Southern Graves

**Caution: this post may not be for the faint of heart; possible controversial topic ahead.** Alfred Cranford (1871-1899) Photo by Sharon Kadlick via FindAGrave The funeral of Alfred Cranford was held today. His wife stood by his grave, but showed no sign of emotion. It is feared that her mind has become unbalanced as a result of the terrible ordeal she has just passed through,... ["Palmetto Citizens In Arms",  Augusta Chronicle (Georgia), 15 April 1899, pg. 1] Alfred was buried at the Cranford Family Cemetery in Newnan, Coweta County, Georgia. His cause of death was murder by axe, and the act was perpetrated in front of his wife and children. Witnesses placed blame on Sam Hose, and the infamous manhunt resulting in a horrific lynching commenced. ANOTHER HORROR AT PALMETTO Alfred Cranford, Murdered By Negro Brute and Wife Assaulted. FELLED HUSBAND WITH AXE. Both Crimes Committed in Presence of Four Small Children -- Brute Ran From House and Made His Esca...

Even after researching my family history for many, many years, I'm still saddened when I find out a relative, no matter the distance, died young. In this instance, the young age is 49. Ada Rhodes was born about September 1875 in Washington County, Georgia to T. P. and Fanny (Martin) Rhodes. Death came 23 May 1925 in Wheeler County, Georgia. The cause of death was simply indicated on her death certificate as T. B. Ada suffered with the disease of tuberculosis for at least five years. From Georgia's Virtual Vault ( Permanent link ) Upon her death, Ada was buried in Erick Cemetery. Her husband, Lucien E. Avant, joined her some 32 years later. FindAGrave Memorial #67116817 Photo by Craig & Tonya Banks

Reynolds City (aka Hillcrest) Cemetery Taylor County, Georgia Father Emanuel Aultman b. Jan 27, 1830 d. May 29, 1915 Asleep in Jesus ----------------- Mother Mary Aultman Wife of E. Aultman b. Nov 11, 1830 d. Jan 16, 1914 Asleep in Jesus " Deaths and Funerals : MRS. EMANUEL AULTMAN REYNOLDS, Jan. 17 -- Mrs. Emanuel Aultman, 83 years old, died at her home here this morning. When she was 18 years of age she was married to Captain Emanuel Aultman, who survives her. They have therefore lived together 65 years. Mrs. Aultman is the mother of Dr. Rhett Aultman, of Meigs, Ga., Judge Hollis Aultman, of Reynolds, and of Mrs. Mims, Mrs. Mathews, Mrs. Long and Miss Dovie Aultman, all of whom reside here." [ Macon Telegraph (Georgia), 18 January 1914, pg. 10. Via GenealogyBank .]

The old photo at right is of an obelisk standing to memorialize the life of Charles Hyatt Richardson. He was born in 1830 at Sumter, South Carolina, and died at Byron, Georgia in 1886. Dr. Richardson was buried at Byron City Cemetery. Since I have a (very) distant connection to him, I poked around a bit in Charles's life and discovered a sad story regarding the death of his mother. Sophia Hyatt was born 27 March 1804, the daughter of Charles Hyatt. She married John Smythe Richardson 9 April 1827 in Providence, Rhode Island, and they moved down to South Carolina. Elizabeth Buford Richardson wrote about Sophia in her book A Genealogical Record of the Richardson and Buford Families (published 1906; digitized here ): She was delicate, but the change from the northern clime to this southern home agreed well with her; she took on flesh which made her even more beautiful. She was intelligent, cultured, and well read, and she kept up with the leading topics of her day. Although it w...

No tombstone photo today. I would like to share with you a "this time it's personal" death certificate, instead. I must tell you the information found on this document was of no surprise to me. However, I can only imagine what a researcher would think if they came across Willard's death certificate with no prior knowledge of the circumstances surrounding his untimely end. Willard Ervin Abernathy was a son of Harry J. Abernathy and Gladys Marie Campbell. He was born 31 July 1935, and he died about 7 on the morning of 5 June 1948 in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri. What was the cause of this twelve year old's death? Shock & Hemorrhage, Due to being shot by a 12 gauge double barrel shot gun. The charge going into the right frontal bone. Process that for a moment. The document further states the death was considered an accident, and the "injury" occurred on "Roy Grindstaff farm." Willard was buried the next day at Plainview Cemetery i...

