Southern Graves

Eliza S. Davis was born in Roxbury, Massachusetts 15 July 1808 and died in Macon, Georgia 3 January 1841. Just 32 years young. What is to blame for her untimely death? According to an obituary in the 5 January 1841 Macon Georgia Telegraph , "consumption" was the cause. In short, consumption used to be a common term for tuberculosis . This was because it seemed to consume people from within, with a long relentless symptom of "wasting away." According to the World Health Organization, when the disease becomes active, 75% of the cases are pulmonary TB, that is, TB in the lungs. Symptoms include chest pain, coughing up blood, and a productive, prolonged cough for more than three weeks. Systemic symptoms include fever, chills, night sweats, appetite loss, weight loss, pallor, and fatigue. Mrs. Eliza S. Davis was laid to rest in the Old City Cemetery of Macon, Georgia. Her epitaph describes her as A good Wife, good Mother, good Daughter and good Christian . This

Sometimes I come across a tombstone that at first glance appears simple, or common. When I pause and take it all in however, I find that is not the case at all. Like with Elizabeth Gossett's stone pictured below. It contains symbolism, a good bit of genealogical information, and a personalized epitaph. Art and data rolled into one. A hand with a finger pointing up indicates Elizabeth's soul has risen to Heaven. Though not seen in the photo, here is a transcription of her entire epitaph: Elizabeth / Wife of I. F. Gossett / Born Mar 23, 1823 / Died Mar 26, 1903 / She was a member of the M. E. church 62 years. / Her last words... I am going home . Elizabeth was laid to rest near her parents, Casey and Susan Crowe. Their stone is behind hers in the photo. All are buried in Fairview Presbyterian Church Cemetery at Lawrenceville, Gwinnett County, Georgia.

Our Pet Jewel M. Daughter of G. P. & G. Craig Born June 7, 1884 Died Aug 1, 1890 The conflict o'er our Babe's at rest, She sweetly sleeps on Jesus' breast. Sleep on sweet Jewel until we come, To greet thee in thy heavenly home. Fairview Presbyterian Church Cemetery Lawrenceville, Gwinnett County, Georgia Photo © 2011 S. Lincecum

A week ago I had the good fortune to be in the beautiful city of Savannah, Georgia. And with every trip to Savannah, of course, a visit to the equally beautiful Bonaventure Cemetery is a must. I managed to time my visit closely with the unveiling of the new information kiosk and gravesite locator now available to visitors. According to the City of Savannah Home Page , "The new touch-screen kiosk provides self-service access to interment records and maps of Bonaventure, Colonial Park, Laurel Grove and Greenwich Cemeteries. Cemetery visitors will be able to look up names on the kiosk to determine the exact location of interments on cemetery maps. For a small fee, users will also be able to print the information and maps. Burial records date back to 1750 and are updated daily." Furthermore, "The kiosk was funded by the City, the Bonaventure Historical Society and a National Park Service Preserve America Grant. It is located on the front porch of the Bonaventure Adminis

Get Low , billed as "a true tall tale" is a great movie I just finished watching about an hour ago. It was released July 2010, and just released on DVD via redbox yesterday. Get Low is about a man who throws a "funeral party" for himself before he dies. Felix Bush, played by Robert Duval, is a hermit who claims to want to hear what others have to say about him. Truthfully, he throws the funeral because he has something to tell. And that's all I'm going to say; you'll have to watch it to learn more! Felix "Bush" Breazeale surrounded by flowers at his own funeral. When I learned this great film is loosely based on a true story, well, I had to search for that story. And I found it. Felix Bushaloo "Bush" Breazeale threw his own funeral party in 1938 Roane County, Tennessee. Here are portions of an article from the 27 June 1938 Times-Picayune in Louisiana (viewed online at GenealogyBank ). Bewhiskered Farmer Scans Heav

Shadrack L. Green Co B GA Mtd Vols Mexican War Oct 13, 1800 May 13, 1864 Fairview Presbyterian Church Cemetery Lawrenceville, Gwinnett County, Georgia Photo © 2011 S. Lincecum Shadrack served with the battalion of Georgia Mounted Volunteers in Mexico during the latter part of the war, as well as during the U. S. occupation following Mexico's surrender and the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.

