Southern Graves

I didn't believe it at first.  But then I found a newspaper article that confirmed it.  John Walz, well known German born sculptor of Savannah, Georgia, was commissioned to carve a statue of Bertha Wolff – and that statue was delivered to and placed in Rose Hill Cemetery at Macon, Georgia. I am deeply in love with Macon's Rose Hill Cemetery .  It's one of the few things I was sad to leave when we moved to the mountains.  But it doesn't get oohed and ahhed over quite as much as Savannah's Bonaventure Cemetery.  Over 100 pieces of mortuary art found in Bonaventure are attributed to John Walz.  To know a piece of art by a sculptor who helped give Bonaventure some of those oohs and ahhs was located in Rose Hill, tickled me pink. Think you don't know John Walz? Well, maybe you do.  One statue he carved out of marble is pretty well known.  If you visit Bonaventure, you'll find directions pointing to it, and you will likely find a few people already ther...

Gertrude A. Bliss Wife of Thomas H. McMillan Oct 5, 1864 Apr 14, 1903 Ever thoughtful of home and loved ones, as wife and mother she was all that one could be. Gertrude was born in Savannah to James S. and Julia C. Bliss. She seems to have been a member of a wealthy family. In the 1870 Chatham County federal census, Gertrude's father had an occupation of "Pilot," and there were three domestic servants listed in the household. Gertrude married Thomas H. McMillan, a prominent Savannah businessman about 1882. They had four children: Daniel B., Thomas H. Jr., Alice B., and Raymond. According to the 1900 Chatham County federal census, Thomas Sr. was a turpentine manufacturer, born 1854 in North Carolina. From A History of Savannah and South Georgia , Vol. II by William Hardin, published 1913 - "Mr. MacMillan married, in Savannah, Gertrude Bliss, who was born and educated in this city. Their union has been blessed by the birth of four children, namely: D. B. ...