First World Research Problems

 Some months ago we made a trek out to Mars Hill Cemetery searching for one of my paternal Great-Aunts grave. Yes, we found it. But roaming about - and who visits a cemetery without roaming about and exploring a bit? - we found a plethora of interesting people. Among these were some 3 Patriots from the American Revolution and one veteran of the War of 1812 (or, more probably, the Indian Wars or Seminole Wars in Florida). As with all older cemeteries in Georgia, anything dating from the early 1800s is truly in the Pioneer Era. In this case, the first burial recorded for it in Find A Grave dates from 1798! That is a scant 12 years after the area officially became part of the state!

And yes, he is one of the identified Revolutionary War Patriots. Though in his case he was 'paid for services' rather than actively fighting.

We were especially surprised to learn that the total area of the cemetery was about an acre larger than it appeared. Efforts were underway to 'reclaim' the oldest portions that had been allowed to go back to nature over the centuries (Yes. We are talking about greater than two centuries since the cemetery was founded!). There are a handful of markers in this section, but for the most part these are scores of unmarked graves. Someone has been finding and flagging them. Hopefully there are surviving original records detailing who is buried where.

Roaming further afield to some of the newer areas we spot a Griffith grave. Ok, a Griffeth maiden name on a Daniell grave. As is my habit I mark it in the system to be researched later to determine if they are relations of some ilk.

Fast forward several months.

I am out with the Parental Units in the far hinterlands. At their request we pull into a cemetery near a small town and, sure enough, more Griffiths. To he honest, that was partially why we were there. A long time friend of theirs had mentioned it to them and it became something of a 'thing' to go find it.

Again, as is the norm, the graves are flagged for later follow-up.

Well, I finally got around to doing the research on these folks. Yup. Cousins of various ilk, all stemming from my paternal 5th Great-Grandfather.

And the Griffeth maiden name woman I first mentioned? The one who married a Daniel? Damned if her husband was not a direct descendant of one of the American Revolution Patriots we found in the same Cemetery! Even more unusual for the area and time (bear in mind that so many people were migrating into newly opened lands) is that all the generations between the two are in the same cemetery with them. Father, Son, Grandson, Great-Grandson and spouses (among others) all in the same cemetery with burials ranging from 1840 to 1906.

Too bad THEY are not kinfolk.

In order to figure out if (and if so, how) the second Griffith was related I had to build out the family on the tree in Ancestry. It was only after I had put an hour or so into the whole thing that I realized I had duplicated all the data because the original people were entered as Griffeth (due to the 3rd or 4th Great-uncle who used that spelling) and the headstone being Griffith and my working backward in time on that person's branch. 

Dammit! I hate wasting my time like that. And it was my mistake. I should have checked more thoroughly for an existing entry before I took off like that. 

If only that were the biggest problem I ever faced.

Shiloh Primitive Baptist Church

Any time you see a birth year in the 1700s in Georgia you are looking at OLD cemeteries. Such was the case when we popped in to check out the Shiloh Primitive Baptist Church cemetery. At least one marked with a birth in 1794. The church was not established until 1823, and the county where it is was not established as part of the state until 1822. So it is safe to say these people qualify as Original Settlers.

The site is actually rather nice and well maintained.

One thing that stood out was the number of False Tomb monuments dating from the mid 1800s. Sadly these are seriously dirty and eroding. Would be that the time and finances allowed for proper cleaning and photographing them. Because the day will come when the only legible versions will be photographs. And given their condition today, that day is not so long away.

Another semi-common thing that stood out is the use of concrete to completely cover a given plot.

Nothing communicates 'Don't Even Think About Burying Anyone Here!' quite like a slab of concrete. Granted, it cuts down on maintenance needs. But at the same time the components in cement or concrete can damage the marker stone over time. Mother Nature does enough of that on her own. No need to help things along.

We came across one helluva good trick. Approaching the marker we saw this engraving:

"Joined The Church Dec 1 1853"

Walking around to the front of the marker we saw her name and birth and death dates:

Julia

Wife Of

E. H. Gresham

June 6 1874

Feb 16 1910

Joined the church 21 years before she was born? That is one impressive trick! I wonder if there are any mentions of a Blue Box in the local history.......

This old chap almost certainly came down to claim a land bounty for service in the Revolution, as did so many others who served.

When I saw the name I kept hearing Jimmy Stewart's voice in my head. "Well, well, uh, gee, Mr. Gower." If you need that one explained, well, damn. What rock have you been living under?

It Never Ends

For nor particular reason, I paused and re-read my paternal Great-Grandfather's Death Certificate.

Just a little light reading to brighten up the day.

Bear in mind that this chap died some 33 years before I was born. Hell, he died about 8 years before my Father was even born. I was seldom around any of the few people who knew him when he was alive. And when I was, I was so young that nothing about him was said in my presence. To be honest, nothing was said to me about anything beyond being sent outside to play while the grown-ups talked.

He wife, my Great-Grandmother, did survive until I was about 5 years old. But she was a cranky old woman by all accounts and I have zero memories of her. That should tell you how much time I spent with HER.

One of his sons, my paternal Grandfather and the man for whom I was named, died a few months before I was born. And his wife died when I was about 4 years old. My only actual memory of her is her laying corpse in her casket. Long story there for another time.

So I really only had a few scant stories about him. There is a photo of him with his wife and (almost) all his children taken somewhere in the 1910s. 

Reading the Death Certificate answers some questions and poses others.

The main question it answers (once I deciphered the handwriting and used my Google-Fu) is, "How did he die?" Cause of death is listed as Uremic Coma & Cystitis. Contributory conditions were Paralysis due to Cerebral Hemorrhage. Basically he died of renal failure and stroke. I would dare to posit that the stroke was the real killer. It just caused the kidney failure which, ultimately, was the 'fatal' condition.

I also note that he died at 2:00 AM. That had to be a long, ugly night. He was ill for 3 weeks and 4 days. Definitely a long slough for the family.

Nothing shocking about his occupation at the time: Mill Worker. At that time, in the South, working at a mill was just about the only job to be had! In his younger days he had worked the family farm (though he either sold or lost it - and if he sold it then he blew the money) and, for a time, for a dairy.