The Jackson Four Yesterday I introduced you to " the Jackson four ," a group of three siblings and their sister-in-law buried in Fairview Presbyterian Church Cemetery at Lawrenceville, Gwinnett County, Georgia. Today I would like to focus on the sister-in-law, Mittie P. Jackson: In Memory of Mittie P. Jackson Wife of B. M. Jackson Born Nov 7, 1882 Died Feb 12, 1919 Here is one who is sleeping in faith and love, with hope that is treasured in Heaven above. While searching for information about Mrs. Mittie Jackson, I was fortunate to find her death certificate via FamilySearch.org and the Georgia Deaths, 1914-1927 database. In it, her cause of death was described as "puerperal eclampsia." This condition lasted for 1 & 3/4 days, and a contributory cause was her pregnancy of five months. An online medical dictionary (with the American Heritage Medical Dictionary listed as the source) describes this condition as "Convulsions and coma that are

From left to right:  Mittie P. Jackson (1882-1919), Roscoe W. Jackson (1883-1963), Daisy May Jackson (1894-1944) and Lyndon W. Jackson (1887-1946). These members of the JACKSON family are resting in the Fairview Presbyterian Church Cemetery at Lawrenceville, Gwinnett County, Georgia. According to a couple of online family trees and census records at Ancestry , Roscoe W., Daisy May, and Lyndon W. are all children of Charles Montgomery Jackson and Mary E. Wardlaw. Mittie P. Jackson was a daughter-in-law. Charles and Mary were also laid to rest within the same cemetery.

As promised, I have some more information about the Goodwins of Gwinnett County, Georgia. Goodwin Cemetery is located on Highway 120 in Duluth, GA. I fit a visit in last year while attending the 2010 Atlanta Family History Expo. Since it is referred to as the Goodwin Cemetery, I tend to think this little silent city was begun for the Goodwin family. There are several other surnames to be found, however, and I do not know if they all connect to the Goodwins. There are African American burials as well as white, though they do appear to be segregated. According to the Gwinnett County Historical Society , the genesis of the Goodwin family in the area dates back to the late 1700s and Philadelphia: "Mary Ann Roach came to America in the late 1700s as a stowaway on an Irish freighter. In Philadelphia, she met and married John C. Goodwin who was also an Irish immigrant. Records from around 1800 show the couple living in Rutherford Co., NC and having 5 children. A son, Joseph, acqu

Archie Harris, Jr. South Carolina Cpl US Army Korea Dec 26, 1927 - Nov 30, 1972 Archie died in Dekalb County, Georgia. He was laid to rest in Goodwin Cemetery at Duluth, Gwinnett County, Georgia. Photo © 2011 S. Lincecum.

"The anvil symbolizes the primordial forging of the universe...In Christian symbolism, the anvil is an attribute of St. Eligius, the patron saint of blacksmiths." (Douglas Keister, Stories in Stone: The Complete Guide to Cemetery Symbolism ) This anvil is carved into the granite ledger marker placed for Christopher Columbus "Lum" Howell (1879-1965) at Goodwin Cemetery in Duluth, Gwinnett County, Georgia. Photos © 2010-2011 S. Lincecum

Julia A. Goodwin Born Oct 1, 1793 Died Nov 6, 1881 All is well. Julia was born in Pennsylvania to Irish parents. Census records suggest she never married. By 1880 she was living in Goodwin's District, Gwinnett County, Georgia with her sister-in-law Elmina Graham Goodwin. Julia was laid to rest in the Goodwin Cemetery, presently on Highway 120 in Duluth, Gwinnett County, Georgia. We'll be discussing the Goodwins of Gwinnett County again soon.