Jorgenson's in Peotone Cemetery

In June of 2017, I visited the grave of my Danish immigrant Third Great Grandfather, Ole Jorgenson. He was buried in the Peotone Cemetery, less than five miles from the land he had once owned there in Will County, Illinois. The cemetery has over 4000 graves and no directory on site. There are a lot of shade trees, but we were there on a sultry summer day walking the entire cemetery looking for graves. We were on vacation, it was the only chance I've had to visit these graves.

Ole

Jorgenson

1837-1908

Caroline

Jorgenson

1848-1911

Ole is Lena Roscoe's father, but her mother died in Denmark before 1866. Caroline is Lena's stepmother, likely the only mother she could remember. All six of Lena's siblings are actually half-siblings. 

Four graves of those half-siblings are in Peotone beside the parents. Andrew Jorgenson in Peotone predeceased his parents in 1900 at age 27. Bertha Bentall, Walter Jorgenson and Merlin Belle McKee are also buried in Peotone. Two more half-siblings are Hannah Judson, who lies in Rosehill Cemetery in Chicago, and Peter Jorgenson, who is buried in Highland Home Cemetery in Ledyard, Iowa. 

Denmark would be a great place to visit someday. I have some work to do before I get the chance to visit Lena's mother's grave. Starting with learning her name.

Roscoe's in Oak Grove Cemetery in DeWitt

Setting on a hill just west of the village of DeWitt, Nebraska is the Oak Grove Cemetery. It's a good sized cemetery, with over 1900 graves. The old iron entrance sign remains in place without a fence to separate the old section from the new. The grave of my Third Great Grandparents, David and Mary Roscoe, is just inside that old entrance sign.

David died within five years of moving to Nebraska from Will County, Illinois. Mary got married again, became a widow a second time, and at her death 39 years after her first husband died was laid to rest beside him in Oak Grove. On the opposite side of David's inscription is only "Mother" and her birth and death dates, no name. I even tried using aluminum foil (I don't recommend trying that on a windy day) to see if there was an inscription that had faded, but there wasn't.  

David A. Roscoe

died

May 13, 1884

61 Yrs

Mother

Dec. 10, 1839

Mar. 15, 1923

David and Mary were blessed with 10 children. Daughter Martha Roscoe, predeceased both of her parents in 1875 at age 18 before the family moved to Nebraska. When I was in Peotone, I searched for but found no sign of her grave. 

In Oak Grove, along with the parents, lies son Ervin Ward Roscoe who died in 1886 also at 18. In the 1880 census it's noted he has rheumatism, and in 1885 he is "disabled". For some reason Ervin W has two stones beside each other there in Oak Grove. 

The grown children moved to different parts of the country, and in the end, their graves are located in six different states. 

Along with Martha in Peotone is the only other daughter, Nancy Baird's grave. Two sons resting in Nebraska are William Roscoe who is buried in Clatonia, and George Corbin Roscoe, who lies in Swan Valley Cemetery, just ten miles from DeWitt.

The remaining five sons are in four other states. Sherman Roscoe is buried in Shenandoah, Iowa, Frank A Roscoe in Salt Lake City, Utah, Burtrus Roscoe in Des Moines, Iowa, Edward Roscoe in Ridgway, Colorado and Charles Roscoe is buried in Sunnyside, Washington.

David Roscoe's mother's grave is in the Peotone Cemetery. I looked for it when I was there, but didn't find it. There is a photograph that was posted on Find A Grave in 2014 and the stone is broken in half. By 2017, it might have deteriorated more and was beyond finding. 

Visiting any more of my Fourth Great Grandparents in this branch of the family would mean air travel for me. David's father Russell Roscoe is buried in the Town of Frankfort Cemetery in Frankfort, New York. The graves of Mary's parents, Isaac and Philomena Fero, are unknown to me but would also be in New York. Maybe someday... 

