At 16 years old I was intrigued by cemeteries and being a young genealogist and family historian I recognized the benefit of cemeteries in the study of family history and an increasing popular interest in genealogy had led to me to an increased focus on them. I had a great concern for records being lost to destruction of cemeteries due to the fact that our Putnam County birth and death records only went as far back as 1880 and pioneers started to settle this area in the 1820's! We also had 4 county history books the oldest being published in 1879 in which I had studied extensively while doing genealogy on various families mentioned in them. In 1999 I was voted to the position of Vice President of the Putnam County Historical Society after which to the Presidental position which in turn led me to being nominated as the Putnam County Historian which I accepted and held for 2 terms or 8 years. (2nd youngest person to hold that position in the state at that time). In 2000 I created a cemetery group called Putnam County Cemetery Restoration Identification Project (PCCRIP) and organized meetings in the basement of the Roachdale library. In 2001 I went to the Indiana Statehouse and spoke on a Bill that became Law in 2002 giving jurisdiction to the DNR and protecting abandoned cemeteries from certain destruction and desecration. Genealogists and historians like me feel a sense of urgency surrounding the reclamation and preservation of this history. These places matter and merit our respect and protection because they represent our collective history and offer a way to preserve voices of those who were often left out of our historical narrative. Telling their stories through the preservation of their last resting places is vital to providing an authentic narrative of Putnam County history. I love the opportunity to enjoy rarely seen sculpture, intricate carvings, and amazing architecture, all in a peaceful outdoor setting. I am honored to dicuss and share my knowledge of the cemeteries of Putnam County Indiana.