Showing posts with label cemetery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cemetery. Show all posts

Friday, July 02, 2010

Tombstone Tuesday: Walter and Betsy Cronkite - Follow Up

Betsy Cronkite preceded her husband in death and was originally marked with the stone pictured below. This marker was removed when Mr. Cronkite's cremated remains were interred and the new joint marker placed.

Cronkite
Mary E. (Betsy) Maxwell
Jan. 25      Mar. 15
1916         2005

Saturday, April 03, 2010

Walter and Betsy Cronkite

I grew  up listening to Walter Cronkite and the news will never be the same without him. Cronkite's creamated remains are interred with his wife in Mount Moriah and Freeman Cemetery in south Kansas City, MO. The marker for his wife, Betsy, who preceded him in death, was replaced with this new marker below.

Walter L. Jr.
Cronkite
November 4, 1916
July 17, 2009

Mary E. (Betsy)
Maxwell
January 25, 1916
March 15, 2005

Married March 30, 1940

May they rest in peace and be remembered fondly.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

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

Tuesday, July 07, 2009

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

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Wordless Wednesday: Our Son John

Elmwood Cemetery
Kansas City, MO

Sunday, June 21, 2009

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

Sunday, June 07, 2009

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)

Sunday, May 31, 2009

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.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

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.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

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

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

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.

Monday, May 18, 2009

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.

Sunday, May 17, 2009

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.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

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.

Wednesday, May 06, 2009

Wordless Wednesday: Links to the Past

Dorothy Dudley Reed
Aug. 21, 1930 Jan, 19, 2008
Johnson County Memorial Gardens
11200 Metcalf Ave.
Overland Park, Johnson Co., Kansas

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

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!

Monday, April 06, 2009

Tombstone Tuesday: Sibley Cemetery at Ft. Osage

The site for Fort Osage was recommended by Lewis and Clark on their early expedition along the Missouri River, and was later built under the direction of Clark at what is now Sibley, Jackson County, Missouri. The cemetery, located a short distance from the Fort, is one of the earliest cemeteries in this part of Missouri. It was used by the Fort for military personnel as well as by the civilians in the community that grew up around it.

The cemetery can be categorized as a "Customary" cemetery. The cemetery was not originally planned or platted. When the need occurred, individuals chose a spot and took care of their own, and as a result, while the graves are oriented eastward and are in family groupings, there is no real order to the cemetery.

As was common for the military, the soldiers were placed in unmarked mass graves. With no stone carvers available in the area, it is likely many of the earliest settler graves were not markedwith a gravestone. Many were likely marked with a stone, wooden cross, tree or other planting, or flowers. Those with some means would have had to mail order a stone, likely from the St. Louis area.

One of my favorite early markers at this cemetery is this marble scroll-top child's marker. The marker sits on a concrete base and features a lamb, a common symbol of innocence and youth usually associated with babies and small children.

Reading the inscription (below) we find this marker is, in fact, for a small child. As settlers new to the area, the surviving parents also felt it important to let those that follow know that this child was born in Utica, Mississippi, only two short years earlier.


Anna,
Daughter of
J.A. & A.E.Hollis
Born at Utica, Miss.
Aug. 5, 1854
Died Aug. 17, 1856


Tour Ft. Osage and Sibley Cemetery on Flickr: http://tinyurl.com/dbkv8r Click Show Info to see captions.

See the Digital Cemetery for more about Sibley Cemetery.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Unusual Monument Year Notation

While indexing the cemeteries in Johnson County, Kansas, I ran into this unusual year notation using E. M. The full inscription reads:

John J. Bartlett
Born Feb 9, E. M. 344
Died May 19, E. M. 409


Bartlett's death notice in the local newspaper indicates he was born in Ohio, a local farmer, born 9 Feb 1844, died 19 May 1909.

Obviously E. M. represents 1500 years but what does it stand for and where does this notation come from?

I would love to know what E. M. means. If you have gravestones with this notation, or if you know what this stands for, please post!

Find Bartlett and more on the Digital Cemetery at http://cemetery.cottonhills.com/