It had an edge of politics about it — this visit to a Montpelier cemetery by a presidential candidate. In the heat of a nationwide campaign, what doesn't?

But forget the politics. When Republican nominee Bob Dole visited the gravesite of his great-great-grandfather; Michael Dole, the other day at Lash Cemetery outside Montpelier it was a touching and emotional moment, and we commend Mr. Dole for it.

Presidential candidates don't spend a lot of time in rural villages; they prefer to campaign where they can get the most bang for the buck. And Republican presidential candidates know they're probably preaching to the choir anyway when they come to small conservative towns like Montpelier

That makes Mr. Dole's visit to the Williams County community - believed to be the first time a presidential candidate has stopped there - all the more special. It's likely that decades have passed since somebody from the Dole family has visited the grave.

Mr. Dole can thank Alan Benjamin, who lives just outside Montpelier, for tracking the connection between Bob Dole and Michael Dole, who farmed about 150 acres northeast of town in the 1850s and died in 1867.

Bob Dole is lucky How many Americans know exactly where their great-great-grand-parents are buried? By stopping to walk the land and kneel at the burial site, Mr. Dole demonstrated his awareness that embracing family values means love and appreciation not only for living family members but for those who have died as well.

That's why places such as Lash Cemetery are so important. And it's why a $1.72 million fundraising project to protect Toledo's historic Woodlawn Cemetery must succeed. Respect and admiration for the sacrifices of our elders should never end with their deaths. May Bob Dole never forget his Montpelier connection.