Antioch Cemetery Dedication

A small crowd gathered yesterday for the dedication of Antioch Cemetery. This is the first sign placed by the genealogical society. The event was covered by the local paper. Here is a link [current today]: http://www.hutchnews.com/Todaystop/cemeteries

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Keith Neuway, RCGS member, showing where the sign will be placed when the post extension is complete.
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You can read my original post about this project here.

What's in the box?

I spotted this little box from a distance. Of course I wanted to know what was in the box. It is a ceramic book with the birth and death information painted on it for James and Elizabeth Wolfe. They are buried in Bean Cemetery.

Remembered

Hoosier Cemetery

Georgia's Photo

When I blogged about my Favorite Photo in July I received a surprise. I had recently added the "follow me" option to my blog and was amazed that one of my followers would be related to my favorite cemetery photo for Georgia Mustian Davis.

Linda followed up with an email that contained a picture of Georgia. I can't believe I forgot to post it!

The top portion of Georgia's headstone is my blog footer photo.

Thanks, Linda for sharing this photo with me.

Updated Cemetery List

I have updated my list of cemeteries that I have taken photos in since 1999:

140 Cemeteries
Cemetery name, County, State

Abbyville, Reno, KS
Abilene, Dickinson, KS
Amish, Reno, KS
Andover, McPherson, KS
Antioch, Reno, KS
Arlington, Reno, KS
Attica, Harper, KS
Bainum, Reno, KS
Baker, Reno, KS
Baxter Springs, Cherokee, KS
Beallwood, Muscogee, GA
Bean, Rice, KS
Buhler Municipal, Reno, KS
Buhler, Reno, KS
Burrton, Harvey, KS
Calvary, Crawford, KS
Campground, Holmes, FL
Cedar Hill, Terrell, GA
Coronado Heights, McPherson, KS
Cottonwood, Rice, KS
County Cemetery, Saline, KS
Eakins, Denton, TX
East Porterdale, Muscogee, GA
Eastside, Reno, KS
Eisenhower [Pres], Dickinson, KS
Ellsworth Memorial, Ellsworth, KS
Ellsworth, Ellsworth, KS
Elmwood, Montgomery, KS
Enterprise City, Coffee, AL
Evergreen, Muscogee, GA
Fairlawn Burial Park, Reno, KS
Fairview [Albion], Reno, KS
Fairview [Elmer], Reno, KS
Fairview Methodist, Reno, KS
Fairview Park, Stafford, KS
Fairview, Montgomery, KS
Flat Creek, Geneva, AL
Forest Home, Rice, KS
Ft. Dodge, Ford, KS
Ft. Scott National, Bourbon, KS
Geneseo, Rice, KS
Glendale, Reno, KS
Glenwood, Washington, FL
Grace Meadow, Marion, KS
Graceland, Meade, KS
Gypsum Hill, Saline, KS
Halsted, Harvey, KS
Haven Priest, Reno, KS
Hayes Township, Reno, KS
Hazen, Reno, KS
Hebron, Harvey, KS
Highland Park, Crawford, KS
Hillside, Edwards, KS
Hoffnungsau, McPherson, KS
Hoosier, Kingman, KS
Hunt Shive, Harvey, KS
Hurricane Creek, Holmes, FL
Indian Hill, Dickinson, KS
Iola, Allen, KS
Kinsley, Edwards, KS
Langdon Old, Reno, KS
Laurel, Reno, KS
Lerado, Reno, KS
Lincoln, Lincoln, KS
Linwood, Muscogee, GA
Liscum, Rice, KS [x]
Little River Township, Reno, KS
Lodiana, Rice, KS
Lone Star, Reno, KS
Lutheran, Reno, KS
Maple Hill Langdon, Reno, KS
Maranatha, Reno, KS
Martin, Stafford, KS
Mitchell, Reno, KS
Morgan Methodist, Calhoun, GA
Mother Bickerdyke, Ellsworth, KS
Mt. Ida, Holmes, FL
Mt. Olive, Crawford, KS
Neola, Stafford, KS
New Bethel, Terrell, GA
New Hope, Houston, AL
New Providence, Houston, AL
Park Hill, Muscogee, GA
Partridge, Reno, KS
Pawnee Rock, Barton, KS
Peace Bethel, Reno, KS
Peace Creek, Reno, KS
Peace Valley, Reno, KS
Peaceful Acres, Covington, AL
Penwell Gabel, Reno, KS
Plainview Amish, Reno, KS
Pleasant Hill - Loda, Reno, KS
Pleasant Hill - Ninnescah, Reno, KS
Pleasant Ridge, Johnson, KS
Pleasant Valley, Stafford, KS
Pleasant View - Darlow, Reno, KS
Pleasant View - Huntsville, Reno, KS
Plevna, Reno, KS
Ponce DeLeon, Holmes, FL
Porterdale, Muscogee, GA
Pretty Prairie Mennonite, Reno, KS
Ramah PBC, Houston, AL
Reese Baptist, Geneva, AL
Reformatory, Reno, KS
Rehobeth, Houston, AL
Restlawn, Montgomery, KS
Rice Co Poor Farm, Rice, KS
Riverdale, Muscogee, GA
Rockville, Rice, KS
S. Inman, McPherson, KS
Salem Orphans Home, Marion, KS
Salem, Reno, KS
Schooley, Reno, KS
Sego, Reno, KS
Shirly, Crawford, KS
Simmons, Chase, KS
Smith, Houston, AL
Smoky Hill, McPherson, KS
St. Agnes Catholic, Reno, KS
St. Aloysius, Crawford, KS
St. Joseph Catholic, Reno, KS
St. Joseph Highland, Clark, KS
St. Louis, Kingman, KS
St. Patricks, Dickinson, KS
St. Paul Lutheran, Reno, KS
Stafford, Stafford, KS
Sterling Community, Rice, KS
Sterling Mennonite, Reno, KS
Sweet Gum Head, Holmes, FL
Sylvia, Reno, KS
Tabernacle, Geneva, AL
Thiessen Old, Reno, KS
Turon, Reno, KS
Unnamed, Stafford, KS
Valley Township, Reno, KS
Westminster Old, Reno, KS
Wildmead, Reno, KS
Windom, McPherson, KS
Yoder Amish, Reno, KS
Yoder Mennonite, Reno, KS

