Southern Graves

"E gyptian, is perhaps the most funerary of all architecture," writes Douglas Keister in Forever Dixie: A Field Guide to Southern Cemeteries & Their Residents .  This, of course, makes perfect sense.  The very definition of an Egyptian pyramid, at it's core, is a tomb.  History.com's article about the Egyptian Pyramids says this: The pyramid's smooth, angled sides symbolized the rays of the sun and were designed to help the king's soul ascend to heaven and join the gods, particularly the sun god Ra. Oftentimes, especially in cemeteries located in the southern United States, Eqyptian architecture is combined with more mainstream Christian symbols.  Delmar Warren's pyramid tombstone at Rose Hill Cemetery in Macon, Georgia , however, is pretty plain. Frankly, the simple display looks out of place amid the crosses, angels, flora, and fauna carved in stone around it and throughout the cemetery.  So why was this particular tombstone placed for Delmar Arlis

From Clayton Baptist Church Cemetery at Rabun County, Georgia - Dr. A. B. Sams Jan 5, 1819 Feb 1, 1893 Be Ye Also Ready For In Such An Hour As Ye Think Not The Son Of Man Cometh

Elisha Millican Canup, born 1865, was a son of Jackson Canup, and a husband to Cleo Burton.  He died in 1930 at Rabun County, Georgia (possibly in Mountain City). While viewing his death certificate, I came across an unfamiliar term.  What caused Elisha's death was a disease called Pellagra .  It is defined as "a deficiency disease caused by a lack of nicotinic acid or its precursor tryptophan in the diet. It is characterized by dermatitis, diarrhea, and mental disturbance, and is often linked to overdependence on corn as a staple food." An article at Wikipedia also notes this: …Soon pellagra began to occur in epidemic proportions in states south of the Potomac and Ohio rivers . The pellagra epidemic lasted for nearly four decades beginning in 1906.  It was estimated that there were 3 million cases and 100,000 deaths due to pellagra during the epidemic. I thought the "in states south of the Potomac and Ohio rivers" bit interesting.  Appalachia Georgia certainly

Berta Cook, daughter of Julian R. and Laura Elvira (Jones) Cook, was just 21 years old when she died.  Part of the epitaph on her tombstone is Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth .   "Not dead, but sleepeth" is not an uncommon inscription to find on a tombstone, but I rarely see the source attached.  Berta's stone provides it:  Luke VIII, 52 .  Full verse from the KJV Bible: And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth. Though Berta died in the community of Bullard, Twiggs County, Georgia, larger papers -- like the Union-Recorder of Milledgeville and the Macon Telegraph of Bibb County -- carried news of her untimely death. Macon Telegraph (Georgia) 26 August 1896 – pg. 5 [via Georgia Historic Newspapers ] MISS BERTA COOK DEAD. She Was a Bright Young Lady and Well Known in Macon: News was received in the city yesterday announcing the death of Miss Berta Cook at Bullards, which sad event occurred yesterday morning at 6 o'c

All that remains of Thomas Green, Sr. (1775-1865) rests at Harmony Baptist Church Graveyard in Blue Ridge, Fannin County, Georgia. In the War of 1812 Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application Files database at Fold3 , I found an interesting account regarding the time of Mr. Green's birth.  The document included in Pvt. Green's file was a letter from a Justice of the Inferior Court of Fannin County, Georgia.  It was dated 24 December 1855, and reads, in part: [Thomas Green Senior] "who claims Bounty Land under the act of March 3rd, 1855, Number 79651, for his services in the War of 1812, and who being duly sworn according to law declares that he is the identical Thomas Green Senior, who claimed and received Eighty Acres Bounty land, under the act of September 28th, 1850, and that he now claims the additional number of Eighty Acres, under the act of March 3rd, 1855, and that deponent from the fact that he has no record of his age is unable to fix the definite period of h

