While researching my roots on Long Island I’ve discovered I’m a descendant of Lion Gardiner also along with the Montauk Native American’s on the Island – Been digging into the 1600’s old books and researching all I can on Long Island History – I’ve also been doing the Find A Grave (Can view my cemetery on left) And thur Sheryl Robinson (President of Riverside Cemetery in Chemung, New York and also a cousin in law to me thur the Chagum/Barber line) She informed me she has:- Israel & Ruth (Howell) Parshall & Thomas & Mercy (Lamb) Keeney in her cemetery and I’ve been trying to hunt down their burial – I just had to share the story of how this all came about (This is an email between Sheryl and I)

Dear Coni,
I received a phone call last Wednesday that someone plowed into our cemetery fence at the cemetery of which I am president. I told the sexton I would meet him Friday afternoon at the cemetery to assess the damages. The date yesterday (Friday) was February 18th. That morning I was able to download and get into the files you sent me. (took 45 minutes to download) I read Lion Gardiner’s personal account of the Pequot War….he was a good writer, VERY interesting! Then, right before I was to get ready to go to the cemetery, I read the Gardiner genealogy and recognized a name, Israel Parshall. I have a person by that name buried in my cemetery. I followed the line of descent and found our Israel Parshall and Ruth Howell/Hoel in the Gardiner line. I then closed down my computer and went to the cemetery to meet the sexton. I took my camera to take a picture of the damages. When I arrived I noticed, just behind the fence that was plowed down by a drunk driver, a stone that had “just” been missed. Deacon Thomas Keeney. and next to his stone was Israel and Ruth Hoel Parshall.

I took a picture of the stones and the damage that almost collected them all. On Israel Parshall’s stone was his death date, February 18, 1827, exactly 186 years before the date I was there.

This morning I looked at your descent from Lion Gardiner to your dad, Rex Allen and there they were, Israel and Ruth Hoel/Howell Parshall, their daughter Anna and her husband, son of Deacon Thomas Keeney.

I’m sorry but that gave me “chicken skin”!!!!!!!!!

I am trying to get my cemetery on the Historical Register. I have submitted a book with all the historical things I could come up with related to it. The meeting to determine the cemetery’s status is in March. I need to get this information to our representative so he can have it at the meeting.

I also have an advocate, Dr. Earl Robinson (no relation) who writes historical articles for a local paper. I don’t believe he has ever made this connection. I plan to forward the info about Israel Parshall’s descent from the famous Lion Gardiner.

You know how we have talked about our ancestors directing us to important information and connections? Well this is a PRIME example of how it can happen!!!!
Luv ya!
Sheryl Robinson