What caught my attention were the family details provided. Death certificates in Georgia then (and now) have spots to record the deceased's birthplace, and the names and birthplaces of the parents. And lastly, who is providing the data.

No shock to see that he was born in Oglethorpe Count, Ga. But the other entries took me aback a bit.

I need to start with who is giving the answers: Malcom Griffith. My grandfather. Not the deceased's wife. Granted (James) Malcom was the eldest surviving child, so I suppose he felt it his job to take care of the details and take the burden off his mother. The two youngest, daughters 16 and 14 years old, certainly were not up to the task. All the older daughters were married and on their own by the time he died.

More surprising was that the only mostly complete answer given about the parents is the father's name: James M Griffith. I find this interesting because of the middle initial - M. It would be understandable if someone reading this thought it to be Malcom, the same as the person giving the details. But it is Macon, not Malcom. James Malcom had to know this as James Macon did not die until James Malcom was in his teens AND the two essentially lived on the same farm at the time (or at least for several years prior to James Macon passing). 

The Mother's name is simply given as Smith. I know that her name was Nancy Jane Smith. But she was the second of James Macon's three wives and passed away 20 years before James Malcom was born! Not like there is a family history of ancestors kicking off early and subsequent generations knowing little or nothing about them. No, there could never be anything like that!

The birthplace for both parents is simply DK. Don't Know. James Malcom had no idea where his paternal grandparents were born. The sad thing is that they were both from Oglethorpe County. Probably on or near the same farm where James Malcom and his father, Henry Carlton were born. And since that farm came from the Smith line, Nancy Jane was almost certainly born there, too. 

Just to ice the proverbial cake, that farm is where the family cemetery sits. James Malcom had two infant siblings and multiple ancestors on both the Griffith and Smith lines buried there!

And he never knew.

Watch your step!

No. Literally. Watch your step around here. You could end up joining one of the residents. There are dozens of sunken graves here, many of them hidden under a thick layer of leaves. And the quantity of briars and vines snaking underfoot are unbelievable. And all of them seem sentient with a perverse desire to reach out and grab your foot. More than a few times saw old Br'er come close to face planting in the brush.

Close mind you. But no cigar!

The day was just gorgeous and begging to be spend Grave Galloping. So I started looking about the extended area for something both interesting and a place we had not been before. When searching for exploration sites in Find A Grave I always cross check the location against Google Maps and Google Maps Street Views. Can I confirm the location? Is the cemetery visible from the street? Do the street views confirm or match up with any on-line photos?

I spied Fairfield Cemetery. It had a mere 2 recorded memorials. But it was obvious from the views that there are a LOT more graves there than 2. Excellent. We can get some exercise, some fresh air, AND can add new graves to the system.

Oh, child! Little did we expect what we would actually find once we got there!

Look closely and you can spot several headstones lurking in the brush.

I am already trying to suss out the history of the cemetery. It was that intriguing. 

Over the course of a couple of hours we (TW and I) we managed to add just shy of 100 graves to Find A Grave. And there are easily several dozen more that we just could not get to nor had time to add. Then there are those that are either field stone, no stone, or so eroded as to be unreadable. Two of the latter being obvious child graves with false tombs. Sadly there is something etched on the top of each, but it just cannot be read even with side lighting. Perhaps if someone came in with D/2 and cleaned them properly they could be made out and recorded.

The cemetery dates back to at least 1884 as there is one marker with that year as the person's date or death. The quantity of unmarked graves could easily mean that there are earlier burials.

Now looking at the overall location, it would not be unreasonable to think it abandoned. But that is clearly not the case. Not only are there signs of recent visitations in the shape of flowers, but there is an interment from as recent as this year - 2020! 

Looking at the overall area and the headstones themselves it was readily apparent that this is a Black cemetery. Or at least it started out that way.

Segregation in all things was the law of the land until Br'er was a child. He is old enough to recall the marches, protests, and changes from the Civil Rights era. Segregation extended even unto the grave. So encountering an all Black cemetery - especially one dating from Reconstruction - is never surprising. In this case the most obvious clue was in the form of many of the headstones.

Most people are familiar with headstones of marble or granite. Or slate in certain areas and era. Or the "intended as temporary" markers provided by funeral homes. But there is a 'thing' in the Southern United States unique (to the best of my knowledge) to the Black community. That 'thing' is a particular style of semi-hand made grave marker. 

How best to describe these? 

Imagine taking movable type and laying out the deceased's name and data (or date of death only in most cases) much like a printer laying out a page to be printed on a hand press. Now, place these characters in a reusable frame containing the name of the funeral home (never seen one of these without the funeral home's name in clear letters). Next, pour a cement mixture of some ilk in the mold and wait for it to set. Lastly, remove the frame, possibly paint the marker with white paint (only white - never any other color) and place it at the grave. Placement can be horizontal or vertical. 

This example is from the Cox funeral home. It is in better shape and placement making it easier to read.

This version, on the other hand, is from Hagabrooks Funeral Home (more common in the area), is not in as good condition, and has some of the data several inches below ground now meaning it is necessary to dig to read and transcribe it.

There are literally dozens of these style markers in the cemetery. We transcribed some of them. But they age very rapidly and become increasingly difficult to read. Plus these are all more deeply embedded in the ground or covered with debris. And almost all of them are deep in briars and vines making access all the more difficult. 

Perhaps we will make a return trip to see what we can do to make out and record more of these graves. I would not be surprised to learn that there are almost as many of these to be recorded as others that we were able to add to the database today.

Sadly, of the only two pre-existing memorials we could only find one. I truly wished to find the other. It is for one Isiah Smith who served in World War I. Isiah and another soldier whose marker I did find served in different Pioneer Regiments during the war.

I had not heard of Pioneer Regiments before. Knowing that this is a Black cemetery, I presumed that these were segregated units at the time. Most such units I recall seeing before dealt largely with QC or Quartermaster Corps. That is, Supply. Black troops in WWI were largely assigned to physical labor units of one kind or another. This usually means Supply or Mess duties.