The Relocated Grave of Polly Parmley

The daughter of Revolutionar War Soldier John Adair Jr and his wife Mary, Mary "Polly" Adair was more likely born about 1795 than the 1799 date on her tombstone. Her marriage to David Bell occurred in 1812 when she would have been about 17 which seems more realistic. David & Polly Bell had 4 children, John Silas, Barbara, William Beaver and Elizabeth. David died in 1818 and the next year, Mary was married to Garner Parmley who is buried beside her. 

A cemetery listing that was created in 1978 gives her death date as 1875. She was originally buried in the Twyford Cemetery #1.  Her grave was relocated before the creation of the Wolf Creek Dam in 1952. She was moved to a cemetery originally called New Bethel Cemetery, now called Parnell Methodist Church Cemetery. I would guess her tombstone has been placed sometime in the past 50 years or so. Her  I visited her grave in 1996 and got this poor photo with the sun behind it. It was amazing to be standing at the grave of my Fourth Great Grandmother.

I've never found a record of a grave for Polly's parents, John and Mary Adair, but it may not have been marked when graves were relocated for the dam. David & Polly's daughter Barbara is buried in Bearwallow Cemetery in Adair county. William Beaver's grave is unknown to me. Elizabeth is also buried in the Parnell Methodist Church Cemetery. 

Bells in the Stringer Cemetery

In what seemed like just a field, was the very small Stringer Cemetery in Wayne County, Kentucky. It had not been mowed in a very long time when we were there in July of 1996. Martha Bell's parents, John Silas and Rutha (Simpson) Bell are resting there.

Rutha Bell's inscription is very hard to make out in this photo. It was hard enough in person. I had my video camera when we were there and on the video I am saying that "I think that says Ru something a Bell April something April 1907". Rutha died April 11, 1907. I wonder what it looks like now. 

Also on the video I show the grave for Elizabeth Stringer, a daughter of John Silas and Rutha. I remember seeing a grave for Emily Bell with no dates which could be another daughter, but I don't have that on video. Ursula Reynolds, another daughter, is buried there and likely a daughter named Sophronia Bell, but I didn't see graves for either of them. John Silas and Rutha had two sons - Ira Garner Bell, buried in the Simpson Cemetery, also in Wayne County and Elisha Bell, who is buried in Rusk, Texas in the State Hospital (Asylum) Cemetery.

Ruth was one of 12 children born to Reuben Simpson & Martha Merritt. I don't know the location of her parents graves, but they would also be in Wayne County.

John Silas Bell's grave inscription was also barely legible. He died in 1878, It was incredible to me that I could find it at all. You can just barely see that the inscription "John S Bell". 

I remember reading somewhere that marked graves were moved to higher ground before the Wolf Creek Dam was built on the Cumberland River in 1952. John's father David Bell died in 1818. His grave marker, if there ever was one, was likely not found and no record of one exists. 

On this trip to Wayne County, I also visited John Silas' mother's grave which I'll post next. 

Bells in the Giltner Cemetery

Quiety resting in the Giltner Cemetery are several members of the Bell family. In January, I wrote about my maternal Grandparents grave in the Aurora Cemetery and then followed my Grandma's ancestoral line as far as the graves I have visited. Just a few miles southwest of Aurora is the Giltner Cemetery on the east edge of the small town of Giltner. It's a good sized cemetery with all natural grass, once lined with cedar trees on the north side, there are no trees left there. The grave of my Great Grandparents, Cicero and Allie Bell is sinking.

BELL

Father                      Mother

CICERO                      ALLIE L

June 29, 1869              May 19, 1871

Apr 4, 1944                  JAN 19, 1959

Cicero and Allie were both gone before I was born so I have no memories of them. Both orginally from Kentucky, they moved several times before bringing their combined family to Nebraska. There is no mention of it on the grave, but both Cicero and Allie had lost a previous spouse. The blended family of seven boys remained close throughout their lives. 

