Leo, when you said you were going to walk between the graves because you didn't want to walk on them, I heard my Dad's voice. I got my love and respect for old cemeteries and their occupants from him (he was also 'Leo') From a very early age we would go exploring and one of the first things I remember is him telling to "go around, don't step on someone's grandaddy". I was never scared of cemeteries because he made sure I understood there were real people there. Thank you for perpetuating that respect and for bringing history alive.❤

You need to start carrying a flashlight with you and a soft Bristle brush when you go grave site hunting. It helps alot.

I took my dog for a walk just now. My granddaughter always picks constantly those little purple flowers, and the dandelions/saw that video..now I have a name and they're edible too. Hmm interesting. I appreciate all the time and effort yall put into these videos. Thank yall😊

Thank you Leo and Heather for caring about the forgotten. I have grandparents and others buried on Toler's Creek in Kentucky. Their graves are up in the hills and probably have not been looked at for years. I live in Idaho so I can't do it. I would love to but I am so far away.

Love the way you Colorized the Photos.❤

You Are doing a great work . God bless You .

I enjoyed our walk about. Thank you, Leo & Heather

love the work you two do for the dead.......it will be ALL of us watching this in a matter of time/Gods will and everybody is special in there own way.

Another beautiful place. Thank you Leo and Heather for letting all these people be remembered. You have a lot of respect for cemeteries Leo. I can feel your compassion as you are talking about each person Take care dear cousins. Love to you both. ❤❤

Leo... The purple flowers actually look like Creeping Myrtle. I could be wrong.

Amazing graveyard , History and video. Incredible.

What a serene place! The sunlight shining through the trees as Leo climbed the hill almost seemed to be from Heaven! Y'all should be applauded for your tireless work to know the forgotten.

@genniejefferson6588

Ай бұрын

Pictures are ,really pretty in color.

God Bless you and Heather. The wife and I were talking just the other day. She asked me if I had any place I'd like to go this year, I said why yes there is. I'd like to go and meet Leo and Heather. I'm not too far away here Jacksonburg W.V. And recently retired, I'd hafta buy or rent a ATV and go on one of your tours. Love what you guys do.

@kathyanderson1279

3 ай бұрын

We took a trip down to the bottom of WV and I to Kentucky last year and that was our hope to meet Leo and Heather. Low and behold we met Leo across the street!

@thehillbillyfiles

3 ай бұрын

Congrats on the retirement! And Thank you for the support.

I too am a fan of old cemeteries. I’m on the west coast now but my family is from WV. I’ve traveled the country visiting family members who’ve passed and I recommend you travel with a flash light, garden gloves and a trowel. Makes cleaning up these grave markers quick and easy. I choose to leave every grave with a respectful quick clean up. Thank you so much. Just discovered your channel. My kinda people ❤

@user-rk4jx4zc5d

3 ай бұрын

I've heard that shaving cream first.

What a sweet video Leo! Thinking of people who have past away and the gravestone or tombstone is so old that the words cannot be read. I have been to.a few old cemeteries and it can be discouraging if you are looking for a particular grave. Some of those in the video were not too bad. Thank you Leo.

Kind of sad to think of all the forgotten folks in small, out of the way forgotten graveyards! I'm glad you give them a 'voice' so we don't forget them!

I LOVE the way you show the printed information on screen. ( as well as a shot of the actually headstone) Great for genealogists! Thanks!

I watch your channel all the time. Yall do such a great job. So nice in helping people. If I may ask cause I might have missed yall saying. Why is all cemeteries on hills? I can remember when I was little going to the cemetery with my grandmother she could tell you about everyone in that cemetery. Miss those day. I'm stuck on your channel. God bless yall!

@user-rk4jx4zc5d

3 ай бұрын

Most likely so they won't flood.

Another wonderful video in a beautiful cemetery. Thanks Leo and Heather for all you do. In Canada, we call that ground cover with the purple flowers, periwinkle.

