Tombstone Tuesday: Marble Masonic Mausoleum at Mt Moriah Cemetery

Mount Moriah & Freeman Funeral Home and Cemetery, located in southern Kansas City, was established in 1922 to serve Freemasons and their families. See more in this quick flickr picture show: http://bit.ly/Qty8f

The cemetery includes several Masonic features, including a massive marble mausoleum.


The mausoleum has two levels. At the entrance, on the second level is the Temple meeting room.

The dedication plaque inside mausoleum entrance reads:

Mount Moriah Temple

Dedicated May 1928

Robert E Peden - Architect

Grand Master seat in Temple meeting room.

The Lodge room contains many symbols and features reprentative of the Shriners, Masons, Scottish Rite, and Eastern Star. The meeting room is topped by a stepped pyramid ceiling with a skylight that is not visible externally from the ground.

Large and small ornate burial chambers predominate the Mausoleum.

The upper level wings are filled with large and small private burial chambers and ornate display niches. The lower level contains some burial chambers but its wings are more open halls and open rooms.

See more in this quick flickr picture show: http://bit.ly/Qty8f

Tombstone Tuesday: Humorous Marker For John A England

Found in

Johnson County Memorial Gardens

11200 Metcalf Ave.

Overland Park, Johnson Co, Kansas

Sept. 14, 1938 - SEE YA!

It's True

Death & Taxes
John A. England

Wordless Wednesday: Our Son John

Elmwood Cemetery

Kansas City, MO

BlackSheep Sunday: The Horse Thief

In the West, stealing a horse was a hanging offense. Sometimes the horse thief was lynched on the spot where he was captured and other times the thief was brought into town, locked in jail, tried, convicted, and hanged at a scafford or hanging tree in town for all to witness.

When a horse thief was hanged where captured, they were often placed in an unmarked grave nearby, but when the thief was hanged in town they were normally buried in the local cemetery. Many times they were unmarked, with no one willing to order and pay for a permanent marker, and sometimes they had a temporary marker.

This particular horse thief was marked much later. While his name was unknown, his deed is remembered forever.

The Horse Thief

1898

New Santa Fe Cemetery

Kansas City, MO

BlackSheep Sunday: Jesse Woodson James and Family

Jesse Woodson James, one of the most prolific outlaws of the west, grew up near the Kansas City area - near Liberty, Missouri. Jesse served Quantrell's Raiders, a guerrilla company of the Confederacy noted for burning and slaughtering a path to Leavenworth KS and and the burning of Leavenworth. After that James, with his brother Frank, the Younger brothers (3) and several others from Quantrell's Raiders formed the James-Younger gang.

The James gang is credited for many bloodbath robberies throughout the midwest. Eventually James was shot in the back of the head by Bob Ford. For this act, Bob Ford was labeled a coward and James was romanticized and became a legend.

Jesse has certainly not been left alone to rest in peace after death. Jesse was originally interred on the family farm in Clay County, Mo. For many years Frank James earned money by giving tours of the family farm and graveyard. Years later the family cemetery was moved to Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Kearney and the Clay Co Historical Society now provides tours of the James family farm.

After James was moved to Mt. Olivet, he was disinterred two more times to try to prove the person interred was actually James. The final disinterment resulted in DNA testing.

JAMES
Jesse W
Born Sept.5, 1847
Assassinated
April 3, 1882

Zerelda
Born July 21, 1845
Died Nov. 13, 1900

Confederate Military Stone
Jesse W James
Taylor's SQ
Quantrell's
Regt
CSA
Sep 5 1847
Apr 2 1882Marker in memory of Gould and Montgomery James, children of Jesse and Zarelda (interred elsewhere)

Zerelda Samuel
Jan. 29, 1825
Feb. 10, 1911
(mother of Jesse James)

Dr. Reuben Samuel
Jan. 12, 1829
Mar. 1, 1908
"At Rest"
(Jesse's mother's last husband)
Archie P. Samuel
Born July 26. 1866
Killed by a Bomb
Jan. 26,1875
(son of Reuben and Zerelda)

BlackSheep Sunday: Frank, brother of Jesse James

Alexander Franklin "Frank" James, brother of the famed Jesse James, maintains a low profile even after death. Frank served the Confederacy in the Civil War, joined Quantrill's Raiders guerilla army, was member of the James-Younger gang and credited with many robberies.

