Zebulon's Grandfather

For this week's Tombstone Tuesday, I wrote about North Carolina's "greatest man," Zebulon Baird Vance. In a newspaper article about him that I found and transcribed here, Zeb's grandfather is described. Luckily, I had also photographed a stone while at Riverside Cemetery in Asheville, not far from where Zebulon was laid to rest, that memorializes this grandfather as well as a few additional members of his family. On each of the fours sides of the stone, a different family member is remembered.

David Vance
Born in Frederick County, Va, of Scotch Irish parentage about 1750. Died in Buncombe Co, N.C. in 1811. He was a soldier at King's Mountain in the Patriot Army in 1780. One of the earliest settlers of Buncombe and the first clerk of the County Court.

Priscilla Brank
Wife of David Vance
Born in Rowan Co, NC in 1756 of German parentage. Reared a family of eight children and died in 1836.

Robert Brank Vance, M.D.
Youngest son of David and Priscilla. Born in...[?]...1794. Died in 1827. He was a physician of much promise, well versed in English lit, and a politician of note. He served as member for this District in the XVIIIth Congress.

David Vance
Son of David and Priscilla, born in Reems Creek, Buncombe Co, NC July 15, 1792. Died Jan 14, 1844. Succeeding to the name and Virtues of his Father, was highly esteemed as a modest and upright citizen and Christian gentleman. He was an Elder in the Presbyterian Church.

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Rocks, Rocks, and More Rocks

Why do people put rocks on grave stones? Some time ago, I learned that the rocks signified a visitor. That is true enough, but I decided to learn a little more about the custom and share my findings with you. Putting rocks on tombstones is most often described as a Jewish custom. There are many "Ask a Rabbi" columns out there, but I did not find one that knew for sure where the custom originated. They all agreed, however, that a rock symbolized a visitor and when put on a tombstone said, "I remember you." I also read that some people pick up a rock wherever they are when they think of a person that has passed. Then, the next time they visit the grave, they place the rock to say, "I wish you were here." Rabbi Shraga Simmons offers a deeper meaning: "We are taught that it is an act of ultimate kindness and respect to bury someone and place a marker at the site. After a person is buried, of course, we can no longer participate in burying them. H

Southern Cross of Honor

I'm late to this discussion, but it's one I'd like to join. :-) Terry Thornton at The Graveyard Rabbit of the Hill Country started with Grave Marker Symbols: The Southern Cross of Honor and UCV (link no longer available). Judith Shubert at The Graveyard Rabbit of the Covered Bridges continued with Hood County Texas: C.S.A. Veterans & Southern Cross of Honor Symbol . [UPDATE, 1 June 2009: Judith has moved this post to the blog, Cemeteries with Texas Ties . The link has been corrected to reflect this move. You may also link to her article via her nice comment on this post.] Wikipedia states: The Southern Cross of Honor was a military decoration meant to honor the officers, noncommissioned officers, and privates for their valor in the armed forces of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. It was formally approved by the Congress of the Confederate States on October 13, 1862, and was originally intended to be on par with the Union Arm

Thursday Link Love: EyeWitness To History

Yesterday, a link was added to the Genealogy Research Resources Group at Diigo. The link was to the website titled EyeWitness to History.com: History through the eyes of those who lived it . It's a great site, and I encourage all to visit it. Here are several items I found while snooping around. - Inside a Nazi Death Camp, 1944 : "Hitler established the first concentration camp soon after he came to power in 1933. The system grew to include about 100 camps divided into two types: concentration camps for slave labor in nearby factories and death camps for the systematic extermination of "undesirables" including Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals, the mentally retarded and others." - Crash of the Hindenburg, 1937 : "Radio reporter Herbert Morrison, sent to cover the airship's arrival, watched in horror. His eye witness description of the disaster was the first coast-to-coast radio broadcast and has become a classic piece of audio history." [You ca

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The hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. And He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?"

So I answered, "O Lord God, You know."

Again He said to me, "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, 'O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!' Thus says the Lord God to these bones: 'Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live...'" (Ezekiel 37:1-5, NKJV)

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