Pioneer Regiments was new to me. As best I can learn in short order, these were largely 'engineering' (read: Construction) units. Apparently there were several such regiments. The term itself is much older and used throughout many countries, and in and of itself has no racial connotations.

And yes, these units in the US were all Black with the exception of officers at some ultimate level.

In exercising my Google Fu to learn about these regiments, I found an individual who has established several virtual cemeteries in Find A Grave for the various regiments as well as other groups such as Buffalo Soldiers, USCT (United States Colored Troops), etc. I had not considered using virtual ceremonies this way. It is something I will be considering going forward.

It is not every day that I have a whole chapter of history jump up and slap me in the face.

If we had started earlier, brought brush cutting tools, and the mosquitos not been so bad, we would probably have done more work. 

I sense a repeat trip in the future.

The Trouble With Tribles

Yeah. I went there. Deal with it.

It is not often that Old Br'er manages to notice or know something his father doesn't. And it is all the better when it is something about the Old Man's stomping grounds. Such was the case recently when out on a run through the hinterlands near the family cemetery he 'inherited' a while back.

It is important to note that this area - and stretch of road in particular - is an area Poppa Br'er has scampered past innumerable times over the past several decades. This is not one of those 'only been there once or twice' places, no. 

So you can imagine the Old Man's reaction when Br'er noted a small cemetery a few feet off the road. It was so shocking that the Old Man turned around to go back and look at it closer. Now this ended up with his backing into a ditch and getting stuck (and needing towed out). But that is a longer and more delicious tale for another time.

Well, the Old Man's curiosity was piqued enough that today he packed up the landscaping tools and we headed back to the site. 

An hour later the six graves were cleared and visible again for the first time in what appears to be many years.

The "Before"

The "After"

To be honest, we could have made a wiser choice of days to take this on. Think 'Muggy'. Not sauna hot, but warm and extremely humid.

But it was our good deed for the year. I don't know if there are even any descendants or relatives that know about, or even care about, these few little graves. Still, we staved off Entropy for a little while.

All this manual effort pales in comparison to the Find A Grave clean up I face!

Find A Grave not only has 2 - count'em - 2 duplicates for one of the graves (meaning serial de-duplication submissions), but there are two versions of the cemetery and all the graves themselves, too! Worse, the version with the correct GPS coordinates is the duplicate. 

So I have to get all the graves themselves de-duplicated so that *one* of the cemeteries is empty. THEN I have to submit one cemetery update and one deletion to get the surviving cemetery (with the surviving graves) updated with the correct GPS coordinates. 

Best case these updates take several days to get done. Worst case, they take a couple of weeks.

And these people are not even relatives!

Oh! To cap the whole title pun thing, the duplicate names are spelled "Tribble". So be glad I did not go with "The Trouble With Tribbles". I was kind enough to not Spock your imagination.

Scratch That. Reverse It.

Yesterday I lamented a sorry tale about a research brick wall. A bit after posting it I published a recap in a couple of groups. One group is about cemeteries and the other about genealogy. I am not one to ask for help from people. 

But I am not above dangling a challenge in front of OCD researchers and tacitly daring them to find the answer to a problem.

And it worked. Several people took the challenge and ran with it to much success. Sometimes all that is needed is a fresh perspective.

Turns out that Infant Hill and James Richard Hill are in fact cousins. 1st cousins twice removed to be precise. The Mr. and Mrs. N. E. Hill noted on their shared headstone refer to Newton Edward Hill and Mary Elizabeth (Griffith) Hill. She is a Half 2nd Great Aunt. She and my paternal Great-Grandfather were half siblings, sharing  the same father, one James Macon Griffith (also interred in the same cemetery with these two brothers - two of his grandchildren).

These revelations came after new records for N E and Mary became available after I last researched them. Of particular note was his obituary and her death certificate, and their listed on the 1900 US Census. The first two items gave me their burial location - Prospect United Methodist Church in Jackson County, Ga. As it happens, this is the same church where her half-brother, my paternal great-grandfather, was originally buried prior to being moved in the late 1950s to the new, fancy-smantzy perpetual care cemetery nearer to Athens. 

Anyhoo....

The bottom line of all this is that I ended up spending several hours fleshing out this whole new branch of the tree down several generations. Like I need sleep. Sheesh,

Not that it matters to anyone at all, but since I had proof of their burial location I created Find A Grave memorials for Newton and Mary and then linked the two brothers to them. I also found that their son, Newton, Jr. and his wife also lost a child at birth. I found its death certificate and that it, too, was buried at Prospect UMC. So I added a memorial for it and linked it to the parents.

Yup. Hours of tree building and Find A Grave updates. And putting off sleep.

Pass the Desk Spike, Please

There is a long running joke about beating your head on your desk in utter frustration. Those of us who play at the higher levels know that the advanced version of the joke entails mounting a massive, sharp, pointy spike on the desk first, THEN pounding your head.

I need my Desk Spike.

Been working of late, off and on, to see if I can find sufficient evident to make a good case for who some of the unknown graves may be in the inherited family cemetery. And to see if I can determine a link between all the people known to be there. In addition to the Griffith and Smith families (for whom I know all the connections) there are a couple of Lang graves and Hill graves marked with stones and recorded as being in the cemetery by the county historical society. If they are related I want to know how.

Well, as to the Langs, no. There is no clear connection. They lived in the area and, presumably, knew the family owning the cemetery. I did work out a good case that the Lang couple has a son buried in the cemetery with them. They had a son born in 1850 (when they were living in the adjoining county) who does not appear with them on the 1860 census (when they are living in the same county as the cemetery), And the husband is listed as passing in 1861. Both husband and wife are buried in the cemetery. My supposition is that the missing son died after they had moved to the area and was buried here. Not proven by a long shot. But a reasonable theory that fits the few facts.

It is with the Hill graves that I am screaming with frustration.

There are two graves, obviously children (one or both being infants) who share a single headstone. I am trying to find their history. And I am making zero progress.