[Originally posted at the Rose Hill Cemetery blog .] Lots in Rose Hill Cemetery at Macon, Bibb County, Georgia began to be sold about May of 1840.  According to the cemetery's records, the lot where the following stone, memorializing members of the James Blount family, was placed was purchased by Simri Rose – the developer of Rose Hill – on 28 July 1840.  Unless remains were moved from another location, the stone placed is a cenotaph :  "a tomb or a monument erected in honor of a person or group of persons whose remains are elsewhere." [ Merriam-Webster ] James Blount Born 28th June 1780 Died 12th Dec 1820 Son of Col. Edmund and Judith Blount of Washington Co, N.C. Elizabeth Blount Consort of James Blount Daughter of P. S. and Nancy Roulhac Born 4th Oct 1786 Died 17th Feb 1834 Edmund Sharpe Blount Son of James & Elizabeth Blount Born 10th Sept 1806 Died in 1826 Erected by John M. Blount, 1851. Father This marble to thy memory the "Golden Bowl was

Tombstone Tuesday from Harmony Church Graveyard in Blue Ridge, Fannin County, Georgia: The Gold Star Mothers veterans service organization has been around since 1928.  Longer than I thought. In the name of accuracy, I do not know if Ida Mae Patton – the mother of PFC Lawrence E. Patton – was "officially" a member of this organization.

Mary Nell Mulkey was born 9 July 1924 in Tennessee to Paul H. Mulkey (d. 1956) of North Carolina and Ethel Ross (d. 1960) of Georgia.  This little darling only lived  4 years, 3 months, and 7 days.  Her death being caused by a bacterial infection of Diphtheria.  From Wikipedia - In the 1920s, there were an estimated 100,000 to 200,000 cases of diphtheria per year in the United States, causing 13,000 to 15,000 deaths per year.  Children represented a large majority of these cases and fatalities. Mary Mulkey was laid to rest in the Harmony Church Graveyard at Blue Ridge, Fannin County, Georgia.  Her parents joined her years later.  The tombstone placed for Mary is topped with a lamb – a symbol of innocence and purity – and an extended epitaph was added to the back. Darling Mary Nell Dau. of Mr. & Mrs. P. H. Mulkey July 9, 1924 Oct 16, 1928 We had a little treasure once She was our joy and pride We loved her ah perhaps too well For soon she slept and died All is dark within o

[Originally posted at the Rose Hill Cemetery blog .] Eugene C. Jeffers was born about 1833 in Virginia to John E. and Eliza W. Jeffers.  Within a few years of Eugene's birth, the family moved to Georgia.  In 1848, when Eugene was a young adult, his father died at the age of 49. Eugene Jeffers enlisted as a junior 2nd lieutenant in Company I of the 61st Georgia Infantry before October 1861.  He was promoted to 1st lieutenant 2 July 1863.  Muster rolls after that date and through April 1864 listed him as Present .  The 3 November 1864 roll, however, stated he was absent; " in hands of enemy ." Eugene was captured by the Union army as a Prisoner of War near Spottsylvania , Virginia in May of 1864.  He was received at Fort Delaware from Point Lookout, Maryland the next month.  By December of the same year, 1st Lieutenant Eugene Jeffers was listed on a roll of prisoners at Fort Pulaski off the coast of Georgia. That last card from Fold3 's Compiled Service Records of Con

This brother and sister were children of Mr. and Mrs. Abner Ledford. Cleo Patra Ledford Aug 2, 1889 – Nov 3, 1976 She Has Gone To The Mansions Of Rest ------------------------------------------------------ Willis Ledford Feb 14, 1899 Jan 23, 1963 Gone But Not Forgotten Harmony Baptist Church Cemetery Blue Ridge, Fannin County, Georgia

Homemade headstones often elicit a bittersweet emotion from me.  But if stones could exude love, these two would surely be examples of just that. Mrs. Eliza Jane Ray was a daughter, born 1865, of G. W. and Winnie (Davis) Wright.  She was also the wife of Robert "Bob" J. Ray.  Jane died in March of 1931 after battling tuberculosis of the lungs for fifteen years.  The name listed as undertaker on her death certificate was George Ray, who possibly was a son. According to census records , James Robert Ray was a son of Bob and Jane.  His death, which came just 4 days before Christmas in 1932, was due to pneumonia. Both Jane and her son James died in Fannin County, Georgia.  They were laid to rest in the graveyard of Harmony Baptist Church at Blue Ridge, where more than 80 years later, we can still see the homemade headstones lovingly placed for each of them.