Thank you for the lovely wandering of the graveyard. A glimps into the love and heartbreak of others. A car accident that took a daddy and 2 little so many years ago.

Brother. You need to make yerself a kit to carry on your explorations. Brush little flashlight and a spray bottle with water in it. It’ll help y’all read the epitaphs

What a beautiful place to rest. Thank you for your hard work. I visit the Red River gorge area and always watch out for the hidden cemeteries. I hope “civilization” never disturbs them.

Such a nice looking young soldier and man. So very sad. I do thank him for his services. Thank y’all again Heather and Leo for all you do to bring us all the information you do. God bless and stay safe. 🙏🏻🇺🇸

Y'all put in great effort to bring us these videos. With very interesting stories behind them. Thank y'all for what you do. I'm sure these families are getting closure as well from y'all's work.

John Anderson Rutherford is my 2nd great granduncle. His parents Reuben R Rutherford and Mary Polly Keesee are my 3rd great grandparents. My great grandmother Rutherford married a Goldie. Goldie is the one name I have never seen and any videos. Have you ever come across that last name?

Hard to believe a Purple Heart hero is buried in the middle of nowhere with a barely readable gravestone. That's just not right.

@aprilfisher4947

3 ай бұрын

It happens and is sad for anyone to have no readable stone but families may die off and nobody else is left to to keep everything in order which is why when my time comes I will be cremated so my children don't have to be responsible for keeping a burial plot and head stone maintained .

@gheeghee4444

3 ай бұрын

I’m sure if the VA is notified there must be some sort of a program to fix the headstones

@artcflowers

3 ай бұрын

Completely legible headstone just needs a D2 spray to clean off the lichen. Also, not out in the middle of nowhere, hes intered in a documented cemetery in ky and while it may be a bit out from the nearest civilization, its not "nowhere".

@janapetty2806

2 ай бұрын

It could be that's where he wanted to be buried.

@deborahdonnelly8423

2 ай бұрын

i guess his family declined Arlington. my dad’s 93, a purple Heart from the Korean war. He’s choosing to be burried locally.

Wonderful job Heather and Leo!!! ❤❤❤

Thank you so much for showing pictures, death certificates, etc. I really appreciate and enjoyed this adventure.

I really enjoy your videos! I’ve always been interested in old cemeteries, I find the history fascinating. It makes me angry and very sad that these cemeteries are not maintained. I realize the there may not be any family members alive to get involved but the towns should do more to preserve their history. Thank you for what you are doing to keep them alive👍 Riva G, Delaware

Just recently found your channel. To my surprise in this video you have show my grandfather and great grand parents graves. Never knew where they were. Thank you for sharing these. (Elmer Burgess Blackburn )

@thehillbillyfiles

Ай бұрын

That is awesome!

pretty safe to say you are the first person to visit those graves in a long time. thanks for telling us their stories. its a shame the access to there is so bad. even walking up there would be tough on anyone, let alone trying to bury someone up there now.,,,,,,,,,,

Thank you for sharing. It's a wonder any of us survived the old times.

Awesome Video, Brother! I love finding old graveyards like that. There is a lot of history there. God Bless

Leo, you should have a flashlight with you to help read some of those stones. Hold to the side of the writing. Hope this helps. Much love from Iowa ❤❤❤

Thanks for the tour. So sad there are so many young ones there😢🇺🇸

I know in my family cemetary in Virginia there are field stones all over. The flu in 1918 is thereason for most of them. Lovedyour video.❤

That was awesome Leo

I’ve never seen a video like this before. I loved seeing all little bit of who these people were. Thank you for all your research. It’s important to remember them❤️

Thank y'all for doing this for these precious people of days gone by. Those men were nice looking, hard working, loyal to families,GOD and their Country! Their women loyal, loving , caring for their families. May they all Rest in peace with their LORD ❤😢❤

Leo, just a suggestion to see the grave stones letters better use a flashlight it works.plus take brush with you too. Great video.