Sleep on dear babe

Glen E. McMahan
Lone Star Cemetery

The top of his headstone reads

Gleen E.

son of

A. H. & K. McMahan

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The Reno County death records has his name & death listed as:

Glen E. McMahon.
9/22/1892

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Perhaps this county level death ledger and his headstone are the only records of his brief life. Two other possibilities would be a family bible entry and an obituary.

Life & Death

Geneseo Cemetery

Just Curious

Hey, Lady. What are you doing over there?

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I had an audience today while at Lone Star Cemetery and I'm sure this is what he said to me.

To be laid in the dust

I purchased the DVD set "Ancestors, Discovering Your Heritage" to use in a program for our genealogical society. Episode 201, "Records at Risk" opens with an excerpt from the diary of Joseph Kemp, dated April 1, 1853-

"It is now night and all silent. I am here alone and in silence all my past friends with all my relations fall heavy on my mind. They are all gone, and I too must soon follow. To be laid in the dust in the silent grave and there to be forever forgotten makes the cold chills run over my whole body. I have a hope beyond the grave. That hope is that when I am consigned to my grave, that someone on the earth might remember me."

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Wow! That made my heart heavy for Joseph. Does this convey your feelings too? It does mine.

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Pictured: Unknown grave at Geneseo Cemetery.

Another Sears Headstone

It's highly likely this was purchased from Sears. This is a photo from the 1908 catalog.
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Maudie Jackson was born in 1907 and died in 1909. She is buried at Geneseo Cemetery.

Cemetery Sign Grant

I'm so EXCITED!!!
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I am a member of my local genealogical society. One area that I coordinate is our cemetery records. [imagine that!] Earlier this summer I applied for a grant from Honoring Our Ancestors for one of our community connections projects and I was recently notified that our application was selected. These are projects where we connect with or give back to our community. The grant was for our cemetery sign project. There are 17 of our 54 cemeteries without a name sign. It is our goal to have a sign placed at each of them. Our county public works has agreed to work with us on this project. You can read about it here and here.


Now, any of you into genealogy will recognize the name Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak. She awards a monthly grant that is funded by her personally. Megan serves as Chief Family Historian and spokesperson for Ancestry.com. She is also President of RootsTelevision.com. RootsTelevsion is online TV for genealogists. Even if you are not into genealogy you will find some great cemetery videos on the Dearly Departed channel. I love the "Down Under" series. Megan is responsible for correcting history by revealing the true story of Annie Moore, the first immigrant through Ellis Island. You can see more about this on RootsTelevision.
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Thank you, Megan!

Library Shelf: Cemetery Resources

GYR Carnival - September
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My personal research library contains resources for genealogy and cemeteries, among many other books. This is my list of cemetery resources.

