Well, the first thing that happened today is that we hired a fellow to wash and wax the RV. The employees here at the campground use him and turned us on to him. $150, and he did a really nice job.
Today we went to Oak Ridge Cemetary to visit the tomb of Abram Lincoln. As we expected it was a somber, yet fascinating visit. The tomb is quite impressive, full of bronze statues, small versions of the real ones. He, his wife, Mary, and three of his four children are buried here. We also saw the holding tomb where he lay while the permanent one was constructed.
There were also some very beautiful war memorials to those that served from Illinois.
World War II
Korea
Vietnam
Purple Heart
Our quirky item for today was also in Oak Ridge Cemetary.
According to Roadside Attractions, Roy Bertekku, Mr. Accordian, really wanted to be buried at Oak Ridge Cemetary. Even though he thought it would be impossible he went one day and asked if he could buy a plot. they had one available on a narrow piece of land right at the entrance. He bought it on the spot and went home a happy man. Then he received a letter from the cemetery that said he had been sold the plot in error. He could have handled that but then he received a letter from an attorney that said they intended to seize the plot, and would take Roy to court if he tried to fight back. This was the wrong thing to do. Roy was a WWII veteran, the generation that learned that when faced by a superior but unjust force, to say "Nuts." To teach the cemetery a lesson, he built his crypt above ground and erected a large, elevated tablet behind it with a big accordion over happy musical notes. As a final flip to the cemetery, he kept the crypt, paying for it's perpetual care, but had himself buried in another cemetery.
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| Notice the Lincoln Tomb in the background. |
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