Allie had one son from her first marriage, Bill Vickrey, who is buried in Fairbury, Nebraska. Her parents are buried in Wayne County, Kentucky. Allie had one brother living in Illinois who died just 3 months after her death. Another brother and seven sisters died before her and are buried in Kentucky, Tennessee and Illinois. Allie also had two half-sisters who were 20 and 21 years younger than her. 


Cicero had four children from his first marriage to Mittie Ramsey. Two infants died and are buried in Flint, Texas along with their mother. The family had only lived in Texas a few years. Cicero and the two oldest boys, Frank and Oren, moved back to Kentucky and the boys grew up with Allie as their step-mom. Frank is also buried in the Giltner Cemetery. Oren is buried in Oklahoma. At the time of Cicero's death he knew seven grandsons and eight granddaughters. Two grandsons and another granddaughter were born in the following few years. 

The four sons Cicero and Allie had together all died in Hamilton County and are buried within 30 miles of each other. Ben, the oldest, is also in Giltner, Virgil, the youngest, lies in Phillips, and Ed and my Grandpa Stan, are in Aurora.

I know I was at this cemetery in the 1980's or even earlier, but I was surprised when I learned from the book "Historical Sketches of Giltner," that Cicero's mother was buried there. Until I saw that I assumed she had never left Kentucky. It was probably 1995 when I first visited Martha's grave and aside from getting chipped up by the lawnmower, it's in good shape and not sinking much. It sits right next to Cicero and Allie's grave.

Martha Bell's daughter, Laura Alcorn, is buried in the Westlawn Cemetery, here in Grand Island. John, the middle son of Martha, is buried in Russellville, Kentucky. I have been to Martha's parents grave in Wayne County, Kentucky, which I'll post next. 

I Left a Stone Unturned

On a hot summer day in 1998, July 9 to be exact, I visited the Bunker Hill Cemetery in Buda, Illinois to visit the graves of my Third Great Grandparents Charles and Susannah Lee. Notes in some family papers had told me they were there. 

It was getting toward evening when we got to the cemetery. Bunker Hill has only a few hundred graves and sits just north of a little church which I think was still in use at that time. It was the first time I made my family take time while on a vacation to let me do some genealogy work. They were patient (worn out from swimming) and even a little helpful. 

My husband might have found it first, to the left of the entrance only a few rows back under an old cedar tree. It was lying down with Charles' inscription on the up-side. There was just enough light left to read the inscription. I was sure that Susannah's name would be on the other side, but I didn't dare to turn it over. A few years later, someone posted photos on Find A Grave of the stone upright and with Susannah's inscription. Obviously, the photo had been taken years before it was posted and before I was there. 


Susannah died April 24, 1851 after giving birth to their third child, Thomas Jefferson Lee. She left a five-year-old son and two-year-old daughter, my Great Grandmother Sarah. I haven't confirmed any other family members for her, I've found very few records with her name at all.

Thomas died at four months old on September 8.


It was just ten years later when Charles died. I'd love to uncover the cause of his death at only 41. He had one sister that I know of - Hannah Holmes, wife of Lewis. She was also living in Bureau County when both Susannah and Charles died. I assume she helped Charles raise his two children until her death in 1858.

Charles' mother Polly Lee was living with Hannah and her husband in 1850, but I've found no record of her after that. There are some possible leads through DNA for parents of Charles, but finding documentation that confirms anything has been difficult.  I've had no success with what few records I've had time to discover. 

A Trip to Decatur City Cemetery

         Negley 

Ruth Foster          John

        1808   1895          1808  1884   

Decatur City Cemetery, in Decatur City, Iowa was the first cemetery that I visited along Highway 2 going across Iowa to Illinois in July, 2014. It was early afternoon when we got there and getting pretty hot out. There was no on-site directory and it took some time to find the grave of John and Ruth Foster Negley, parents of Josiah Foster Negley. 