I would love to know what cemetery books you have, refer to, can't live without. Please share with me in the comments.

Books
· Biedermann, Hans. [translated by James Hurlburt]. Dictionary of Symbolism. New York: Penguin. 1994.
· Brown, John Gary. Soul In The Stone; Cemetery Art from Americas Heartland. Lawrence, KS: The University Press of Kansas. 1994.
· Bruce-Mitford, Miranda. The Illustrated Book of Signs & Symbols. New York: DK Publishing. 1996.
· Carmack, Sharon DeBartolo. Your Guide to Cemetery Research. Cincinnati, OH: Betterway Books. 2002.
· Cooper, Gaylord. Stories Told In Stone; Cemetery Iconology. Louisville, KY: Motes Books. 2009.
· Dhanjal, Beryl. Signs & Symbols. Edison, New Jersey: Chartwell Books, Inc. 2008.
· Ferguson, George. Signs & Symbols in Christian Art. New York: Oxford University Press. 1972.
· Gillon, Jr, Edmund V. Victorian Cemetery Art. New York: Dover Publications. 1972.
· Greene, Meg. Rest In Peace; A History of American Cemeteries. Minneapolis, MN: Twenty-First Century Books. 2008.
· Keister, Douglas. Stories in Stone; A Field Guide to Cemetery Symbolism and Iconography. Layton, Utah. Gibbs Smith. 2004.
· Keister, Douglas. Forever Dixie; A Field Guide to Southern Cemeteries and Their Residents. Layton, Utah: Gibbs Smith. 2008.
· Keister, Douglas. Going Out In Style; The Architecture of Eternity. New York: Facts on File, Inc. 1997.
· Lehner, Ernst. Symbols Signs & Signets. New York: Dover Publications. 1950.
· Powers-Douglas. Cemetery Walk; A Journey into the Art, History and Society of the Cemetery and Beyond. Bloomington, IN: Author House. 2005.
· Rutherford, Sarah. The Victorian Cemetery. Great Britain: Shire Publications. 2008.
· Wiggins, Dr. David N. Images of America; Georgia’s Confederate Monuments and Cemeteries. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing. 2006.
· Wood, Nick. Coffin Nails and Tombstone Trails. A Journey Across the Dark Side of America. Mainstream Publishing Co. 1999.
· Worpole, Ken. Last Landscapes, The Architecture of the Cemetery in the West. London: Reaktion Books, LTD. 2003.
· Yalom, Marilyn. The American Resting Place; Four Hundred Years of History Through our Cemeteries and Burial Grounds. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. 2008..

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Wish List
· Bunnen, Lucinda; Smith, Virginia Warren. Scoring in Heaven; Gravestones and Cemetery Art of the American Sunbelt States. Aperture. 1991.
· Enss, Chris. Tales Behind the Tombstones; The Deaths and Burials of the Old West’s Most Nefarious Outlaws, Notorious Women and Celebrated Lawmen. 2007.
· Felsen, Gregg. Tombstones; Seventy Five Famous People and Their Final Resting Places. 1996.
· Galland, China. Love Cemetery. Unburying the Secret History of Slaves. 2007.
· Koontz, Dean, Robinson, David, Photographer. Beautiful Death. Penguin Studio Books. 1996.
· Lamments, Dietrich Christian; Taylor, Mark C. Grave Matters. Reaktion Books. 2002.
· O’Connell, Mark, Airey, Raje, Craze, Richard. The Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia of Symbols, Signs & Dream Interpretation. London. Anness Publishing Ltd, Hermes House. 2008.
· Meyer, Richard E. Cemeteries and Gravemarkers: Voices of American Culture. Logan Utah: Utah State University Press. 1989.
· Tressider, Jack. The Complete Dictionary of Symbols. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. 2005.

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Booklets
· AGS Field Guide No. 1: Analyzing Cemetery Data
· AGS Field Guide No. 3: Guide to Forming a “Cemetery Friends” Organization
· AGS Field Guide No. 7: Making Photographic Records of Gravestones
· AGS Field Guide No. 8: Symbolism in the Carving on Gravestones
· AGS Field Guide No. 17: Recording Cemetery Data

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PDF Files
· Lettering in Marble [from AGS web site]
· Translating Tombstones [Powers-Douglas, Minda]
· Waterhouse Symbolism Newsletter [Waterhouse, Richard – No. 1 to present]
· GPS Locating Cemeteries [FGS Strategy Series, Set 1 No. 27]

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Published Cemetery Interment Records for:
· Dale Co., AL
· Coffee Co., AL
· Pike Co., AL
· Holmes Co., FL
· Hartford Cemetery, Geneva Co., AL
· Reno Co., KS

His face is hid under the coffin lid

Charlie Troy rests at Bean Cemetery. Three sides of his headstone were inscribed.

