Southern Graves

James D. Spence was born 28 February 1833, a son of McAlvin and Elizabeth Spence. His tombstone states James was born in Gwinett County, Georgia, but I question that. Simply because McAlvin Spence was so prominent in Harris County around the time of James' birth. As alluded to, James is listed with his father, McAlvin's second wife Martha, and six siblings in the Harris County, Georgia Federal census for 1850. A few years later on 24 July 1853, James married Francis Louisa Patrick in Gwinnett County, GA. It appears James spends the rest of his life there. In 1860, Jas D., Francis, and their son John are in Lawrenceville where James is occupied as Postmaster. James did not serve in a soldier capacity during the Civil War, but was deemed a Rebel Postmaster by the U.S. Government and had to apply for a Presidential Pardon about 1865. A couple of reasons as to why James felt he deserved a pardon are transcribed from his application here: "1st Because he did not ac...

THADDEUS M. NORTON born Jan y 13th 1839 died Jan y 28th 1844 ---------------------------- MARGARET E. NORTON born Feb y 20th 1843 died Dec r 28th 1843 ---------------------------- ALONZO NORTON born Sept r 4th 1845 died April 15th 1846 Lawrenceville Historic Cemetery, est. 1819 Gwinnett County, Georgia Photo © 2010/1 S. Lincecum [Note: For what it's worth, the stone for these three little ones is next to the stone for John Norton .]

SACRED To the memory of JOHN NORTON Who was born July 14th 1808 and died March 15th 1847. ---------------------------------- Jesus can make a dying bed Feel soft as downy pillows are, While on his breast I lean my head And breathe my life out sweetly there. The poetic finale of John's epitaph is from a hymn written by Isaac Watts about 1707 entitled "Why Should We Start, and Fear to Die?" Why should we start and fear to die? What tim’rous worms we mortals are! Death is the gate of endless joy, And yet we dread to enter there. The pains, the groans, the dying strife, Fright our approaching souls away; Still we shrink back again to life, Fond of our prison and our clay. O, if my Lord would come and meet, My soul should stretch her wings in haste, Fly fearless through death’s iron gate, Nor feel the terrors as she passed. Jesus can make a dying bed Feel soft as downy pillows are, While on His breast I lean my head, And breathe my life out sweet...

Francis Ferdinand Juhan was born 14 October 1832 in Jones County, Georgia to Francis P. Juhan and Evilyn Johnson. By 1850, the family was settled in Gwinnett County, Georgia. The city of Lawrenceville is where Francis Ferdinand Juhan would spend his adult life, even being mayor of the city for a time. Francis F. Juhan served in the Civil War with Company B of Cobb's Legion (Georgia). He enlisted in 1862, and was present at the April 1865 surrender in Greensboro, North Carolina. Oliver, a brother of Francis, also fought during the Civil War. Family tradition states when Oliver lost his life in that war, the unimaginable task of burying the body fell to Francis. After the war, Francis returned to Lawrenceville and resumed a law practice. He married Narcissus E. Ivie, and together they had nine children. Six lived to adulthood. Narcissie died in 1897. Upon his death on 31 January 1913, Francis F. Juhan was laid to rest next to his wife and three early-lost children in La...

Georgia's Marietta National Cemetery

Ruby Vaughan was born 15 January 1878 in Georgia to Andrew J. and Sarah "Sallie" Ambrose Vaughan. She is listed with her parents and sister Mamie in the 1880 Lawrenceville, Gwinett County, GA Federal Census. Little Ruby died 11 October 1885 and was buried in Lawrenceville Historic Cemetery. A year after Ruby's death, A. J. and Sallie had a son, William W. Two years later, about the anniversary of Ruby's death, little William was laid to rest beside the older sister he never had the chance to meet.

Photo by Donna Ruhland Bonning via FindAGrave There was a great article in the most recent Sunday edition of The Telegraph (Macon, Georgia) about Philemon Tracy. Born in 1831 (the 180th anniversary of his birth was just a few days ago) to a highly regarded Macon family that included a former mayor, state legislator, judge, and Confederate general, Philemon was a major in the 6th Georgia Infantry during the Civil War. He lost his life at the Battle of Antietam, "the bloodiest one-day battle in American military history." Instead of being brought home and buried in the family plot at Rose Hill Cemetery in Macon, Philemon Tracy was ultimately laid to rest in Batavia Cemetery of Genesee County, New York. How did this come about? Read The Telegraph columnist Ed Grisamore's article here .