Camp Sumter, more commonly known simply as Andersonville , was one of the largest Confederate military prisons of the Civil War. More than 45,000 Union soldiers were held there, of which about 13,000 perished. Those 13,000 graves were eventually provided headstones, largely due to the efforts of Clara Barton, and a national cemetery was established. Today, upwards of 20,000 veterans and family members rest at Andersonville. S. B. Kitchens' military tombstone bears the Southern Cross of Honor and a pointed top. Yet one individual stands out as being the only Confederate veteran buried at the national historic site: Sampson Boze Kitchens. He was a private in Company C of the 10th Georgia Regiment, enlisting in 1862 at the age of 17. Despite the (obvious) constant dangers of soldiering during a war (including at least two stints in the hospital), Boze survived and was present for the surrender of Confederate troops at Appomattox Court House, Virginia. Sampson Boze Kitch...

Old photo of mine (2008). Mary Alma Avant was buried at Liberty United Methodist Church Cemetery, known simply as Liberty church, at the time of her death. The "family burying ground" is a plot located behind, or maybe more beside, the church as it stands today. What is a little confusing is the date of death on her tombstone is 10 April 1915. However, an obituary states her death took place on 1 April 1914 [ Macon Daily Telegraph (Georgia), 2 April 1914, pg. 7. Via GenealogyBank .] -- DEATHS & FUNERALS MISS ALMA AVANT. Miss Alma Avant, 33 years of age, died yesterday morning at an early hour at the home of her father, J. R. Avant, near Walden. Besides her father she is survived by three sisters, Mrs. E. W. Lipford, Mrs. J. F. Hammock and Miss Jessie Avant; also one brother, George Avant. Miss Avant had many friends in the Walden neighborhood and in Macon who are grieved over her death. The funeral will be held today at noon from Liberty church, Rev. ...

First Marcus , then Ella , and now Kittie. Benjamin Franklin and Jane Elizabeth (Cherry) Vinson lost another child in 1896. Kittie was just thirteen years old at her death. MISS VINSON DEAD. She Was a Popular Young Lady of Walden. Miss Katie [sic] Vinson, a beautiful and highly respected young lady just budding into womanhood died at her home at Walden yesterday. Miss Vinson was the daughter of Mr. B. F. Vinson, a prominent citizen of Walden. She will be buried at Liberty church this morning at 10 o'clock. A number of loving friends from Macon will attend the funeral. [ Macon Telegraph (Georgia), 15 July 1896, pg. 4. Via Georgia Historic Newspapers .] And, alas, there was yet another. The first child B. F. and J. E. Vinson lost was actually a son named Joseph B. He was only fifteen months old, and died around Christmas of 1885. Of the seven children I have listed for this couple, four died young. Burials at Liberty Church Cemetery (Bibb County, Georgia) occurre...

Ella Gertrude Vinson was born 1 October 1875 to Benjamin Franklin and Jane Elizabeth (Cherry) Vinson. A few days after her seventeenth birthday, 4 October 1892, Ella died. So just a few years after burying their son Marcus , the family returns to Liberty United Methodist Church (known then simply as Liberty Chapel) in Bibb County, Georgia to lay Ella to rest. The epitaph etched in Ella's tombstone tells of the sorrow felt by her family: While you are asleep with Jesus, We are lonely, darling, without you. Ella's death and funeral were chronicled in the Macon Telegraph , a local newspaper. Death of Miss Ella G. Vinson Walden, Oct 4 -- (Special.) -- Miss Ella G. Vinson, the eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. B. F. Vinson, died today at 2 p.m., at the residence of her father, near this place. She will be buried tomorrow at Liberty chapel burial ground at 2 o'clock... Miss Ella was a young lady of fine qualities and her untimely death is regretted by all... [ Macon Te...

© 2008-14 S. Lincecum A single weeping willow adorns the top of Marcus Franklin Vinson's tombstone at Liberty United Methodist Church Cemetery in Macon, Bibb County, Georgia. He was the son of Benjamin Franklin and Jane Elizabeth (Cherry) Vinson. Marcus was born 2 June 1874, and died less than two weeks before his fifteenth birthday on 20 May 1889. Of such is the kingdom of Heaven. I found a death notice for Marcus on page 3 of the 21 May 1889 Macon Telegraph , but it gave me pause since the parents listed for him were "Mr. and Mrs. W. G. Vinson": Via GenealogyBank . Marcus was enumerated for a US Federal census once, in 1880. He was listed as a 6-year-old son in the household of B. F. and Elizabeth Vinson (image available at Ancestry ). They were residing in Bibb County, Georgia. Walden, where the death notice points to, was a community in that county (and is still noted as such today). So I'm chalking this up to a typographical error. If I'm...