My mother passed away last May from a lymphatic brain tumor, and since then I have struggled with the decision of when and where to lay her to rest. At the same time, I inherited my grandmother Dolores Nutter’s ashes, who passed in 1993 and was never laid to rest. For over 30 years, her ashes have been passed from place to place from Montana, Washington, Missouri and now South Carolina. Holding both of them, I realized something had been left unfinished for far too long.

Arranging their resting places in the family plot led to unexpected discoveries. The plot was listed under the last name Hellman, an unfamiliar name to me and a Harold F. Nutter, who passed in 1956, NOT my uncle Harold F Nutter who passed in 2012.

What I thought would be a simple process became an emotional deep dive into my family tree and discovered how these unknown names wove Into our family history. The cemetery plot dated back to the 1800s, and I discovered all of my ancestors: My great grandmother Amy Cronk Nutter, my great-uncle Harold F. Nutter and my grandfather John Henry Nutter, have been lying in unmarked graves for decades, the only marker is for my Great uncle Joseph Hellman

These ancestors homesteaded and helped build their community in the Flathead Valley. Amy Nutter, in particular, had a lifelong impact on starting the Flathead community, shaping its early days and leaving a legacy that deserves to be remembered.

I was prepared for the cost of my mother’s inurnment and granite maker as well as my grandmother’s inurnment, but i was not prepared for four additional grave markers.

It’s time for them to come home.

It’s time for them to be remembered.

Every dollar raised will go toward simple granite markers for the unmarked graves, This is about giving my ancestors their names back and honoring their lives.

I’m asking for your support to help restore dignity to my family and ensure they are remembered. Any contribution, no matter the size, will make a difference and mean so much to me and my family.