I never expect to find deceased children in a Census. Most are not born in Census years. And those who failed to survive long would not be record on a Census unless they 'threaded the needle' by being born just prior to the Census, getting recorded, and passing shortly thereafter. No, the vast majority of these children would be recorded only in a family bible. Or perhaps in a local newspaper (again, not something done regularly for infants).

There is damned little data to begin searching on. But here is what I have:

(Left side of the marker) Infant Hill, no dates, inscription reads "Infant Son of Mr. & Mrs. N.E. Hill"(Right side of the marker) James Robert Hill, no dates, inscription reads "Son of Mr. & Mrs. N.E. Hill"

So all I have to do is find N. E. Hill and wife who lived some time in or around Oglethorpe County, Ga any time between the county being created in the early 1800s and the point when we learned of the cemetery in the 1960s. Simple!

Looking at the stone itself I would think it dates from the mid 1800s to, at the latest, the early 1900s. That is a seriously long span to search.

Try as I might, I cannot nail down N. E. Hill in the county or surrounding counties. At least not consistently. There is an N E Hill on the 1890 Oglethorpe County Tax Roll having about $100 worth of property. And the Griffiths from my clan are listed on the same page, so we have an N. E. Hill in the right place.

But there is nothing on the 1880 or 1900 census. And naturally the 1890 census is missing. Arrrrgggghh! Nothing but the one property record. If only the damned 1890 Census were still around maybe it would hold some answers.

Looks like this one has to remain a mystery for the ages.

Murder! Scandal!

Being an Obsessive/Compulsive can be a right pain at times. 

There is (was) a nearby cemetery listed in Find A Grave without a specific location. Maddeningly the single grave recorded in it also noted that there are additional graves on the site. But! There is no proof that the named person is actually buried there. Though the general supposition is that this man, his wife, and several children - one of who was murdered - are buried there.

Obsessive Gene Activated.

First, I had to locate the cemetery so that if nothing else the correct location could be added to Find A Grave. This alone was a mini-mystery. I had a general description coupled with a couple of photos of the site. 

The general description led me to what seemed to be the correct street. Too many times, though, I find that a cemetery is far back on private property making for potentially awkward experience asking permission to traipse about someone's place looking for graves. Not everyone welcomes such intrusions so I REALLY try to do my advance work ahead of time. I like knowing what I am getting into before I get into it.

Having identified what seemed to be the correct street, I next tried to use the existing photos to triangulate the cemetery location by turning to Google Street View and compared the still photos to what showed in the Street View images. That entailed a lot of zooming in and out, changing view angles, moving up and down the street. None of this was made easier by the fact that the street in question is a cul-de-sac so the Google camera vehicle did not capture images from the full circle at the end of the street.

After more than a few minutes of squinting and twisting images around both in the computer and my mind, I determined that I had located the site. Now off to confirm.

Nailed it!

What I found, though, was far more than I expected. Instead of a single grave there are what appear to be 8! 5 of these are domed or arched top concrete slabs, 3 of which are adult size and 2 clearly child sized. 

The other 3 are stacked quartz and fieldstone piles roughly the size of a grave. One is adult sized and the other 2 child size.

None of these have any identifying details. No names. No dates.

The one memorial listed in Find A Grave states that the man died along with his wife and several children. Further, one daughter who survived her parents and siblings was subsequently murdered. All are believed to be buried here though there is no proof that any of them are.

So I had a couple of names and dates. Ashford Marion Norris 1824-1873 and his daughter, Victoria, who presumably died some time after him. Sure. Lots of data there. Easy-Peasy.

I started a family tree for Ashford Norris. There is an 1850 Census that Ancestry tries to hint is Ashford, but no. Nothing lines up. 

The first real clues I find are a marriage record from 1853 and the 1860 and 1870 Censuses. And a substantial property holding in Dekalb County, Ga in the early 1870s

Based on those I build out a family:

Spouse - Elizabeth E Terrey 1828 - (presumably 1873 if the story is true)

Children:

Mary Ann 1848-1933
Matilda 1850 - Bef. 1870
Lavina - 1856 - 1916
Victoria - 1857 - 1879 (more on her later!)
Isabella 1860 - Bef. 1870
Toleda - 1862 - Bef. 1880
Ophelia 1863 - 1942
Felix 1867 - Bef. 1880
Marion 1868 - 1943

Now for some background and theory explanation. All the names come from the 1860 and 1870 US Census. In both of these the family is living in Morgan County, Ga. Yet the cemetery is in Dekalb County, Ga, about an hour and a half away by automobile today. Odd.

Isabella and Matilda appear only on the 1860 Census. In theory both could have married and left home before 1870. They both could have married in their late teens. If they did there is no readily sourced record of those marriages, nor do they pop up on any other records. Either way - married or dead - they were out of the household by 1870.

Whatever befell their parents, Mary Ann, Lavina, Ophelia, and Marion survived, grew to adulthood, married, and had families. Lavina was married by 1880 and Ophelia is living with her and her husband. 

Victoria lived until 1880 when she made the news. And not in a good way.

Victoria was murdered. There is a surviving newspaper from Jackson, Mississippi dated May 19, 1880 with much of the story. In it we learn that Victoria was orphaned. She was living with a man (James Jolly) and his wife, doing housework. She was planning to marry one John Weaver that fall. The whole story is long and convoluted, but the gist of it is that the man in whose house she was living had a violent temperament and his wife was jealous of Victoria. She decided to leave and live with relatives near Rutledge, Ga (back in Morgan County!). 

After much consternation Jolly consented for her to go to her kin in Rutledge. He and his neighbor, William Weaver (uncle to John Weaver whom Victoria was apparently planning to marry) took her by wagon to catch the train some 4 or 5 miles away. Apparently before reaching or boarding the train, William Weaver departed leaving Victoria with Jolly.

She was never seen alive again. Gossip had Victoria running off to Atlanta (about 12-15 miles away) or further to "live a life of shame". Time passed and talk died down. Based on the rest of the article, these events took place no later than 1879.

