Gone Wanderin' -

My friend Martha knows exactly what to do when she hears me say "Oooh! Stop!"

It happens quite often when we are rambling around the countryside - exploring this "never been on" road or that one - just to see what is there.

And this is what we came upon on Tuesday after making the great escape having completed the bed making at Quiltville Inn and just feeling a hankering for a "Get Out of Dodge" kind of day.

Kimberlin Lutheran Church & Cemetery, outside of Rural Retreat, Virginia - founded 1777.

When I see dates like this it's as if time just stops and I try to imagine just what this countryside was like back in 1777.

This is Virginia after all - and 1776 was just the year prior.  We are approximately where the red dot is.

In 1777 Virginia also included West Virginia.  In fact it looked like this:

The shadowed orange areas to the right of the colonies are where the states would eventually grow to include. (You didn't know you were getting a history lesson today - this is a quilting blog, right? Well - I love history just as much!)

The colony of Virginia was established in 1607 as a proprietary colony and then chartered as a royal colony in 1624.

Trying as hard as I might through many online searches, I didn't find out much information -

But what I did find states that "The land for Kimberling (sometimes spelled Kimberlin) Lutheran Church was donated by Martin Kimberling in 1797. However, the oldest date in the church's baptismal book is October 17, 1779 so they were likely meeting somewhere before the building was constructed." [source]

And:

The Kimberlin Lutheran Church is one of the oldest churches in Wythe County, Virginia. Records for this church dates back to the late 1700's. While many of the early grave markers have weathered and are not legible, church records indicate at some of the earliest burials took place in the early 1800’s. The cemetery also is the final resting place for a number of Confederate Veterans. [source]

I step lightly -

Cemeteries always feel like hallowed ground to me.

Many (most) of the oldest stones are barely legible if at all - but there are interesting details to be seen in the shapes of the stones, and some of the detail work.

Try as I might - I can't decipher it all.

But someone was 86 years old when they passed.

This was an interesting one!

I love that all of the Ns are backwards.

Jacob Dobler was born in 1764!

Catherine was born in 1796.

This is just such a precious place.

1780 - 1850

I'm thinking of how beautiful this hill will be when grass turns green -

Sweet little heart detail -

Must have been a child.

Historical Marker

Definitely of Germanic origin!

This one is 1866 so we are getting to the "newer" section.

1862

The child's markers are the hardest on my heart.

How many of these were from childhood diseases due to no vaccinations, or from infections (like strep) that could have easily been handled with simple antibiotics?  

This hillside holds the lives and memories of so many people.

And yes, those are cows grazing on the next hill over!

Also of interest to me were these bare scraggly gnarly trees. I don't know enough about trees to know what kind this one is, or how long it has stood here, but I'm guessing a good long while.

If only the trees could talk!

We had a wonderful leisurely visit on this sunny afternoon - no one would guess that it was the last day of February with that sunshine and sky and warm spring temperatures.

Still working on greens!

Some progress was made yesterday as I awaited the arrival of the March Quiltvillians!

Promptly at 4pm a caravan of cars pulled into the drive beeping and waving - let the fun begin!

Today's fun will be a bit interrupted for me - Today is the day I drive the van, Sticker of Shame and all, to the automotive place to have the rear brakes replaced and get a passing sticker so I'm good for the next year!

Really - I'm GRATEFUL for these inspections.  I want to drive a safe vehicle.  I want others to be driving safe vehicles so their break down doesn't have an impact on other drivers on the road.

Wouldn't you want to know if there was something wrong with your car?

Don't you want to trust that other cars around you are also safe while you are out driving?

My only real grumble is at myself for pushing my inspection to the end of the month not giving myself time to get any issues fixed before my inspection sticker expired.

Quiltville Quote of the Day -

Blossom at your own pace!

And allow others the same privilege!

Have a terrific Thursday, everyone!