Well done, Leo. I had lots of family back there (Boggs and Stackpole). I keep looking to see if you find any when you read the headstones in your journey.

I live in Missouri and many of my ancestors are buried in places just like this. Hard to find and so totally overgrown in the summer that you don’t even want to try and get there.

I love Toler, KY ❤️

Thank you so much. ♥ I had no idea this grave site was there. I will be sure to visit.

Very informational

Leo have you ever thought about taking a brush or a flashlight to shine across the tombstones to be able to read it just suggestion. I enjoy you going to these old cemeteries but a lot I don't understand why people don't have to be the loved ones to help take care of them because it really hurts my heart a lot.

Thank you Leo& Heather God bless

Very glad to see you documenting these old Appalachian cemeteries. Sadly there are dozens scattered across the area that are semi-forgotten and neglected. The families have all either passed away or unfortunately had to leave the area like I had to. My grandfather and I used to maintain his family's cemetery on the side of the mountain at Maher. He got to where he couldn't do it anymore, then I left the area. When he passed away in the late '90s, they buried him at Mountain View because it was still summer and the family cemetery was too overgrown. The last time anyone in the family went into that cemetery was around 1989. If you all are ever in that area and are up for a challenge, I can share the location with you. I'm sure nature has completely taken it over now. There's another cemetery adjacent to it that may be better maintained.

@thehillbillyfiles

3 ай бұрын

Where in Maher is it? I'll see if I can get down there.

@OldGearTech

3 ай бұрын

@@thehillbillyfiles It's on the side of the mountain almost directly across the tracks from Mt. View Memory Gardens. There used to be a RR crossing there, but it was taken out a while back. The way to get to it now is to go across the next crossing on the right past the Memory Gardens and go back in that direction. If you remember where Tomblin Fence used to be, it's just past there. There are a few houses on the side of the hill on that side of the tracks. The road is mostly railroad ballast, but it's packed down fairly tight. There are two cemeteries within a short distance of each other on that mountain, both locally called the Hensley Cemetery. One has about a dozen or so graves, including my great-grandparents (both passed before I was born, so I never knew them), three aunts, two uncles, and a couple of cousins. The best I can remember the second one had more. Among other graves, the second Hensley Cemetery had graves of a family of four that perished in a house fire that happened the day before Halloween of 1952. I remember my grandfather telling me the story. I think they were second or third cousins of his. Of course October 1952 issues of the Williamson Daily News are missing from the online archive on Google. At one time, I remember the Williamson Library had most copies of the WDN after World War II on microfilm, so there's a chance it might be there. If you try going there, you might want to wait until the fall after there have been a couple of frosts. I tried to go up there last September when I was in town visiting and it was too overgrown to attempt it. As a kid, I was all over the hills of Williamson, Goodman, and Chattaroy in the summer, so it had to be pretty thick for me not to even try.

Nice that you guys bring some identity to these people of yesterday! I’ve gotten into researching my ancestry and looking around old cemeteries too, it’s a peaceful, rewarding experience and being in my 60’s I’ve found and known my peace for years so I embrace all that life is in existence and what it means after our time has come to pass

It's wonderful how u find ole graves and tell their story.. where has Heather been lately, ain't seen her on none of the videos lately? Hope everything okay with her.. thank u Leo for sharing

@thehillbillyfiles

3 ай бұрын

We are hoping to get out together soon. Thank You, btw.

I really enjoy your videos, the ride to see the country and what you all are doing awesome history and remember of those who’s past

Thank you so much ❤

Tanglegut was good with beans and cornbread ❤

Such a beautiful place, aways breaks my heart seeing the youngins though. Ty Leo for the tour

❤😊❤ Great video!

WOW RIDDLE I S MY GREAT GRANDFATHER'S NAME & I HAVE HIS BIBLE CAN'T WAIT TO CHECK.

