Southern Graves

Standing proud and tall, with a laurel wreath – a symbol of victory over death – draped over it's top, is a monument to the career soldier Thomas James Berry.  The four sides and panels tell the story of his supreme sacrifice in body and a life cut short. In Memory of Thomas James Berry Born October 28, 1835 Who Died At Newnan, The Place Of His Birth, The 16 th Day Of October A.D. 1865. A Graduate Of The United States Military Academy At West Point, N.Y. Class Of 1857. He Served As Lieutenant Of Dragoons In The U.S. Army Till 1861. A Soldier In The Southern Army He Was Wounded In Seven Battles. No Country E'er Had A Truer Son -- No Cause A Nobler Champion; No People A Braver Defender, Than The Dead Soldier Who Sleeps Here! A Man Tried, In Many High Offices And Critical Enterprises; And Found Faithful In All. In His Honor Impregnable; In His Simplicity Sublime. An Obituary from 21 October 1865 edition of Newnan Herald (Georgia): DIED, At the family residence in t...

Remember Hibernia Berry from yesterday's post? This is the son she buried just fifteen months before her own sad demise. "It is well with him, for he is now an angel." Thomas Joel Infant son of William B. & Hibernia L. Berry Born Jan 8, 1870 Died July 13, 1870 "Our God in Heaven, from that holy place, To each of us an angel guide has given. But parents of dead children have more grace, For they give angels to their God and Heaven." Oak Hill Cemetery Newnan, Coweta County, Georgia Are you wondering what's up with all the "letter" posts? I am participating in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge (links to official page). This challenge lasts through the month of April, with Sundays off.  Each day follows a different letter prompt, in order, from A to Z.  Click here to see all my letter posts on one page (in reverse order). This blog as a whole is one of my themes – telling the tales of tombstones, primarily from those found in the Southe...

This towering memorial at Oak Hill Cemetery in Newnan, Georgia has been chronicled on many a website.  Nonetheless, I could not bear to omit it here.  A woman in deep contemplation sits on high, possibly wondering why she had to leave her husband and young children alone so soon. Hibernia was born at Newnan 20 November 1837.  Her parents were John and Nancy O. Dougherty.  John was a tavern keeper, born about 1794 in Ireland. Before she was 24 years old, Hibernia would marry William Bird Berry.  He served as mayor of Newnan for several years. The couple had four children:  Andrew, John, Olive, and Thomas.  Less than two years after giving birth to Thomas, Hibernia was dead, aged just 33 years. A portion of the epitaph on Hibernia's tombstone reads as follows: She had Beauty and Wit, without Vanity or Vice. Are you wondering what's up with all the "letter" posts? I am participating in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge (links to official page). This ch...

The remains of Joel Berry rest at Oak Hill Cemetery in Newnan, Coweta County, Georgia.  His tombstone bears the carving of an anchor – a symbol of hope . In Memoriam Beneath this Stone Reposes All that is Mortal of Joel Welcome Berry , Born in Newnan, Geo. May 22, 1840; Died in New York City Jan 12, 1869. A Son of Andrew J. & Eliza Emily Berry. There is no "Death!" What seems so is transition; This life of "mortal" breath, Is but a suburb of the life Elysian, Whose portal we call Death. Those last five lines are from a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, titled "Resignation." The entire rhyme is 52 lines, but definitely worth a read if you are so inclined (just after the ad). Resignation THERE is no flock, however watched and tended, But one dead lamb is there! There is no fireside, howsoe'er defended, But has one vacant chair! The air is full of farewells to the dying, And mournings for the dead; The heart of Rachel, for her chil...

Walter Berry Born in Delaware Co, Ind. Oct 21, 1861 Died Nov 22, 1911 Walter's tombstone is known as a diamond die. The diamond shaped stone is on top of a stone base. See the three chain link above Walter's name? This emblem shows he was a member of the Odd Fellows. I have written about this emblem and organization before. The article is here --> Odd Fellows and Rebekahs This stone is located in Evergreen Cemetery at Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Georgia.

This pedestal tombstone with an urn top is located in Hillcrest Cemetery (aka Reynolds City Cemetery); Taylor County, Georgia. I was a little confused by it, at first. On one side, there is an inscription for H. S. Trawick, born April 19, 1860, Fell Asleep ______ & S. W. Trawick, born Mch 28, 1866, Fell Asleep ______. I've seen many stones for couples with one death date missing, of course, but having both death dates never inscribed is much less common. There are two gravestones on the ground beside this larger memorial with completed dates, however. Henry S. Trawick died 21 April 1915, and Susie Waters Trawick died 14 December 1911. Another side of the large tombstone has inscriptions for two more individuals. M. D. Waters (son of E. B. & Mary C. Waters; likely brother of Susie Waters Trawick) was born 4 July 1872 and "fell asleep" 5 June 1901. L. W. Trawick was born 18 February 1885 and "fell asleep" 3 March 1901. I think L. W. might be a c...