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(1) Charlie, son of B. F. & Anna Troy. Died Dec. 10, 1885, Aged 17 Yrs. 8 Mos. 10 Ds

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(2) In blooming youth he was snatched away. In him we took pride.

Gone before us, oh our brother to the spirit land.

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(3) I know his face is hid

under the coffin lid

closed are his eyes

cold is his forehead fair

my hand that marble felt

o're it in prayer I knelt

yet my heart whispers

that he is not there

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If you Google "his face is hid under the coffin lid" you will find reference to a poem entitled "My Child". I also found it recorded in the book "The Home Book of Verse, American and English, 1580 - 1918."

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A quick check on Ancestry.com revealed a family tree with Charlie listed. It gave his birth date as 3/30/1868 and his parents as Benjamin Franklin and Anne Ramsey Troy.

Where is May buried?

I purchased this mourning card for $2.14 at an antique store in Hutchinson, KS. I'd love to find out where May is buried and see if she has a headstone. I thought I had a good lead on the correct family but tracking them in additional census proved this May Beitel lived beyond 1890. I know that I will encounter spelling variances with this surname. And, even better than finding her burial site would be to reunite this with direct family.

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May Beightol

Died Nov. 13, 1890

Shopping for a headstone

Can you imagine shopping for your headstone needs from Sears or Montgomery Ward, from their catalog? Well, at one time you could.

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Grave guards and arches first appeared in the 1897 Sears Fall catalog. Beginning with the 1902 Spring catalog Sears issued a special tombstone catalog annually until 1949.

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I have copies of several catalog pages and tried to find a headstone photo from my collection that closely resembled one from catalogue no. 117, 1908 issue, The Great Price Maker. It looks a lot like it.

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The Laughlin surname stone is in the Haven Priest Cemetery. James died in 1906 and Hazel in 1926.

Peaceful Views

2 photos from my recent adventure.


Smoky Hill Cemetery
McPherson Co., KS


Indian Hill Cemetery
Dickinson Co., KS

Crushed to death

Another life cut short.



W. H. Lauver Is Killed
An Employee at the Soda Ash Plant Crushed to Death
from Tuesday's dailey.

Will H. Lauver, aged 18 years, a laborer employed at the Kansas Chemical Manufacturing company plant, was instantly killed at 10:49 this forenoon, while working under a rotary furnace. The furnance is being dismantled to be replaced by another, and Lauver was engaged in shoveling away brick underneath the huge long rotary. Standing against the end of the furnance and just in front of where he was seated, working, picking up the brick, was an iron plate, seven feet wide and five feet high, a part of the furnance which had been removed. This plate, weighing over a ton was propped up and standing against the furnance in such a way that Lauver undermined it while removing brick and it toppled over on him.

Was without warning
The heavy plate fell without warning, crushing Lauver's head against the furnance, crushing the skull and instantly killing him. He had no warning; he did not have time to scream. Workmen nearby who saw it shouted, but not until it had fallen, and with a full, sickening thud crushed the life from their fellow workman. Quickly the heavy plate was pried up, but Lauver was dead. Surgeons were summoned, and Dr. J. E. Foltz, the first to arrive reached the scene in his automobile making the run of three miles in less than seven minutes. Dr. C. A. Mann arrived a little later. But there was nothing they could do. The body was removed to the morgue of Johnson & Son in an ambulance. Some of the working men went to the home of the deceased to notify his sister, with whom he lived, Mrs. Ethel Whittle, 15 Fifth avenue west.

First serious accident
"This is the first serious accident that has occured at the plant since it was first built", said on of the foreman." With all of this heavy machinery which has been handled, not a man has been hurt. And now a comparatively small plate of iron has killed a man." Willie Lauver was the son of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Lauver, of Nickerson. He was one of a family of nine children. The father is a letter carrier in the rural free delivery service. His brother, D. S. Lauver, is a school teacher at Turon. He will arrive tonight. He has been staying with his sister, Mrs. Ethel Whittle, who lives at 15 Fifth west. Young Lauver came to Hutchinson two weeks ago and had been working at the soda ash plant about a week.

Hutchinson News, Tuesday, March 23, 1911
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On my next visit to the library I will look for an obituary.
Nickerson is 10 miles NW from Hutchinson, the county seat, and Turon is approximately 30 miles SW.