Some time later Jolly was indicted for cotton theft. Before he could be arrested he fled, abandoning his wife and child in Feb 1880. Neighbors noted that he had burned a brush pile in his front yard the day before he left. The ashes from that fire were searched and in them were found hinges, bands, and hardware from a travel trunk. This led to more questioning and another neighbor recalled Jolly returning from taking Victoria to the train and there being a trunk on the wagon. More examinations concluded that the trunk hardware matched that of Victoria's trunk.

To further damn Jolly, a Peddler with full pack had stopped at Jolly's place and had spent the night there. This Peddler, well known for keeping a regular scheduled route, was never seen again.

Boys, it looks like we have ourselves a murderer! The hunt was on!

Jolly was soon located and brought back in shackles. Once he was in custody there was real concern that there would be a lynching!

Jolly was either tormented by his killing Victoria or was laying the ground for some kind of defense. He is described as being tortured by his dreams. And he started confessing before leading authorities to Victoria's remains (skeletal by this point).

There was no doubt that Jolly killed her. The question was how? As to that, his story kept changing! Strangled her, she fell off the wagon and struck her head, etc. 

He even tried to name William Weaver as an accomplice. That lasted until Weaver walked into Jolly's cell whereupon Jolly recanted that confession. Weaver was held and investigated but cleared as there was no evidence against him.

The only recurring theme in the confessions is that Jolly tried to "ravage" or "outrage" Victoria and she resisted him.

I have yet to learn Jolly's fate.

But Victoria *did* die in the same county as the cemetery in which her father and, presumed, family are thought to rest. 

So let's look at what we know:

• Ashford owns property in Dekalb County in the early 1870s
• Three adults - Ashford and wife Elizabeth, and daughter Victoria.
• Two children - Toleda and Felix.
• All 5 confirmed or presumed dead prior to 1880.
• 4 of the 5 presumed to have died at the same time
• Cemetery in Dekalb County
• 5 obvious graves covered with identical arched concrete slabs.
• Three adult sized. 
• Two child sized.
• Three possible graves, all with stacked stones
• One adult size
• Two child size

This presents an interesting theory. Ashford, Elizabeth, Toleda, and Felix all perish at the same time and are buried together on 'the farm' and marked with the concrete slabs. Daughter Victoria is murdered a few years later, laid to rest with her family, and marked with another matching concrete slab.

To add weight to the theory, these graves are arranged thus: Adult, Child, Adult, Child, then another Adult in a separate row from the other 4. As though it came later. You can see this in the last photo above.

I cannot prove anything. But I am now convinced that I have identified the 5 slab covered grave occupants. As to the others covered with stacked rocks? Damned if I can figure those out!

The "Special Hell" Just Keeps On Growing

Serious Nerds and Geeks will immediately recognize the "Special Hell for child molesters and people who talk in the theater".

Nerdlings know this led to a new map of Dante's Inferno reimagined for the Internet.

I long ago exercised Executive Authority and expanded the Special Hell to include people whose genealogy work is either patently not or poorly researched, and/or whose documentation is either bad, lousy, or non-existent. Shooting is too good for these people.

Well today the Special Hell just got bigger. It now includes people who willfully destroy cemeteries.

We (TW and I) had a small local family cemetery on our 'To Visit' list. Specifically the visit was to confirm and update the GPS locations not only for the graves (two marked out of four recorded in it), but for the cemetery itself. Oddly, the cemetery had no description or confirmed location in Find A Grave. 

This had to be rectified!

I sent off a message to the individual listed as maintaining the graves in Find A Grave asking if he would be kind enough to pass along directions to the site. What he replied maketh my blood boil!

The cemetery was destroyed some 11 of more years ago. It was behind a residential home built about 1968 and, for reasons passing all understanding, was permitted to be either destroyed or covered over.

Thus the Special Hell was expanded.

Fortunately the GPS location had been recorded by the county historical society. So I wrote up a brief description and history of the destruction and submitted it to the Find A Grave staff for the cemetery record to be updated.

You call this a 'Hill'?

 "Flint Hill". There might have been flint there once upon a time. But a hill? Maybe. If you count the ditches on three sides as valleys.

They should have kept one of the other names. Old Harmony Cemetery or Old Norcross Methodist Cemetery would be far, far more believable. 

I don't think I will ever cease being astounded to find these long abandoned cemeteries dating back to the earliest settlements by white people in these areas. In this case there is a marker for someone who died in 1831. The area only became an official part of the state in 1822! And that is just from someone with a carved stone marker. With all the dozens of obvious unmarked graves in the cemetery it could well be that the actual first burial was many years before that.

Here again is a cemetery in an industrial park. It is not exactly well marked though it is visible. If you bother to pause and look. I have to wonder how many people working in the adjacent and surrounding buildings even know it is there.

The property itself is considerably larger than it appears at first glance. In total it has to be between a half and about three-quarters of an acre. Or slightly more. If you look closely at the photo above you can see some of the original rough quarried granite fence posts that once comprised a fence surrounding the property. Originally there were 2 or 3 iron rods spanning the gap between posts. Only fragments of these remain. And part of the original gate hinge on one of the posts on the eastern border. It had to be quite impressive when first erected.

Sadly there are only about 32 identified graves. There are at least three additional graves that obviously had formal stone markers, but they have been damaged or stolen over the years. Two are but the marble bases for markers long missing. One is broken off, leaving only a date of death. Feb 24 1900. None of the individuals known to be interned here has that date of death.

Another mystery with little possibility of it being solved.

But that is, as Paul Harvey might put it, Page 1.

My searching located much more data!

First up was a link to some of the original cemetery records! I still have to cross check all these names against the memorials already logged in Find A Grave. But I have already found at least one person assigned to the wrong cemetery. Bad records, similar cemetery names, abandoned locations, and no headstones all conspire to create these errors.

In this case I found Albert Jake Warbington listed in the original cemetery records. The place was named Harmony Grove Cemetery or Old Harmony Grove at some point in addition to being Flint Hill United Methodist Church. Albert has (had - he has already been moved!) a Find A Grave memorial. In the wrong Harmony Grove Church Cemetery! 

Finding him uncovered two other Warbington relatives with memorials in the same place. Naturally none have grave photos. Aside from being in the wrong place, they have no markers in Flint Hill either. Or if they ever did the markers are no longer visible if they survive. 