JAMES
Alexander F.
1843 - 1915
Ann Ralston
1853 - 1944

Frank's peaceful view at the top of the hill now overlooks a new skate park.

Frank and his wife rest in the Hill family cemetery in Hill Park in Independence, Missouri.

This cemetery contains Adam Hill and some of his descendants. Frank's wife, Ann Ralston James, was Adam Hill's granddaughter through her mother, Mary Catherine Hill Ralston. Now maintained by Jackson County (MO) Parks and Recreation.

Kansas Korean War Memorial

The Kansas Korean War Memorial, located at 119th and Lowell Streets in Overland Park, Johnson Co., Kansas honors those Kansans who served the Korean War. Also include pavers to honor veterans from any war and supporters.

See their website at http://www.koreanwarmemorial-opks.com

BlackSheep Sunday: Clell Miller, Notorious Outlaw

Clell Miller was a Confederate and a notorious outlaw from Clay County, MO. He was a member of Quantrill's Raiders at the age of 14 and then the famed Jesse James Gang. Clell participated in many robberies - bank, train, stage, and home - and is credited for killing a number of people.

Clell was killed in a bank robbery in Northfield, MN, at the age of 26, and is interred in Muddy Fork Cemetery near Kearney in Clay County, MO. Clell is listed on the family stone and a new military stone has been added with Southern Cross of Honor and Quantrill's name misspelled.

PVT
Clelland D Miller
Quautrill's Company
CSA
Dec 15 1849
Sep 7 1876

The family monument lists three family members.

Clelland D. Miller
Sept. 7, 1876
Aged
26 Yrs. 8 Ms.
& 22 Ds.

Francis M. Miller

Died

Sept. 12, 1874

Aged

21 Yrs. 2 Ms.

& 2 Ds.

Moses W. Miller
Born
May 26, 1798.
Died
Jan. 3, 1879.

CSA Week: 1st Lt. Shepherd, Confederate States

From Historic Lee's Summit Cemetery, Lee's Summit, MO.

SHEPHERD

George Washington

Jan. 5, 1840

Feb. 23, 1917

1st LT. Confederate States

Mary Jane Waters

July 4, 1856

July 15, 1935

Wordless Wednesday: CSA Week: John L. Holder

Interred in historic New Santa Fe Cemetery, Kansas City, MO.

John L Holder
SERG CO A
9 BM MO Sharp Shooters
Confederate States Army
APR 28 1839 FEB 14 1910

Tombstone Tuesday: CSA Week: Confederate in Kansas

Even though Kansas was a Free State, if you look hard you can find a few Confederates who lived out their lives and passed away just on the other side of the Bloody Border. Often their military affiliation was not marked or the term Confederate or CSA used.

Abbott

GeorgeW. Abbott

July 19, 1840.

Feb. 17, 1921.

Co. A. 6th Mo. Cav.

Docia C. Abbott

Dec. 22, 1842

July 30, 1924

This large granite marker bears the distinctive pointed top of the classic marble Confederate military tablet. The American Flag is under the point in place of the Southern Cross of Honor. His service is listed as the 6th MO Cavalry, but the reference to CSA is omitted.

CSA Week: Confederate Memorial Cemetery

With Memorial Day coming up, this week I'd like to remember those who fought for the Confederate States of America in the Civil War.

What better way to start the week than a glimpse of Confederate Memorial Cemetery in Higgensville, Lafayette Co, MO.

A peaceful place to rest.

View of the Confederate Memorial from the entrance.

The Confederate Memorial, dated 1906.

A small view of a large cemetery.

BlackSheep Sunday: Bob Ford, The Man Who Shot Jesse James

Robert Newton Ford, one-time member of the James gang, is remembered forever in history as the "coward who killed Jesse James."

