Marker/Plaque/Monument Monday

During Memorial Day weekend...

Becky & I were out decorating family graves with flowers in the area cemeteries, as we do each year.  Mom and Dad are buried in Alexander Memorial Park Cemetery along with four of Mom's brothers.  We have cemetery plots for us there, as well.  Memorial Park provides some cookies and something to drink and a nice room to get cool after being in the hot, sunny outdoors, plus restrooms!  TSGS member Jill Brinkley works there.  Jill along with Chad Williams were TSGS Seminar Co-Chairs for several years.  When we got to the office, Jill was running around helping a visitor find someone buried there.  While standing in the office waiting for her return, I noticed these very attractive and unusual plaques on the wall.

 These two Century Club Awards (shown above and below were) awarded to Jillian Brinkley in 2009 and 2010 "For Excellence, Dedication, and Commitment to Outstanding Service."  A nice tribute to her professional work!  

A few years back, Jill was a singer and sang with the Don Lee Trio.  Don Lee is the husband of TSGS member Judy Foreman Lee and fellow Orange County, North Carolina researcher.

 Above Jill is seated in front of Don's group... left to right: Jim Camp, Don Lee and Wayne "Red" Wick.  Below is a newspaper photo of Don and Jill singing.

- Compiled by JGWest.  - Plaque photos taken by JGWest.  - Don and Jill photos taken from Jill's FaceBook site.

The Adventures of Indiana Bones (aka Cemetery Geek!)

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As a "self-proclaimed cemetery geek," I have decided to introduce a new feature for the blog: "The Adventures of Indiana Bones (aka Cemetery Geek!)"  I seem to be in or around cemeteries almost every day and I can not help but find something unusual to take a picture or to tell a story.  This feature will provide the format for all of these things I find interesting and I hope you bloggers will like them, too!  

Today's adventure story is about this see-through tree.

 As you can see this tree is somewhat hollow and you can see right through it!  It is right on the line between St. Joseph and Alexander Memorial Park Cemeteries.  This section of St. Joe is directly behind Memorial Park's Office building.  I have three generations of my family buried in this small section.  My Great Grandfather James Henry Wood was buried here in 1933 about 4 years after his granddaughter (my Mother's sister) was buried here in 1929.  Grandfather Wood's daughter, my great aunt Susan Margaret Wood is buried here, too.  I suspect this tree was here in 1929 when 3 year-old Mildred Louise Long was buried here.


 Click on these photos to get larger images that will show things more clearly.

 This is a cool picture looking right through the tree at the grave markers.  The inner wood is very soft and I doubt that the tree will survive very many more years.

 In these 2 photos, you can see how this tree has lifted up and moved these grave stones!

I was putting flowers on Aunt Maggie's grave when I noticed the big hole in this tree.  From the road where Aunt Maggie's grave is located (about 8 -12 rows from this back row), I did not know you could see through the tree.  I am glad I walked up to it.  Another nice Adventure for Indiana Bones, a cemetery geek!

- Photos taken and submitted by JGWest

Tombstone Thursday - Murray

Alexander Memorial Park Cemetery

Evansville, Indiana

William Alfred Murray

1899-1978

Alice J. Murray

1901-1993

Notice that places of birth & death have been included on the stone!  The places cover the tri-state area.

- Photo taken & submitted by JGWest

[Tombstone Thursday is dedicated in memory of Donald G. West 1952-2000]