Beaten

Hog Eye Cemetery - 1; Me - 0.

Another heretofore unknown cemetery in Bastrop County came to my attention recently. First, because it turns out that some distant Hodge relatives were early settlers in the Hog Eye community and were buried in the Hog Eye Cemetery. Second, because someone last week made a photo request through FindAGrave for a grave in the Hog Eye Cemetery. Today, being that I was on a walkabout (make that driveabout) on a day of vacation, I decided that I would go antiquing in Elgin and make a stop at the little cemetery on the way and grab a few quick photos.

When I looked up the directions on the Bastrop County GenWeb site, I was surprised to find that it was directly behind another cemetery that I visited not too long ago. I had no memory of seeing anything beyond that little cemetery, but at least I knew where I was headed. I drove up to the cemetery gate and looked beyond the fence and could see nothing. I drove down the road that ran alongside the cemetery and saw nothing. I returned to the cemetery gate, got out and walked to the back of the little fenced in area of the McShan Memorial Cemetery and looked out into the deep wooded area beyond. Sure enough, there were graves scattered about beyond the fence.

So I pondered how one was to get out there. I walked around the outside edge of the cemetery fence and studied the situation. There was no impediment to my walking around the backside of the McShan cemetery. That is, unless you count hip-high weeds during snake season. I cautiously made my way alongside the fence, looking carefully at the ground in front of me. I made it to the back edge of the fence and to the first gravestone, which turned out to be unreadable. I looked around and the next gravestone was several yards away and the most promising cluster of stones and broken down iron fencing was a good 20-50 yards farther on and in deeper weeds.

So I chickened out. I decided this was a cemetery visit that was going to have to take place another time, preferrably in the dead of winter when the vegetation is frozen down, and with backup to call 911 if I step on a rattler. Those Hodge kinfolks will just have to bide their time for official recognition in the family annals.

It's not often I am stymied in my cemetery hopping. So, to ease my frustration I went on to Elgin and spent a couple of hours going through the Elgin Antique Mall, eating a really good meal at the little Mexican restaurant next to it, and then taking a drive out to the Pleasant Grove Cemetery where I knew a few more distant Hodge relatives were buried and at least feel some success for the day's outing.

LSW