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.