand corner of each marker. Sadly, the identities of those buried here will never be known for certain., Some buried here are "unknown" perhaps because their meager existence during life did not afford them the luxury of a burial with a tombstone after death. The origin of "potter fields," is referenced in the Bible, particularly in Matthew 27:3-8 in the New Testament - "and after they had consulted together, they bought with them the potter's field, to be a burying place for strangers. For this field was called Haceldama, that is, the field of blood, even to this day." Virtually every community in western civilization maintains a "potter's field.", Others buried here are "unknown" because their initial burial places were disturbed by construction of U.S. Route 33, i.e., "Corridor H," in 1990 requiring the relocation of their resting places. Many of the disinterred and reburied had died during the early to mid 1800s and their original grave markers in many instances had become illegible. Our community honors and pays tribute to all of those who have passed on and are interred here., "Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him." , Thessalonians 4:13-14. , "Everything dies. No matter how big or small, how weak or strong. We first do our job. We experience the sun and the moon, the wind and the rain. We learn to dance and to laugh. Then we die." , Leo Buscaglia, The Fall of Freddie the Leaf.