Will was buried at Wildmead Cemetery in Nickerson.

A walk at Wildmead

Last week I visited the cemetery where (someday) I will be laid to rest. Here are a few photos from my walk.

Young man sleeping

I came across this grave during my walk in the Lincoln Cemetery. Searching the internet led me to a message board posting that reveals David L. Farnsworth died on 9/23/1878, at the age of 14 years, 9 months & 23 days, the same day his parents were burying his little sister, Margretta Jane. She died on 9/18/1878 at the age of 7 years, 3 months & 19 days. Both died of Diptheria.

I took several photos of his grave, with and without flash, since it was hard to see. What I found was a little boy sitting against a tree stump. He appears to have fallen asleep with a book on his lap. I obviously missed any headstone for his little sister, but did get the one for his parents, L. D. and Barbara A. Farnsworth. What a beautiful memorial.
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I found the family in the 1875 Lincoln Co., KS state census.

Symbol Mystery Solved

In a previous post I asked for the meaning of a symbol on the headstone of Edgar E. Phillips. The answer was found in his obituary and also an article on the page before his obituary.

Sons and Daughters of Justice

This is a fraternal insurance and was founded January 7, 1897.

Most references I have found so far are found in Kansas.

I may research it further at a later date.

S and D of Justice Banquet

They also plan campaign for new members to start in November

A banquet was served the Sons and Daughters of Justice last night at Hook's hall on First Avenue west. During the banquet several of the members made short talks, among them I. L. Hook and James Whitlock. W. Winters, a deputy from Wichita, was here to attend the banquet.

A membership campaign was planned at the banquet which begins November 2 and closes January 1. If by January 1 there are 320 members in good standing when the campaign closes the member in this district, which takes in Wichita, having the most new members to his credit, will receive a Ford car as a prize.

Hutchinson News, 10/13/1916, Page 7

Edgar E. Phillips Dies

Well known lodge worker had been ill two years.

Edgar E. Phillips, well-known among lodge workers of the city, died last night at 10 o'clock at the home of his mother, Mrs. Elizabeth Phillips, 300 Avenue B east. He had been ill for the past two years, with stomach trouble, his case having been pronounced incurable over a year ago.

Mr. Phillips was born December 30, 1870. He had lived in Hutchinson for a number of years and is survived by his wife, Mrs. Albertina Phillips; his mother, Mrs. Elizabeth Phillips; his father, W. F. Phillips, of Peoria, Ill; two brothers and three sisters. They are J. B. Phillips, of Burrton; Otis Phillips, of Godfrey, Ill; Mrs. Ollie Nash, of Godfrey, Ill; Mrs. Norm Sharp, of Kansas City, MO; and Miss Helen Phillips, of Oklahoma.

As head consul of the Modern Woodman and financier of the Sons and Daughters of Justice, Mr. Phillips was well known among the lodge men of the city. He was a member of Hadley Methodist Church.

Funeral services are to be held Sunday afternoon at Hadley Methodist church at 3 o'clock with Rev. W. T. Danner to preach the sermon. The Odd Fellows will be in charge of the funeral services. Interment will be in Eastside cemetery.

Hutchinson News, 10/13/1916, P8

I had photographed what remains of the old Hadley Methodist Church a while back.

Small world or...

Recently I took a weekend trip close to home - within a few hours drive. On the day to return I decided to visit St. Patricks Cemetery in Dickinson County, about 75 miles from where I live.

I'm glad I did. St. Patricks is a beautiful cemetery on a hillside. As I walked and photographed headstones a small flat one tugged on my heart strings. Upon returning home I wanted to find out more on Elley's family. I found her, listed as Ellen, with her family on the 1880 Dickinson County federal census. Next, I searched Ancestry.com for a family tree and almost fell out of my chair when the file for a member of my local genealogical society popped up. This member lives out of town but we communicate via email on projects for our society. I quickly emailed her to share my find. This was information she did not have [regarding dates & burial] for this sister of her great grandmother and she was very happy to receive it. This was not the end of my surprise.

Little Elley's parents are buried right here where I live. I don't know the details of how they ended up here. I suppose that doesn't matter. I went to visit John and Lizzie. Perhaps they know Elley had a visitor recently!
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John & Elizabeth Donnelly Devine

Fairlawn Burial Park - Reno Co., KS

Both were born in Ireland

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This is not the best photo due to the position of the sun but look closely and you can see Elley's flat stone among the numerous tall ones.
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Note the Angel carved in the top of Elley's headstone.