Four of their seven children were living at the time of their deaths, David, John Calvin and Susannah lived near them in Iowa and Josiah was in Nebraska. It would have been a 250 mile trip for Josiah to get to their funerals, I don't know if he was able to go for either of them. Both John and Ruth died in the month of December, when the weather can sometimes make travel difficult. 

John and Ruth lost two boys when they were very young and a daughter died in her 20's. David and John Calvin, as well as many grandchildren and other relatives also lie in the Decatur City Cemetery. The other five children are resting in Pennsylvania, Illinois, Nebraska and other parts of Iowa. 

Pennsylvania is a long way from where I am, but I would like to get there someday. If I do, I will visit the graves of both John and Ruth's parents. Jacob and Phebe Negley are buried in St Paul's UCC Church Cemetery in Huntingdon County. Ruth's parents, Richard and Charity Foster lie in the Duvalls Cemetery in Bedford County.

Negley's in Harvard Cemetery

Going back to my series about the grave's I've been to, I'll pick up with the Negley family line. The parents of my Great Grandma Sadie Negley McGrath are Josiah and Sarah M. Negley.   

The Negley family plot is in the northeast corner of the Harvard Cemetery, about 45 miles from my home. I've been there a few times. It's a good sized cemetery that is kept up well and has a nice electronic directory on-site that is a great help for finding graves.

The first loss for the Negley family was son Newton who died of tetanus in 1887 when he was 13. Josiah & Sarah's daughter Sadie and son Bill rest in the Aurora Cemetery, son George Oscar Negley is buried in the Stockham cemetery, and the other three are beside their parents in Harvard. All of these graves are within 30 miles of each other.

The elements have been very hard on these. Three of them are nearly illegible, especially in bright sunlight. Josiah lies on the far right and the others are in the order below, going to the left.

Josiah F.

1846-1922

Sarah M. 

1849-1927

Alice M. 

1877-1962

 

Josia D C Negley

Nebraska

PVT 7 Trench Mortar BN

World War I

Sept 12, 1881   Dec. 3, 1967

Newton 

1874-1887

Mary

1907 - 1908

Josiah & Sarah's granddaughter, Mary, is buried to the left of Josia D C or "Cal". She is the infant daughter of George Oscar and Lena Negley. Also buried in a different section in the Harvard cemetery are Sarah's brother, George Washington Lee and members of his family. 

The parents of Josiah and Sarah are resting in cemeteries in Iowa and Illinois. I've been fortunate to be able to travel to both locations.   

Negley Properties in Eldorado, Nebraska

Josiah and Sarah Negley moved from Decatur County, Iowa sometime between 1883 and 1887 to Clay County, Nebraska. They were in their late 30's and had five children.¹
I don't know if they owned property in Iowa (I haven't had the opportunity to look), but I've found a few deeds for property they owned in Eldorado, a town that no longer exists. This map of Eldon (the original name of Eldorado) was in a book at the Clay County courthouse. I think that "State Street" is Highway 14 so if that's correct, about all that is left of Eldorado today is a few houses that stand in the area of Block Three between Maple and Center streets. The railroad tracks were torn out years ago, but I remember them crossing the highway. Eldorado sat between Harvard and Stockham on the line. I've seen a note in the social column of an old the Harvard Courier that said Sarah Negley took the train to Stockham which is a distance of about 5 miles.

Click to enlarge

The first deed I found was in Sarah's name. This wasn't the first time I have found deeds in my female ancestors' name, so I'm no longer surprised but still curious if there was a reason for a married woman being named and not her husband. On December 1, 1897, she paid $75.00 for Lot 1 in Block 3, the top right corner of the left hand block between Maple and Center streets. The deed states the Lot "having been contracted to be sold to William J. Stockham by said Pioneer Town Site Company... and said contract being subsequently assigned to said Sarah M. Negley". 


In November, 1904 Josiah contracted to purchase from Pioneer Town Site Company Lot 2 in Block 3, the property just south of the Lot Sarah bought in 1897. On December 18, 1907 for $50 the property was conveyed to Josiah F. Negley.