This makes it an easier read. The Royal Neighbors of America. Initially founded in 1888 as a social group, Royal Neighbors was chartered in 1895 as a fraternal benefit society for women "to bring joy and comfort into many homes that might otherwise today be dark and cheerless...by affording the mother an opportunity to provide protection upon her life." The group's first "Camps" were established in Iowa and Nebraska. Initially, Royal Neighbors was a ladies' auxiliary to the Modern Woodmen of America, but dissolved its affiliation with that group in 1929. Reply

Thanks!

@thehillbillyfiles

3 ай бұрын

Thank You!

Go to the Hughes Whittaker cemetery near Hazard Ky. My grandparents are buried there. It’s way back in the woods. Also, my maiden name is Allen. Her name is Polly Ann Allen. Husband, Henry Allen.

I thought Tangle Gut was Spring Beauty- currently blooming all over our half acre here. Tiny white flower that grows in clumps- definitely edible. Maybe you have a purple variety there. I'd love to have some to grow- very pretty. Also I'm struck by so many children in these tours that died of ailments we thankfully have vaccines for now. Just imagine all the pain and death that's been prevented over the recent years compared to our great grandparents time.

You are scaring me a bit Leo, you were showing us the 9 month olds that died on the same day, I said house fire, just before you said house fire. Too common back then when they relied on the old chimneys and wood smoke. Great jobs guys.

Walk softly our mother sleeps, precious.

Hi Leo. Love yalls channel. But do you ever worry about snakes?

Wonder whatever happened to that soldiers Purple Heart. I would never have thought there were so many cemeteries scattered about that are so old, forgotten, no one ever visits them, their whole being lost to time and now all their families are probably gone. I think a few times you might have mention some far decendents have reached out to you once in a while but I wonder if present day relatives ever see these videos and track back to they’re family history. I’m beginning to think everyone should use Roots. Can you imagine having a distant relative having rec’d the Purple Heart and you don’t even know about it or maybe don’t even know about the person. . Thank you for you’re videos and I’m beginning to think Heather missed her calling, she should have been a Detective for the FBI, she sure has proven her skills.

Do you all ever go to the bigger cemeteries around Pikeville and Williamson and remember people who died from 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and on up? I would still love to see them remembered also Such a wonderful channel you have. Im from there Williamson and Pikeville but live in Georgia now

@thehillbillyfiles

Ай бұрын

Sometimes. But we generally try to avoid more recent deaths, to keep from hurting people who are still dealing with the loss... Thank you very much for watching, btw.

@SherryRB

Ай бұрын

@@thehillbillyfiles oh yes that’s understandable …… is so sweet of you all♥️

Loved loved loved this episode. Leo, don't u ever worry about coming face to face with a cantankerous copperhead??

@thehillbillyfiles

3 ай бұрын

I watch for them, but we used to play with all kinds of snakes when I was little, so I'm kind of used to them being around me. I had one crawl right between my feet fishing last year. I just sat there watching him. lol

@thehillbillyfiles

3 ай бұрын

Thank you for the kind words, too.

I like your videos with showing a names

Beautiful love watching y’all 1:16

FYI: just had to look this up! General paralysis of insane is a form of neurosyphilis which brings parenchymatous changes in the central nervous system. Its manifestations include a variety of neuropsychiatric symptoms ranging from cognitive impairment to overt psychosis.

This cemetery reminds my of two in Perry county, KY. One where my grandparents are buried. Unmarked, sunken graves, forgotten. Sorry very sad.

@66twiggs2u

Ай бұрын

I have grandparents buried in Perry Ky. Hughes Whitaker cemetery. Polly Ann and Henry Allen.

Great job Leo and Heather for marking these old cemeteries. Why did they put yucca plants in old cemeteries? I heard they sometimes marked a grave. Looks like they used field stones for that. 🙏💖🙏💖

@thehillbillyfiles

3 ай бұрын

There is an old legend that they keep evil spirits away.

