Tombstone Thursday - Bruce (Ambrose)

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I was born in Evansville, Indiana...
and attended first & second grade at Highland Grade School. We moved to the country after Servel had moved out of town to St. Louis. There, I attended the school in Selvin, IN from the third grade to my Freshman year of high school in 1962. Indiana had a massive school consolidation that year, closing many of the smaller, rural high schools with Selvin being one. We would become part of the Class of 1965, but graduating from at least 4 or 5 different high schools. There were only 15 of us "Baby Boomers" in that Selvin Freshman Class in 1962. In 2000, this class decided to start having a class reunion for that freshman Selvin High School Class on Sunday during Memorial Day weekend. This past Sunday we held our 11th. reunion. Of the 15, two had died before we started meeting. With 13 remaining only one has not been able to make any of the reunions. For today's "Tombstone Thursday" I wanted to honor the two of our Freshman Class that died before the reunions began.

Above is the grave of Mike Ambrose who discovered that his birth father was a "Bruce" and he changed his name to his father's name. We knew him as Mike Ambrose in school. I placed a single blue flower at the base of his marker for our class. He was buried in the Selvin Cemetery next to his younger brother Gregory Ambrose.

Arnold Bruce came to Selvin School when we were in the 5th. grade; and, from the first day of school that year, we became best of friends... which lasted until Selvin High School was closed. Arnold is buried in a cemetery in Degonia Springs, Indiana (about halfway between Tennyson & Boonville). I left two blue flowers at his grave... one for our class and the other for being an important friend as we were growing up.

Two others did not live to our Freshman year: Bobby King & Johnnie McNeely. The Selvin High School Freshman Class of 1962 miss all four very much. Rest in peace classmates!

- Photos taken & submitted by JGWest (30 May 2010).

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

Graphic Photos of Viet Nam War

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This day after Memorial Day,

I had nothing to post on the blog. Ed Hitchcock sent me a link to a very interesting site showing 141 photos surrounding the Viet Nam War. These photos show a lot of what the war was like for American soldiers and how those at home dealt with the war. Go to this link to know why we have Memorial Day!

http://blogs.denverpost.com/captured/2010/04/30/captured-a-look-back-at-the-vietnam-war-on-the-35th-anniversary-of-the-fall-of-saigon-2/

Marker/Plaque/Monument Monday - Memorial Day!

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On this Memorial Day...

let us remember our soldiers who have died in the line of duty along with all U.S. veterans and U. S. troops around the world.


This monument is one of the best I have seen for a soldier. It is in Alexander Memorial Park Cemetery, Evansville, Indiana. Photo is showing the upright portion of the tombstone.

Above is the military marker for SPC Darren Alan DeBlanc (Bronze Star & Purple Heart Medals). He died while on active duty in Iraq on 29 Apr 2005 at the age of 20.

Above is a photo of his full marker.

- Photos taken & submitted by JGWest

From the FIRST MATE's PHOTO ALBUM...

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Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend...
is a great day to visit, decorate & remember those who died for our country while on military duty. We should take this opportunity to remember other soldiers, family, ancestors & friends who have gone before us. Becky & I each year remember about 80 people that have come before us. Friday afternoon, we traveled around to the graves near us to remember family. The following are some photos I took.

This little "lug" type flag holder is the first I have seen honoring a Viet Nam Veteran. It is at the grave of Sgt. William Payne in the James Parker Cemetery, Hatfield, Indiana. We were here to decorate a WWII vet Robert H. Meredith, Jr. (Becky's birth father).

Sgt. Payne's grave is well decorated. Note the inscription at the base of his marker: "A grateful nation honors his memory and gives recognition for his devoted and selfless dedication to the service of his country." These words summarizes what Memorial Day is all about!

It is important to remember family because we keep them alive in our minds & heart. I found this one to be special... notice the butterfly plaque and butterflies in the colorful boquet of flowers. This grave is in Alexander Memorial Park Cemetery in Evansville, Indiana.

We decorated my younger brother's grave at Oak Hill Cemetery in Evansville. Don did not serve in the military, but he was very patriotic. He love music and played guitars in several small bands. He died young of a heart attack. Don helped me often in researching our family history.

These praying hands at Alexander Memorial Park Cemetery reminds us to remember prayer for our troops around the world and to pray for family & friends.

And here is a link to some military & patriotic music & songs that should get you in the mood to remember those who have marched ahead of us: Gene Simmons (of KISS) Military Tribute.
- Photos taken & submitted by JGWest

James Bethel Gresham

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James Bethel Gresham...

On 03 Nov 1917, he became the first American fatality for World War I. This Memorial Day weekend we should all remember all of our family that have gone before us, but we need to remember the soldiers who served our country and the many that gave their lives for the United States of America!

I apologize for the quality of these photos that I took at the Evansville Museum, but I hope it is good enough to show how a community can remember a fallen soldier.

Below is the Gresham home that is in Evansville Garvin Park. He is buried in Locust Hill Cemetery.

- Photos taken & submitted by JGWest

"The Mystery of the Crystal Chandeliers"

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This mystery of the missing crystal chandeliers...

might be like any mystery that would catch the fancy of any historian or genealogist. Researching the past starts as a great mystery or a story to be solved. Some time back on this blog I reported on the fabulous Crystal Room of the Acme Hotel and its beautiful crystal chandeliers. I photographed the two chandeliers that are in the C. K. Newsome Community Center. During my research I learned that there were four chandeliers, but I had only found two. So, the mystery was: where were the other two? What happened to them? Asking around about the other two, most said that they only knew of the two (that I photographed). I was simply amazed when one day at the Community Center as I was going downstairs to the Evansville City Parks & Recreation Department offices, right in front of my eyes above the midway landing hung chandelier #3. I had seen it many more times than I had looked at the others! I decided to look all through the Community Center... looking in every room.

But, alas, that fourth chandelier was not to be found anywhere. I gave up assuming that it might have been broken or, as people often say, "it sprouted wings and flew off." This past weekend, Becky & I spent some time visiting zoos and museums. At the Evansville Museum, I found that chandelier #4. I recognized it immediately, excitedly telling Becky that it was the "missing" chandelier from the Acme Hotel! There was a little sign indicating that it was indeed the fourth chandelier from the Hotel with the other three at the Community Center. Finally, the little mystery of the crystal chandeliers was resolved and this historian/genealogist can relax until the next mystery case evolves!

- Photo taken & submitted by JGWest. Blog written by JGWest.

Tombstone Thursday - Kasper

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Oak Hill Cemetery Mausoleum

Evansville, Indiana

Hal Hon Kasper

19 Feb 1926 - 01 May 2010

RH sct 1B, Crypt 131R

Hal Kasper was a member of the Tri-State Genealogical Society and was a Past President of the Ohio Valley Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution. During World War II, Hal was presented the Purple Heart.

- Photo taken & submitted by JGWest

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