On September 29, 1908, Calvin Negley, youngest son of Josiah & Sarah had just turned 21 years old. He paid Art & Daisy Cranstone $750 for Lots 1, 2, 3 & 4 in Block 4. That's the small corner piece of land to the east (right) of Railroad Street. His father witnessed the deed along with Ezra Ayer, a neighbor and family friend. 

On January 12, 1909, Josiah received the deed for land he contracted  in July, 1906. Out Lots E and F, which as stated in the description "Said premises being formerly known as Lots one (1) and two (2) in Block numbered (2)..." .

1909, at age 63, Josiah is still buying property. For $100 he bought Lots 3 and 4 in Block 3 "having been contracted to Milton A. Fairchild by Pioneer Town Site Company...". The name Milton A. Fairchild was familiar to me from a photograph I had found with the Negley family's possessions in the Old Trunk in the Attic. 

At this point, Josiah and Sarah owned Lots 1 through 4 in Block 3 and Outlots E and F, or Lots 1 and 2 in Block 2. Son Calvin owned four Lots in Block 4. In 1912, Josiah became the Justice of the Peace in Eldorado. His sons Calvin and Bill ran general mercantile stores in Eldorado and Harvard at times, but I haven't been able to find more information on when exactly. I would guess they had a store on the property that Calvin owned, but I'm not sure. 

On April 10, 1913 Calvin sold his four Lots in Block 4 to George W. Dill for $350. That was quite a loss for him after paying $750 for it five years before.  A year later a fire destroyed the towns grain elevator and lumber yard which would have been devastating to the town.  

Josiah Negley suffered a stroke about 1915 and was paralyzed until his death in April, 1922. Just three weeks before his death, he and Sarah sold to Adam G. Ross and Peter Hein "Out Lot F" for $200. The description matches exactly with the earlier deed calling it "Outlot E and F", for which they paid $100. 

Three days after Josiah's death, his children gifted their interest in Lots 2, 3 and 4 in Block 3 to their mother for $1.00 and love and affection. Spouses Lena Negley and Art McGrath relinquished all their marital rights and interests. 

The final two deeds I found that day were between Sarah and two of her children, dated March 28, 1923. She conveyed Lot 1 in Block 3 to Calvin and her unmarried daughter Alice got Lots Two, Three and Four in Block Three. Both for $1.00, love and affection, to have and to hold "from after my death". Sarah died on October 11, 1927.

---

NOTE:
1 Clarification: Josiah and Sarah had six children: George Oscar, Newton, Alice, Sadie, William and Calvin. Newton died in August, 1887 and the next month Calvin was born. ^↩

 

Another Three-Name Stone

SMITH

           JONATHAN A                      RACHEL                     JONATHAN

      SON OF S & M K SMITH           APR 9, 1800            JUNE 22, 1798
OCT  19, 1872 - DEC 25, 1875      OCT 9, 1866            FEB 27, 1867

My previous post also featured a stone with 3 names on it. Again, I think this stone was probably placed years after any of the deaths. Jonathan A. Smith was the grandson of Jonathan and Rachel, his father was their youngest son Samuel. Another son of Jonathan and Rachel is buried in Mt Moriah - Andrew, along with his third wife, Eliza. Jonathan and Rachel are my Fourth Great Grandparents.

Mount Moriah Cemetery is over 300 miles from me in Davis County, Iowa. I was at this cemetery in July of 2014, when on our way to Illinois we travelled across Iowa on Highway 2 and stopped at four different cemeteries. After spending the night in Bloomfield, we were here at Mount Moriah in the morning. Steam was rising from the nearby fields with the humidity. There aren't many stones here, it was easy to find Jonathan & Rachel's. 

