This is an independent research project and I am not affiliated with the Old Union Christian Church
or the Old Union Christian Church Cemetery.

My name is David Shannon and I am sharing information I have gathered based on family memories and information gathered from actual tombstones. Most information gathered is directly from the gravestones at the Old Union Christian Church Cemetery on Russell Cave Road in rural Lexington, Kentucky. This area is known as Loradale. My grandmother was Dora Harp Griffin. Although my grandmother is buried elsewhere (Bluegrass Memorial Gardens) many of her family members are buried at the Old Union Christian Church Cemetery including her parents (my great grandparents) Lloyd & Julia Harp. My purpose is two-fold. I hope if you are searching and find this site it is helpful to you...  and if you can provide more information of my family history, please contact me. I can be contacted at this link:

To view research information on people buried at Old Union Christian Church Cemetery, follow the following links by first letter of the last name.

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Elizabeth Lydick

Daughter of J. & B. Lydick

Born: September 16, 1793
Died :  November 16, 1806
Aged 13 years, 2 months
 

According to my research, this is the oldest surviving grave stone in the
Old Union Christian Church Cemetery

When I first began to survey the cemetery, this stone was upright, but leaning forward at a very sharp angle. In order to photograph the stone, I had to lie on my back on the ground and angle the picture up toward the sky.

These are those first photographs:

A few months later, someone had tried to stand the grave stone back up, but it was leaning way back.

These are those photographs:

I returned again in April, 2011 and the stone had completely fallen on the ground. It looked like an uprooted tree with all of its roots being visible. It was, thankfully, not damaged. But left in this condition it would be damaged in a short period of time.

These are those photographs:

With the supervision of Mr. J. C. Fuller, I returning to the cemetery on April 15, 2011 and reset the stone. I was very impressed that this stone, made from soft limestone, had survived, intact for 205 years. I will take a few weeks for the fresh soil to give way to grass, but I am pleased with the results.

Grave Stone Preservation note:
This stone was not damaged, only "uprooted", so the preservation effort was less involved than if it were broken. The instructions I used to reset this stone were given to me by a couple of experts in the cemetery preservation field.

I (with much care) set the stone to the side. After measuring the stone, I dug a hole about 10-12" deeper than the bottom point of the stones base. This made the hole about 30" deep. At the bottom of this hole I placed a concrete block and filled in the gaps around it with a mixture of soil and sand. Packing it as tightly as possible. I then placed a layer of sand on top of the block. Using extreme care, we placed the stone in an upright position on the newly formed base and worked alternating layers of soil and sand around the stone. A level was used several times during the process to make sure the stone was straight. I think this method will serve the stone well for years to come.

 These are the finished photographs:

Thanks to those who served our country through the years. Visit this page to view those who served and are buried at Old Union. Includes Civil War, World War I, World War II, & the Korean War.

Information provided on listings of Funeral Home Records have been taken from a book located at the public library in Paris, KY, Bourbon County.  This book is titled, (Davis) Hinton-Turner & Lusk-McFarland Funeral Home Records Paris KY 1896-1960

To view research information on people buried at Old Union Christian Church Cemetery, follow the following links by first letter of the last name.

[ A - B ]   [ C - D ]   [ E - F ]   [ G - H ]   [ I - J - K  - L ]   [ M - N - O ]   [ P - Q - R ]   [ S - T - U ]   [ V - W - X - Y - Z ]

[ View All ]

All information submitted to and published at this site is intended for research purpose only.  It may not be reproduced for commercial publication without the written consent of the creator.  All photographs on this site have been provided by the creator, they are not for sale, and they are for provided for genealogy research only. Although public records are not subject to copyright law, the design of format is a personal creation and is subject to the laws of copyright.  If you have any questions concerning the information published on this page, please feel free to email me.      David Shannon