All of these Warbingtons appear to descend from one Ellemander Warbington, Sr. resting here in Flint Hill. His grave leapt out to me because of the dual headstones!

Obviously the first image is his original headstone. The second was added at some point latter, possibly as a VA issue. Though if it is the design is not one I recall encountering before. 

I haven't researched his military record so whether the War of 1812 designation is actually from combat with the British or from the Indian Wars is not clear. The two overall campaigns ran close to concurrent periods and the government latter decided to label anyone who served in either as a War of 1812 Veteran. It is more common and likely that anyone in the Southern States listed as a War of 1812 veteran was in the Indian Wars (sometimes called the Seminole Wars).

Casting about I spotted another interesting marker.

First off is the name. Missouria. I can honestly say that is not a name I have encountered before. Or am likely to encounter again.

Second, it is a military issue spouse marker. That is not exactly uncommon. But for a confederate spouse? That is a tad unusual.

Third, it is for both mother and child. She almost certainly died in childbirth. Or rapidly afterward. During the war. At age 20 or possibly 19 depending on specific dates. That is heartbreaking tragedy.

Fourth, her husband survived her by only a year. He was killed in action during the last year of the war.

Fifth, these markers were obviously erected many years after their deaths. VA stones with this pattern were not issued. The symbol at the top is the Southern Cross of Honor. It was created by the United Daughters of the Confederacy in 1899 - over three decades after their deaths. One has to wonder if these are on their actual graves or simply somewhere near where the person thought them to be buried.

I confess to being curious whether this wiped out the family considering how young they were.

It did not! They had an older child. A son born in 1860 who survived until 1927, married and had a family of his own (two daughters and six sons!) One has to wonder what his life was like. Orphaned at 5 years old. In the rural south during the war. 

Now for the twist.

This orphaned boy who married and fathered an extensive family? Care to hazard a guess who he married?

Sarah Juliana Warbington. Daughter of Major Ellemander Warbington I mentioned earlier.

How THAT came about is a story I would love to hear! It would almost certainly sound like a Hallmark Movie.

You Bought What?

I can only imagine what that conversation was like.

Her: You want to buy a WHAT?!

Him: A church. And a graveyard. I want to buy a church and graveyard.

Granted, the gentleman in question did identify himself as a Pastor. And he did say his previous church burned down. That set me to wondering if there was an accidental or and "Accidental" fire. An insurance payout would go a long way toward buying a used church.

By all accounts the church folded up and ceased to be rather than relocating to a newer facility. The latter is generally the case. 

But closing a church? How does that actually happen? Is there some kind of de-frocking? Un-sanctifying of the building and grounds? How do you even do that? Say the blessing prayers backwards? Spray un-holy water? 

And what happens to the graves? Are they suddenly not holy ground anymore? What does that do to the souls of those buried there?

"I'm terribly sorry, Mrs. Johnson, but your grave was just ceremoniously de-consecrated. As you are no longer buried in holy ground I am afraid you will have to leave Heaven. Terribly sorry, but rules are rules. I sure we can find a spot for you in Limbo. No, no. Just leave the harp and halo here. You shan't be needing them any longer."

And what about the name? Is it still a graveyard if the church is no longer a church? Is it a cemetery then? If he starts a new church with a different name, does the graveyard/cemetery have to be renamed? Or can it still be a church cemetery without a church?

The mind boggles! So many implications.

Poor chap. He really did not know what he was getting into. Nothing was helped by the defunct church not having any graveyard records to pass on. None. Nothing showing which unmarked grave sites are used and by whom. Nor which were sold to families in the past and who the contact individuals are. All he has are the marked graves (those are easy), those marked only by simple granite block head and foot stones, and a few table and false tomb graves where there is either no name or one that can no longer be read. Oh yes, a few obvious sunken graves, too.

Good luck if someone shows up now wanting to inter a family member! 

What are his rights and legal obligations? One real estate attorney told him he had no liability for the graveyard UNLESS he allowed a burial there in which case he has liabilities galore! 

Imagine if he allowed a burial and the grave was opened only to find existing remains. Or he allowed someone to inter Dad next to Grandma only to have another relative show up later claiming that they had the rights to that grave (especially if they have supporting documentation). 

Let the lawsuits begin! 

One headstone caught my attention. 

Walter's marker only noted that he died 30 Jun 1927, that he was from Georgia, and that he was a Corporal in the United States Marine Corps. So I made it a point to check in on him. If nothing else perhaps I could at least find and update his birth date. 

While I did find that (8 Sep 1900) and submitted an edit for him on Find A Grave, what else I found just made me all the more curious. 

Walter enlisted at age 17 (I can't recall for certain if parental permission was required to enlist at that age in 1917, though I am relatively sure that a parent had to sign off on a 17 year old signing up), doubtless eager to fight in The Great War. He ended up assigned to Headquarters Detachment, Marine Barracks, Naval Station, Guam. Fecking Guam! Imagine a country boy from rural Georgia finding himself in Guam in the 1920s. What an adventure!

Sadly, Walter's life and service were cut short. He died in Guam the summer of 1927 and was shipped home for burial. What an ordeal THAT had to be at the time!

Walter did not quite make it to his 27th birthday. In a twist of fate, I found that his mother survived to the age of 100! She passed away in 1981. Imagine. Being born in 1881, having your first child at age 19 in 1900, burying him in 1927, and living another 57 years with the memories. Tragic. At least she had two other children who lived on. I found he living years later with her daughter and her family. So she have those memories to carry with her, too. Perhaps they managed to ease some of her grief. 

Perhaps. Though I doubt they did very much.

Some Things I Will Never Understand - Updated

To quote Fezzini, "Inconceivable!" 

I never cease to be stunned? Puzzled? Flabbergasted? Floored? Pick your adjective, whatever it may be, but the sentiment remains the same: People are often beyond my ability to fathom.

Such was the case today when we visited a family cemetery dating from the 1800s to the mid 1970s. Seeing an abandoned and overgrown private burial ground is anything but new. And this place certainly is abandoned and overgrown. But seeing one that has gone to seed within one's own lifespan is another experience entirely. Granted, the last burial here was 44 years ago and that makes old Br'er, well, damned old. But that does nothing to abate the shock.