They were married for about 51 years, and just four months after Rachel's death Jonathan died. He was born in New Hampshire, lived in New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and finally in Iowa. He and Rachel Simmons married in Mercer County, Pennsylvania and had ten children together. At least three of their children passed away before them, including their daughter Ruth, my Third Great Grandmother. Those children's final resting places are scattered throughout Pennsylvania, Virginia, Illinois, Nebraska, and Oregon.

Jonathan's parents, Jonathan and Dorothy (Wadleigh) Smith, are buried in Raymond, New Hampshire. I don't know the burial location of Rachel's parents Elijah and Ruth (Russell) Simmons. It is likely somewhere in Pennsylvania.

Mount Moriah Cemetery, Davis County, Iowa

Grace Cemetery Near Cozad

RACHAEL JANE

MAR. 1845  -  JUNE 1896

JOHN McGRATH

JUNE 1821  -  APR. 1912

LINDEN SHROY

JULY 29, 1909

This stone definitely appears to have been placed much later than their deaths. My guess would be some time in the 1950's.  This is the only time I've seen Rachel's name spelled with the "ae". 

Linden Shroy is their Great Grandson, his mother was Rebecca Patterson, daughter of Arminda McGrath, who was John and Rachel's second child. Rachel's obituary says she lost two children who never appear in any census records and would be buried somewhere in Illinois. I have not been able to find any record of them. The other three children of John & Rachel are buried in three different cemeteries, Rebecca Smith in the Stockham Cemetery, Arminda Patterson in the Cozad Cemetery and Art McGrath in the Aurora Cemetery.  

Grace Cemetery is about 100 miles west of me. I learned that they were buried there from notes my Grand Uncle Virg McGrath had written. My first trip there was several years ago and I've been back a couple of times. It's a small, peaceful old country cemetery 8 miles east of Cozad. The church associated with it burned down years ago if I remember correctly, and the records cannot be found. Few burials take place there now. The natural grass is not mowed often and there aren't many trees. Their grave is to the west side of the cemetery just north of center. As far as I know, there are no section or lot numbers.

The cemetery is in Coyote precinct where according to tax assessment records John & Rachel were living when Rachel died. They had a Homestead several miles north in Custer County at that same time, but may not have been living on it. 

John McGrath came from Dublin, Ireland, but I believe the date of 1821 is about 10 years too early for his birth. He died April 14, 1912. His parents were Arthur and "R.", which I would bet stands for Rebecca - the same as their oldest daughter.  I've never been able to find an obituary for John. To my knowledge his parents never came to the US and would be buried somewhere in Ireland.


Rachel Jane was 8 years old in 1850, and her obituary states her birthday was November 24, 1841, not March of 1845. I've been looking for a marriage record for her and John for over 25 years and if I ever find one, I wonder if it will show that they were married in March. Maybe someone who ordered this stone couldn't clearly remember and had the two events confused. 

Rachel's father, Lebius Simmons, died when she was about 12 years old. I've never been able to find exactly when or how he died or where he is buried. Her mother Ruth died in 1863 in Fulton County, Illinois. She had remarried and her name was Ruth Webb, but I haven't been able to find where she is buried either. I do know, however, where Ruth's parents are buried and I've been to their grave.  

The Family Plot in the Aurora Cemetery

McGRATH

ARTHUR L.                    SADIE E.

1876  -  1965             1880  -  1958

As I said in my last post, my Grandma's parents, Art & Sadie McGrath are buried near her in Section 10A on the south side of the Aurora Cemetery. The grave on the right in the background of the above photo is Sadie's brother, William D. Negley, to his left is Grandma's brother Virg. All four children of Art & Sadie, Virgil, Alice, Orville and Violet, survived their parents and are buried in the same cemetery. I've been putting flowers on most of these graves before Memorial Day now for a few years. 

