Visiting Mike's ancestors' gravesites

This morning before lunch the family that had been tent camping across from us came over to see us before they left for home in Hickory. They had come in to the campground Friday night about 9:00 and started setting up their tent. Mike noticed that they only had 1 flashlight with them, so he took one of our bucket lights and an extension cord over to them so they would have some light. He also loaned them another flashlight and 2 of our folding chairs since they hadn't brought any chairs with them.

Heather, Jason and their children, Joel and Rose, brought our bucket light and extension cord and flashlight over to us (they had brought the chairs back yesterday). They also brought a thank you card and a potted Mum to thank us for loaning them the items they had forgotten to bring.

After lunch Mike and I took Tinker and drove east to Elkin

From Visiting Gravesites of Mike's Ancestors

and then out to the Greenwood Cemetery

From Visiting Gravesites of Mike's Ancestors

to look for Abner Phillips' grave who was Mike's 4th great-grandfather and who was 76 years old when he died in 1813.

We found the gravestone in the back of the small cemetery and took some photos. Whoever engraved the stone made the letters so large that he had
to split up the words - "Novem" is on one line and the "ber" is on the next line. It is like that on about half of the lines

From Visiting Gravesites of Mike's Ancestors

and he continued engraving on the back of the stone with Abner's age of 76.

From Visiting Gravesites of Mike's Ancestors

Then we drove south and east towards Boonville to drive down Woodruff Road where Mike's 3rd great-grandfather Gideon Woodruff and 4th great-grandfather Moses Woodruff owned land in the area.

From Visiting Gravesites of Mike's Ancestors

We then drove south to visit the Speer Cemetery that is between Boonville and Yadkinville. The cemetery is located in a field and we drove out through the field following some tire tracks that led out to the cemetery.

From Visiting Gravesites of Mike's Ancestors

The cemetery had just been mowed in the last few days and whoever came out to mow the grass must have left the trail through the tall weeds.

From Visiting Gravesites of Mike's Ancestors

We were there to take photos of the gravestone for Mike's 2nd great-grandaunt Elizabeth Ashby who married Aquilla Speer.

From Visiting Gravesites of Mike's Ancestors

Tinker had to take a break in the shade of Aquilla Speer's gravestone because looking for ancestors is hard work. We made sure that ALL Tinker did was visit the cemeteries with us and not go to the bathroom there.

From Visiting Gravesites of Mike's Ancestors

After leaving the Speer Cemetery we drove south to Yadkinville and drove around taking a few photos of Main Street

From Visiting Gravesites of Mike's Ancestors

and some of the houses there.

From Visiting Gravesites of Mike's Ancestors

We got back to Bandit's Roost Campground and drove down to the boat ramp and over to the tent camping area before going to the RV.

From Bandit's Roost Campground

From Bandit's Roost Campground

Mike has one of our bucket lights hanging outside by the passenger window and every night these REALLY large bugs are attracted to the light. They look like large yellow jackets and are about 2 inches long. We're just glad they are outside and none have gotten inside!

From Bandit's Roost Campground