No, none of that is beyond my understanding. People move away, die, forget, don't care, and myriad other factors.

In this case I cannot understand failing to update Find A Grave. What we found makes no sense whatsoever.

To elaborate....

Someone when to the effort to create the cemetery in Find A Grave specifically for a family and named it after the patriarch of that family, a man himself buried in the cemetery and marked with a massive headstone shared with his wife. But they do not take the minute or less to enter his grave? Nor any save one - ONE - of at least 16 other marked graves in the cemetery!

No, only one grave is recorded in the cemetery. Granted, that memorial is extensive. Numerous children are detailed and their memorials linked. An extensive biography is given. Several photographs shared. Considerable and laudable work to be sure. But someone with no obvious link to the family for whom the cemetery is named! And whose marker was not laid until some 51 years after her passing!

I can understand not creating memorials for people suspected to be interned but for whom there is no known proof of burial. I can even understand not creating memorials for those known to be buried in a cemetery but for whom there is no marker. (Though the latter case is harder to fathom)

But not adding the grave of the person for whom the cemetery is named and for whom there is a marker some 4 feet tall in plain view? I mean, it only took about 30 minutes to stomp through the briars and brambles and add all 16 other marked graves in the cemetery!

Not making the effort, that I will never understand.

Update:

Since posting I spent some time trying to at least identify and link the parent/child and/or spousal relationships for the memorials here. In doing this I happened to find at least two individuals who have existing Find A Grave memorials with extensive familial links.

In the wrong cemetery!

Yup. Right people, wrong place. And yes, I have submitted merge requests for these.

I think the error is entirely understandable. Some obituary data lists the burials off a certain road. And indeed, both cemeteries are just off that road though some 2 miles apart. The main difference being this is a small, little known and not easily found site where the other is a large, well identified municipal cemetery. Whoever created the original memorials probably just assumed they were buried in the obvious cemetery. 

Easy enough mistake to make. Especially considering that most cemeteries have considerable numbers of unmarked graves.

I will be interested to see how Find A Grave reacts to my duplicate reports. Ordinarily the process is to merge all the data into the first memorial created. As it is in the wrong cemetery I reversed the merge order and noted that 1) the new memorial has photos of the headstone, 2) is GPS tagged, 3) the original memorial has neither of these, and 4) the new memorial was verified by on site visitation!

Standing by to stand by and see what they have to say.

Researching the individuals proved to be something of an exercise in frustration. To say that these people left virtually no paper trail is to be kind. 

I often encounter this in the cases of infants and children born and passing away between the Censuses. Usually the only record of their ever living is a headstone. Sometimes there is a birth or death certificate, but only in more modern times. On really rare occasions someone has scanned or photographed a family bible listing births and deaths.

But this time I am looking at adults married and having children! Augh! To be fair, this is a case of the 1890 Census Curse. This is when much of their data would have been collected.

But I keep hitting cases where people simply vanish from the records, only appear once, or, worse, never appear at all. An example here is someone born about 1877, not appearing in the 1880 census for whatever reason, obviously not being in an 1890 census, passing in 1899. 

A little extra digging - and a LOT of luck - found a list of burials by cemetery in the county, and this site was listed! It had three additional burials listed for which there are no markers. There are, however, several stones set to denote a grave as well as at least one location that clearly appears to be two sunken graves. So while it doesn't look like every person is accounted for, every one that can be accounted for is listed in the system.

In any event I have done what I can do with what I have. Honor has been satisfied.

Retreads

Retread. The term means different things to different people depending on the context in which it is used. Vehicles? Especially semis and aircraft? It means tires that have a new strip of rubber treading applied to an existing tire instead of manufacturing a whole new tire. Retreads use less rubber and are less expensive.

Speaking of the military? Today it usually means someone who served a hitch in one military branch, was discharged, and at some time later enlisted for another hitch in an entirely different branch. Examples from a couple of people I know. One served four years as a Marine, was a civilian for a couple of years then signed on with the Army. Another was a Sailor for a hitch, got out then also joined the Army for a hitch or two. Both of them are considered Retreads. Old service members brought back to another branch.

But this was not the original meaning of the term. Originally it applied to someone who served in World War I and was recalled or signed up again to serve in World War II. Remember that there was a two decade gap between the end of WWI and the start of WWII. 

A year or so ago I took on the task of auditing a nearby church cemetery. A quick visual scan made me pretty certain that there were a number of graves in it not noted in Find A Grave. So I spend a few afternoons systematically examining every marker that I could find and insuring it was accurately listed in the system. In the end I came close to doubling the number of memorials listed for the cemetery.

One of these was one of the very few real, old school, original definition Retreads I have ever seen.

I noted that Staff Sergeant Miller was born just over a month before my paternal grandfather. Sadly he passed some six years before my grandfather who himself passed away four months before I was born. I could only wonder if he, too, had grandchildren who would never have the opportunity to know him.

One of these days I am going to get my hands on D/2 Biological Cleaner and see just how well it removes the stains from stones like these. These people deserve it.

I can't believe I actually got the whole story this time!

 Any time you encounter a gap of almost a century (98 years in this case) between burials in a cemetery any normal person has a LOT of questions. Not the least of which is 'Why the long inactive period?' And obviously 'How is the latter person related to others in the cemetery, or is there a relationship at all?' I encountered another case recently where there was nearly a century between internments in a family cemetery. In that case there was a direct relationship between the latter person and others in the cemetery. Specifically his Great-Grandparents and Great-Great-Grandparents.

This time there is no obvious link.

To back up a moment and give some history. If you spend any amount of time out in the deep rural areas -pasture lands and farms - you will see the occasional copse of trees out in a field. Often, if you do a little snooping and checking, you will find that there are graves among those trees. Remember that in the early years of settling lands it was the common practice to bury people on the family land. There were few other options. Some churches had burial space, others not. And there being few towns and no real cities, there were even fewer burial spaces available. 

My father had spotted on such stand of trees and wanted to explore it. So we did.