History records that Bob Ford was born in 1862 near Richmond, in Ray County, MO. His grave marker, however, records his birth as 20 years earlier. Ford's last days were spent in Creede, Colorado, where he was gunned down by Edward O. Kelley and interred. Years later Bob's remains were removed to Richmond, MO, where he remains today.

Bob Ford
Dec. 8, 1841 - June 8, 1892
The Man Who Shot Jesse James

Richmond City Cemetery
Richmond, Ray County, MO

Sponsored by the International Black Sheep Society of Genealogists.

Wordless Wednesday: Capt. Ketchum, Chief of Delaware Nation

White Church Delaware Indian Cemetery
Est. 1831
Kansas City, Wyandotte Co., Kansas

Delaware Nation

Captain Ketchum
1780 - 1857
Chief of Delawares 28 Yrs.

Capt. Ketchum
Chief of Delaware Nation
28 Years
A Member of the
Methodist Church
T P (?) South
22 Years
?? Born
1780
Died
July 11, 1857
(illegble)

See the Digital Cemetery for more of the Ketchums at White Church: http://bit.ly/pI6Q1

Tombstone Tuesday: Lone Pioneer Child

This lone burial from years before Kansas became a state, now lies unnoticed beside a highway.

When K7 was built, the iron fence was erected to protect the marker.

Asa G.
Son of
F. M. and E. F. Smith
Born Nov. 15, 1856
Died Aug. 30, 1857

I often find flowers, toys, and other evidence of visitors.


In the summer the fenced in area fills in with growth.

See location and read more about this burial at
http://cemetery.cottonhills.com/cemindex.jsp?id=39

BlackSheep Sunday: The Younger Gang

The Youngers
Lee's Summit Historic Cemetery
291 Hwy and SE 3rd St.
Lee's Summit, Jackson Co., MO

Individual Markers

Mother
Bursheba Fristoe
Younger
1816 - 1870

Robert Ewing
Younger
October 29, 1853
September 16, 1889

James H.
Younger
January 15, 1848
October 19, 1902

Cole
Younger
1844 - 1916
Rest in Peace
Our Dear Beloved

Confederate States of America Marker

Southern Cross of Honor
Captain

Cole Younger
Capt.
Quantrill's Co.

C. S. A.

Wordless Wednesday: Links to the Past

Dorothy Dudley Reed

www.dorothy-reed.com

Aug. 21, 1930 Jan, 19, 2008

Johnson County Memorial Gardens

11200 Metcalf Ave.

Overland Park, Johnson Co., Kansas

Tombstone Tuesday: And Time Marches On

Today I'm going to break format a bit and bring a different light to the Civil War section of Spring Hill Cemetery, Spring Hill, Johnson County, Kansas. Click the photos for a much larger view!

The Civil War section of the cemetery features a Civil War Memorial with the American Flag, and the soldiers laid out in two rows behind the memorial and bring images of the Kansas Infantry to mind.

In this normal look at the Memorial at the head of the section we can see it bears the message Rest Soldier Rest on the orb. The rectangular area directly beneath the orb is inscribed with a flag, above which reads The Flag They Fought For. The remainder of the message reads To the Memory Of // Our Unknown Dead. // They Sleep // On Southern Battlefields // And ‘Neath The Ocean Waves. The base acknowledges the donors as General Curtis Relief Corps. No. 29 // Dedicated May 30, 1897.

Many of the graves are marked with their original GAR Post stars and remind us of our old soldiers finally at ease.

The soldiers remain in their ranks for all time, marked by their marble Union tablets and armed with their badges of honor.

A Patriot at Rest

And Time Marches On

I hope you enjoyed this different view of this Civil War Memorial. These photos are digital IR and were shot using an infrared filter on the camera. This is the view a scorpion or a snake might have of the cemetery.

See more of Spring Hill cemetery including photo-index at the Ditigal Cemetery.

Leave me a message and let me know what you think!