ORVILLE C MCGRATH

COLORADO

SGT 814 HOSPITAL GEN

WORLD WAR II

APRIL 20, 1914 - OCT. 9, 1969

VIRGIL C MCGRATH

TEC4 US ARMY

WORLD WAR II

SEP 29, 1909 - JUL 5 1982

CRUFF

ALICE                             GORDON R

DEC 1, 1911                     JUNE 2, 1905

OCT. 18, 1993                   NOV. 20, 2001

MARRIED JULY 26, 1933

WILLIAM D NEGLEY

OCT 9, 1883

DEC 10, 1961

Sadie died before I was born. She had a stroke and died at her home in Aurora. She was the first in the family to be buried in this cemetery, and the first of many whose funeral services were held in the Higby Mortuary Chapel. Two brothers had predeceased her, her two remaining brothers and her sister were at her funeral. Out of town relatives came from Denver, North Platte and Cozad. Sadie's parents are in the Harvard Cemetery.

When Art died I was only four and I don't remember him but I have a couple of pictures of my brother and I with him. He died in the Aurora Hospital after an "extended illness." The music at the funeral services of both Art & Sadie were provided by the same two women, Mrs. Lawrence Penner, soloist, accompanied by Mrs. Glenn Haworth. Pallbearers were nephews, neighbors and family friends. Art's parents are buried in the Grace Cemetery near Cozad, Nebraska.  

Had Sadie lived just another 10 days, they would have celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. I don't know if any plans had been made for a party.

My Maternal Grandparents Grave

BELL

J Stanley                        Violet J

Aug 1, 1907               Sept. 19, 1917

Oct. 20, 1970               June 18, 1991 

My maternal Grandparents, Stan & Vi Bell, are buried in the Aurora Cemetery, about 30 miles from where I live. It's the largest cemetery in Hamilton county. I've been there many times, took this photograph just a few years ago. 

Their grave is in the same section as Grandma's parents and her two brothers. Her sister is in another section of the Aurora cemetery as well as one of Grandpa's brothers. Several of my relatives and many family friends lie there under it's shady trees, although wind storms have done a lot of damage to them in the past several years. 

I was in grade school when Grandpa died and didn't go to his funeral. I was at Grandma's funeral, just two days before my wedding. She didn't drive and didn't want to burden anyone with getting her to the wedding and back home. Whether or not that had anything to do with it, I don't know, but she had a stroke on Monday and didn't make it through the night. It was so unexpected and yet the timing worked out - visitation Wednesday, funeral Thursday, rehearsal Friday and wedding Saturday. Truly an end and a beginning. 

The State of the Canton Cemetery 1868

Here's an interesting article I copied from the Canton (Illinois) Weekly register while looking for obituaries. I have a few ancestors who died in Fulton County, Illinois in the mid 1800's. I've never been able to find out exactly where they are buried. If the Canton cemetery was in this bad of shape in 1868, this may explain why. With "many graves" sunk or caved in at this point in time, it's no wonder they can't be found today. My relatives may not have been buried in this cemetery, but maybe other cemeteries in the area were not well-kept either.

Canton Weekly Register, April 24, 1868

"We took a stroll on Sunday last through the Canton Cemetery. Its appearance is a disgrace to our city. Where there appears to have been once more care and taste displayed in the adornment of graves, all appears now neglected, dilapidated and in miserable disorder. Fences which have been erected around family lots are broken down, and pieces lie scattered about. Trees have been cut down, and some have blown down, and brush and logs lie about promiscuously.
A few tombstones are broken and lie upon the ground, while many more are leaning and almost ready to fall. Many graves are sunk even caved in, presenting a very sad and neglected appearance. Bank weeds have been permitted to grow up and [? down briers?], bushes and noxious shrubbery are growing in rich profusion in different parts of the cemetery. The fence surrounding the cemetery is in keeping with the general neglect.
There is need of immediate and earnest attention to the matter of cleaning up and beautifying our cemetery. It should no longer remain as it is now, a disgrace and a reproach to the city. There are but few families in this city and vicinity but what have an interest in this resting place of the dead. Let all unite in doing something to give it an appearance worthy the memory of the departed. The trustees of the cemetery should be more active in their duties. There are many really beautiful monuments and tombstones in the cemetery, but an almost total lack of cultivated flowers, shrubbery, & [?]. A walk through a cemetery, where care and taste is displayed in tokens of love and regard for the memory of the departed, cannot but have a pure and holy influence upon the living, but when only noxious weeds and tangled brush and briers grow over the graves of those who have "gone before", we can only be impressed with the proneness of mortals to forget the virtues of the dead, and all those sacred lies which once bound them to the departed, and to be only absorbed in the vanities and virtues(?) or the pleasures and the profits of the present life."