I also learn during this excursion that I had relatives in this area (indeed, they once owned this precise tract of land!), though to the best of all knowledge currently available, there is no relationship to any of the individuals in this little cemetery.

We snoop, stomp, and generally investigate the site and all 8 headstones recorded in it. As is SOP, I update the GPS locations for all the markers in Find A Grave.

But this one outlier grave haunts me. I mention this to the parental unit. He wants to know as well. And he is far bolder than I. So we end up a few hundred yards further down the road at the home of what is probably the current owner. 

At least the pack of dogs who greet the car are friendly if vocal. 

We introduce ourselves and start to explain ourselves when he interrupts and says we must be the ones who were just in the cemetery.

You gotta love the Country. Any stranger snooping around is a hot topic and word is passed at the speed of light.

We chat for a moment or two before getting to the point: What is the story on this one grave? We were not prepared for the reaction. The man was moved to the very verge of tears and it took him a couple of moments to compose himself.

He relates the story. Fred, the person in question, was what today is usually called 'Special Needs'. He was mentally challenged and subject to physical challenges such as seizures. He was kinda, sorta unofficially adopted and given a job working around the farm. Clearly the land owner cared deeply to this young man. Apparently young Fred had often stated that he never wanted to be anywhere other than the farm; that he never wanted to leave. So when he passed away his kin asked if his ashes could be placed in the cemetery on the farm and a memorial erected for him there. Obviously the answer was 'Yes'.

The Bestest Son

I was fully prepared to ask about 'The Bestest Son". Indeed I was beginning to utter the question when I was cut off and given the answer before I could ask the question.

Fred, it turned out, had two brothers. They were, to be kind, not the most upstanding of citizens though they were to saddled with the same challenges as Fred. This was not a secret. Fred knew of his brothers' faults and decided that he was "The Bestest Son" of the three.

The last little tidbit dropped on us was that there used to be a 9th marker in the cemetery with a death date of 1793, but it hasn't been seen in years. He could recall seeing it once, and the general area where it was. This was separate from the 2 to 3 dozen obvious unmarked graves.

Yes, I made it clear that the land owner should not be at all alarmed if he sees me searching for that missing headstone. 

Sisters, Sisters

I have a sick penchant for rewriting song lyrics. And I have a love for words that borders on the unnatural. 

There are times when the two combine in the most horrible bad taste. Such was the case auditing this cemetery.

In one area I noted the graves of Lillie and Lura (what a name!) Brand in a large family plot. Something about the whole site struck me oddly. At first I could not put my finger on what it was. But it kept bugging me like an itch in my brain.

Eventually it struck me - these are spinsters, not wives of brothers! Spinster is on of those words that I love. It is so precise and evocative!

Usually when I see graves of unmarried women they passed away early in life. Not these two. Lillie was 55 when she passed away. Lura surpassed her by reaching age 81. No way these are women who passed before having the opportunity to wed.

No, these two had to be spinsters for specific reasons. 

My imagination reels. Were they too independent? Had no interest in men? Mentally unfit ('special')? Ugly as home-made sin? What were their reasons? Another of those mysteries I will never know the answer to.

Edit: 

Damn! I neglected to tie in the title. And the tie in was very much in mind when this was originally written.

Harken back the the 1954 film White Christmas. We are introduced to the characters played by Vera Ellen and Rosemary Clooney during their nightclub act. The do a routine to the song 'Sisters'. I kept thinking about rewriting the lyrics replacing Sisters with Spinsters.

Spinsters,
Spinsters,
There were never more confirmed spinsters.

No gentlemen ever came to call, no sir.
I needn't keep my eye on her.

You can see where that was going. Can't believe I forgot to include the reasoning.

Just damn.

Rest In Peace? Are you serious? - Richey Cemetery

 The best laid plans and all that. When Samuel Richey was laid to rest, and a few years later his wife, Mary, joined him, they were interred on what was undoubtedly their farmland in rural Gwinnett County, Georgia. In all probability there was nothing and no one nearby. Quiet. Peaceful. Bucolic. Everything one could desire in a final resting place.

Somewhere between 1855 (when Mary passed away) and today changes took place. A road and a railroad cut across the land. As best as I can determine, the railroad came well after the 1880s. I could find an 1884 map of Georgia rail lines and there is nothing near the location. Odds are that it was built well into the 20th century. The road date is much harder to pin down.

In any event the result of these two constructions was to leave Samuel and Mary isolated in what is designated as the railroad right of way between the two. Sadly this is a neglected and trash riddled area. Their false tomb markers - impressive for their day - are in danger of being lost and destroyed. Recently a tree has fallen on Samuel's grave. One of Mary's side tomb walls (very thick granite) has fallen over.

These are images from an earlier time when the graves were in better condition.

Here you can see the side wall having fallen from Mary's False Tomb. That sucker is some 8+ inches thick in the middle, and about 6 or 7 feet long. Solid Granite. There is no resetting it without multiple people and a lot of mechanical advantage! And getting gear in there means clearing a lot of brush. Restoring the two markers would be a good two day effort for a small crew. Longer if there is a desire to really clear and improve the area.

Getting to the site was a little dicey. We had to park on the roadside in front of a lot behind which are several houses. A thick wall of Poison Ivy forced us to look for entre several yards down the road then make our way back through the thickets to the graves. 

After the visit, as we were heading back to the car, one of the residents of the nearby houses was leaving. Obviously our presence was noted and we were eyed with more than a little suspicion. "Who the hell are these people and what are they doing creeping around my property?"

We explained that we were finding the cemetery over in the woods.

"What cemetery?"

We further explained there are two graves just across from where our car was parked. To say this guy was surprised is to understate in the extreme. He had, according to him, lived there for years and had no idea there were graves there. We had to show him photos and point to the location to convince him.

The real joy was watching the evolving look of 'freaked out' on his face. It was clear that the idea of graves that close to his house was unnerving. I think the fact that Halloween is approaching amplified the effect.

I really should not enjoy this kind of evil pleasure. 

But I do. As General George S. Patton, Jr. said about himself and war, "I love it. God held me, I do love it so."