Toler, KY is no laughing matters this places of all the video that Leo and Heather will be telling more stories to teach all of the values between right and wrong-DLH

We always called tangle gut, chicken toe.😂

Hello Leo and Heather

@thehillbillyfiles

3 ай бұрын

Hi

I really got to get back to my genealogy it's been about 10 years or more. 😅 The grandchildren showed up.😊 No regrets though, genealogy was my life before then. I remember a Alex Murphy. 2 of them, as I remember maybe one was a Jr. My great great grandfather was David Murphy. I think I found him in Martin County, KY. His father was Joseph Murphy from Logan County, Which became West Virginia. Thanks for all you guys do!

Hen you eere showig the runyon name you got my attention because that my grandmothers maiden name she was born in kentucky in metcalfe county i enjoy yourvideos very much thank you for them

I'M SO GLAD LEO N HEATHER AT LEAST REMEMBER THE UNKNOWN THY ALL LOOK LIKE THR ALL IN HEAVEN W THE SUNSHINE SHINNING DOWN ON THEM THNKS FOR THE INFO ON THE TANGLEGUT FLOWERS I NVR KNEW THY WERE EDIBLE TILL NOW THNKS FOR THE INFO ON WILD EDIBLE FLOWERS LEO WHT WOULD I DO W OUT YA I'M 65 N LEARNING SOMETHING KNEW EVRY TIME I WATCH Y'ALL'S VIDEO'S NVR EVR TOO OLD TO LEARN SOMETHING NEW R WE

Sad stories. 😢. Beautiful resting place. The old cemeteries are on hills. Nearer to Heaven. Hills were hard to till so they werent good farmland. They were also away from the watertable.

Beautiful spot to wait for the Lord to come back!

@thehillbillyfiles

3 ай бұрын

Yes it was!

Need to invest in D2 Cleans Headstones really well

That's strange on the 9 year olds if it was like 1919 or something I might could see it maybe it was a house fire or a strain of flu I'm with Leo on the house fire like I said if it was the year of the Spanish flu I may could see it but who knows what happened. Very sad none the less great job and awesome work guys you all are doing God's work.

It sadness me that Leo couldn't document many of my ancestors cause the tomb stones had been vandalized a few years before and they just replaced the tomb stones without names up there I remember so many graves up there and the graveyard I'm talking about is in ballfork where he done the video on one of the balls or Blackburn s one that's was shot by a sherriff but the gas company must haves moved a bunch a graves too cause that top of that mountain was full there was 3 flats and they all was full of graves.

Hi everyone

I would like to make a suggestion.IF you could get your family together a write a request to the Governor of Ky. and ask if the state or Historical Society would help in Restoring ALL McCoy-Hatfield sites.[Houses,cemeteries,bridges,etc.]for the purpose of attracting tourists to Ky. An admission could be charged to maintain the properties. When possible ,a group of these sites could be combined into a tour with a guide and bus transportation .Advertising would be needed in the Tourist info.

So 😢 sad such tragedies...😢. Sure had rough lives back then and hard to get medical help.

A rock placed on a headstone symbolizes that some one was there to visit the deceased

They seemed to understand each otger pretty goo d! Sad so many d. from disease and such.

SALUTE LEO , W / R 🩸👌🏼👍🏼👊🏼😤😎🇺🇲

General paralysis of the insane is a form of syphilis which affected the brain.

@jayblake1576

3 ай бұрын

She was married to 1 of my family members William Goff they had a son Hershall his marker was gone thou

Royal Neighbors Camp 10332 Florida 39:38 I think thats an Insurance company

Our ginseng only grows on the hill sides do you ever see any while exploring?

Alot of kids there,RIP to all

Do you know of anyone doing old grave yard in Tennessee?

What is general paralysis of the insane mean? Omg

why don’t you carry an SOFT brush to more safely remove debrot from stones?

Who owns this cemetery and why has it not been taken care of??

My mother's maiden name was McHone. You don't hear that name. This is the first time I heard the name that wasn't from Iowa.

State ought to clean up and maintain them enough for ability to read stones. Especially the Military men!!

Keesee

Know of a Hale!