Tombstone Tuesday - Samuel Gaisford & Wives

Samuel Gaisford, brother of my second Great Grandfather Charles Gaisford, died December 3, 1921.  He was 64 years old and was laid to rest in the Prairie Home Cemetery north of Diller, Nebraska.  Born January 21, 1857 in Pascoag, Rhode Island, Samuel was a son of James and Anna (Rich) Gaisford.  The Gaisford family moved from Rhode Island to Minonk, Illinois when Sam was 12.  In 1870, at age 14, he was a farm hand for his brother-in-law, George Pickard in Woodford County. 

Ellen S. Wife of S. Gaisford, died Sept. 2, 1887, Aged 28 Years, Rest in peace

Samuel's first wife was Ellen S. Pickard.  They were married February 5, 1880 in Minonk, Illinois then moved to Nebraska in 1881 where he was a blacksmith.  From Sam's obituary in the Diller Record, December 9, 1921:  "On September 2nd, 1887, he was bereaft of his wife.  After her death he returned to Minonk, Illinois, and engaged in the barber business for a number of years.".  

Back in Gage County, Nebraska on October 5, 1885, Sam married Emma Emmerman (or Ammerman).  They had 3 children, Mabel, Lyle and Charley.  In 1900, Sam, Emma and son Lyle were living in Benton County, Arkansas.   

By 1910 Lyle was deceased, Sam is living back in Nebraska with his sister Hannah and his son Charley Gaisford, 2 years old, is then living with Emma Thompson who was a daughter of Sam's brother Charles.  Emma Gaisford.  I found Emma Gaisford in Little Rock, Arkansas in the State Hospital for Nervous Disorders.

Sam's second wife Emma died in 1916 at age 46, her son Charley was 9 years old.  She is also buried in the Prairie Home Cemetery.  In 1920, Charley was living with his mother's relatives.  Mabel is mentioned in her father's obituary, but is not listed on any census record.  I would guess that Mabel and Lyle are buried somewhere in Arkansas.

Travel Tuesday - Cemetery Hopping

Every four years, we travel to Illinois taking Interstate 80 across Iowa.  It's about an eight hour drive from Grand Island to Galva.  For several years, I have wanted to take Hwy 2 across because there are three cemeteries along that route where I have direct ancestors buried.  I've always thought that was a great coincidence.  There are also a couple of other cemeteries where more distant relatives are buried. 

My plan was always to do this on the way home so that if we ran short of time I could leave the ones on the western end of the line, closer to home, for some other time.  But it doesn't work out that way this year.  SO, our plans are to spend Wednesday and Thursday this week going to at least three cemeteries.

First stop will be Decatur Cemetery in Decatur City.  My third Great Grandparents, John and Ruth Negley are buried there.  

The next cemetery is a little off Hwy 2, but Mount Moriah in rural Davis County is where my fourth Great Grandparents, Jonathan and Rachel Smith are buried.  

Finally in Bonaparte, where my third Great Grandmother, Mary Jane Jones is buried.  She was born Mary Jane Hull, first married to Thomas Clemie, second husband was Edward Jones.  

Now, there are photos of all of these gravestones already on findagrave.  That doesn't stop me from wanting to be there myself and stand at the graves of my ancestors.  There are some other names to check for in each cemetery as well.  This trip is not out of our way, it's just going to be a longer drive than usual.  Starting Wednesday, I'm going cemetery hopping!