Flowers for Mama

Last week we took our son to see his grandparents. He hadn't seen them since the year before he deployed, so it was important to make this trip during his first leave.

While there I took flowers to my Mama. It saddens me that I can't do it as often as I'd like. I'm about 1,050 miles from my hometown of Columbus, GA. I wanted to share something with her and added a bird to the flowers. Those that know me know my yard and gardens are designed with the birds in mind. A simple joy in life.

I love you and miss you dearly, Mama. Till we meet again.


Riverdale Cemetery



All Souls Day

Celebrated the 4th Monday in May

The South’s All Souls Day

In Columbus, Georgia, on April 9, 1866, the first anniversary of General Lee’s surrender, the ladies there did their honors, Mrs. Lizzie Rutherford Ellis of Columbus, Georgia, is credited for the first Confederate Memorial Day, along with Mrs. Anne Williams for her March 12, 1866, letter to the editor in the Columbus newspaper proposing the setting aside of April 26 annually as the observance of the South’s “All Soul’s Day”. Wikipedia

Life has flavor

Life has flavor the protected will never know

Kentucky Veterans Cemetery West

As an Army Mom with a son that recently returned from a year-long deployment in Afghanistan, I was moved by this epitaph. Our soldiers that serve in war carry many burdens.

This is a fairly new cemetery. The first interment was in 2004. I was surprised however, to find a small and very old cemetery in a clump of trees. I hope I can find out a little more about it.

Photo Essay

My post, Photo Monument: a photo essay, was posted over on the Online Journal of The Association of Graveyard Rabbits, where I served as online editor for a year.

Stop by if you have time. I share about the West Point Cemetery of Kingman County, Kansas.

Photo essay: A set or series of photographs that tell a story or evoke emotions in the viewer.

Antioch Dedication Memorial

I finally got out to see the dedication stone. I would like to see this happen to more of our rural cemeteries. And, I'm glad that I was a part of it. I'd like to think we had the opportunity to leave it better than we found it.

Happy Birthday, Coca Cola

In 1866 John Stith Pemberton, a pharmacist, produced a syrup that we know today as Coke. Originally it was a coca wine called Pemberton's French Wine Coca.

Murdered by a Southern Sympathizer

Charles Dow murdered by Frank Colman.

Read about his murder at Wikipedia. It is also recorded in the Stony Point Church and Cemetery and Historic Hickory Point by Ruth Endacott Brown in 1968.

It is believed there were about 75 burials here at one time. As with any early day cemetery that is moved some were probably unknown and missed.

Charles was later moved to the Oakwood cemetery, along with his father who had been buried at Stony Point cemetery.

The Dow and Stony Point cemeteries are located in Baldwin, just outside of Lawrence. I hope to visit the Dow grave at Oakwood on a future visit to the area.

Died in Southsea England

I have been researching my family history 12 years. I have never crossed the pond in my research. Does anyone have any connections to Southsea England?

Learn more about Southsea over at Wikipedia.

Vinita Cemetery

Dibbens lot



Anna Dibbens
Info online leads me to believe this is a cenotaph



Arthur Dibbens

Gertrude Dibbens

I am a big fan of Ancestry.com. I've been a subscriber since 2000. I use it for my personal research and also for people I want to know more about.

I found a passport record from October 1919 for Arthur and Anna, which includes his photo. This is most likely the trip in which she died.

Also at Ancestry.com are the following:
[Not sure if you can see without a subscription]

Their home at this link.
Anna's photo [Anna Ruth Jarman]
Anna & Arthur's photo

There are many more links to records, like census, for this family. I sure wish I could find my family this easy.

A quick stop in the rain

What an awesome week. My precious son is home from Afghanistan. I am posting photos over on his blog http://www.dearclayton.blogspot.com/

On the way home I made a quick stop at Cottonwood to see if I could find more family headstones for Russ. I didn't find any on my quick walk in the rain. I wanted to check the graves surrounding his GG GF since my initial photographs were randomly taken as I walked through the old section.

Thank goodness this is not a close-up photo. After the long wait and sleepless nights and celebration of Clayton's return I traveled home a little frumpy looking with my hair pulled back and no make-up. I was exhausted.

I had my husband roll the stone over on the one that has fallen so I could check out the name. A couple of Benson's are buried to the left of his grave, shown in the foreground.

I hope to be back posting next week after I catch my breath!

On the road

I have been busy lately. We traveled to Kentucky to see our son return home from Afghanistan after a year-long deployment. What a great day it was yesterday despite the cold and rain. I shared a short blog post over on the blog I've kept since our son deployed. Please stop by.

I had hoped to visit a new cemetery or two during my wait time but it has rained the entire time. Oh well, even that wasn't enough to dampen my spirits.

I'll be back soon!