Stumbling Along in a Cemetery

As anyone that has known me for very long, they know I do not often stumble when I am walking through a cemetery.  However, yesterday (23 April 2016), I was in a cemetery I have never been in before.  I was not there looking for family members.  I could not help myself, though, to look around at the tombstones and marvel at the history behind each and every stone.

My wife, Becky, and I traveled to Logan County, Kentucky to honor a Revolutionary War Patriot who fought in that war.  I do this as a member of the Sons of the American Revolution Color Guard.  We are generally invited by the family of a RW patriot to honor and mark the grave as an American hero.  We carry many Colonial flags and place wreaths as part of the ceremony.  A well-documented biography is read to those in attendance.  With much fanfare including music and musket salute, we honor that true patriot of American Independence.  I belong to the Ohio Valley Chapter that meets at Willard Library in Evansville, Indiana.  I descend from a Revolutionary War Patriot Thomas West, Jr. who migrated from Chatham County, NC around 1807 and settled in northeastern Christian Co., KY in the area known as the Ovil Community.  My father, Gaither Glennis West, was born there in 1918.

Logan County & Christian County are separated by Todd County.  There are some of Dad's family buried in Logan County, but not in the area of where we went yesterday, at least as far as I knew.  With my family being in Christian County since the very early 1800s, I have many relatives with many surnames living there with some buried in Christian, Todd & Logan counties.  Some of the surnames of my direct ancestors are: Ragers, Phipps, Flatt, Martin, Williams, Rogers, Woodis, Blalock, Black, Buckner, Simpson, as well as West.  In addition I have kinfolks with surnames of Henderson, Cannon, Powell, O'Daniel, Tucker, Dossett, Hightower, Morris, Perkins - just to name a few!  Okay, I need to get to the point of this blog.  My 2nd. great grandmother was Margaret G. Woodis the daughter of William H. Woodis who was 95 when he died in 1913.

Now, back to yesterday's trip to Lewisburg, KY in the Mt. Pleasant Cemetery where we were honoring Reuben Browning of the Rev. War, we parked a little distance away from where the ceremony was to be held.  Becky and I carried several items like the wreaths and the Indiana State Flag that I would be carrying as part of the Color Guard of 16 SAR men from Tennessee and Kentucky (I was the only Hoosier).  We walked along this one roll of graves several times to get everything to where it was needed. One trip, I stumbled as I stepped into a mole trail.  As I recovered, I almost stumbled over a grave marker with the name Woodis!!!  Thomas A. Woodis (and his wife Martha C. Woodis) born in 1852 making him about the right age to be Margaret's brother.  I would have to check my records!  This Thomas died in 1950 making him 98 years old when he died!!!

When I got home I checked my files finding many years earlier I had discovered that Thomas A. Woodis was living in Lewisburg, KY when his father had died.  And, that I found where he had died in 1950 and was buried in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery!  I had this information for over 20 years and did not realize that he or any of my family would be buried in this cemetery.  I am known as Indiana Bones, a cemetery geek... I guess that is why I nearly stumbled over this grave marker!  Indiana Bones (AKA: John G. West)

Tales from a Civil War Prison: Reverend Doctor James Durham West - Archaeology Magazine Archive

Tales from a Civil War Prison: Reverend Doctor James Durham West - Archaeology Magazine Archive

This article is an interesting account of a confederate Lieutenant that was captured in 1864 and paroled at the end of the war and made an oath of allegiance to the United States Government.  His daughter said he was a good fighter and a good loser!

Reverend Doctor James Durham West is a distant cousin through our various West lines discovered through y-DNA.  Read the full article by clicking on the link above.

Cemetery Geek

Cemetery Geek by John G. West

What is a “Cemetery Geek?”  In the last year or two I had to research this term, since theEvansville Courier & Press my city’s newspaper labeled me a Cemetery Geek on the front page of the Sunday edition.  I remember some years back that being any kind of geek was considered not the best label.  I had noticed that the stigma was becoming less significant in recent years.  I believe that this change was due to the popularity of computer geek’s who could save the day for you when something went wrong with your computer.  But, do people think positively about a cemetery geek?  Too many people still look at cemeteries as a negative place to visit or even talk about.

This is probably a good time to define what a “geek” actually is all about.  A geek is somewhat obsessive about their generally single subject like computers, science or even movie series like Star Trek or Dr. Who.  Most geeks are sociable and outgoing (these parts I seem to possess a large dose).  Geeks are generally of average intelligence, but become very knowledgeable within their geekdom.  I suppose that one reason I was concerned about being labeled as a geek was because a few people thought of me as a “nerd” in my youth.  A nerd really got a bad rap over the years.  Nerds are smart people who lack much of a social life. They often have very few friends. Nerds don't talk much, and don't expect others to talk much to them. They are usually nice people, but don't have the social skills to go out and meet new friends.  Actually, nerds are very smart, intelligent people.  This was probably why the other kids around me thought I was a nerd… I was just too darn smart!  I generally have never been accused of not talking!  In fact, I have always been accused of talking too much!  Tell me how can anyone talk too much?

So, I guess I could be a smart geek, but a cemetery geek?  I know I am obsessed with genealogy.  I have researched my family history for over 55 years.  I talk about genealogy, I present workshops about genealogy, I have worked with people to help them learn to document their history.  I spent many years working with the 4-H genealogy project in Indiana.  Call me a Genealogy Geek.

Of course while researching my family history, I have visited quite a few cemeteries.  I was talking about how many cemeteries have I actually walked around to study and photograph tombstones or searched for relatives, etc.  I was able to name 78 cemeteries without notes or thinking about it much (almost all had family buried there or I had other special connections).  I suspect several were forgotten at the time, I have thought about two others since that day.  I feel like I could say that I have been in at least 80-100 cemeteries.  To me, cemeteries are places of serenity and a place to think about life.  Each grave marker is a monument to the person it records.  Often a little history can become known by the marker or a group of markers.  There are many, many different types & shapes of these grave stones.  The statues,  carvings and ornate sculpturing are so beautiful like an outdoor art gallery.  OK, I am a “Cemetery Geek” – I admit it.  I cannot help it!

I am also a geek of many other pursuits, as well.  Are you a cemetery geek?  If you are, let’s talk about our passion.

I am also known as Indiana Bones, a cemetery geek!

Indiana Stone Carver Lewis Baker

This is a really cool grave marker and so is the "Ballad of Lewis Baker."

Janet S Endris

April 15 at 2:33pm

This coming Friday I will be taking the 7th grade students of the Lawrence County, Indiana Shawswick School through the Green Hill Cemetery. It is an annual field trip event. Their favorite grave marker is always that of stone carver Lewis Baker.This link is to the "Ballad" written in his honor: Take a minute to listen to it http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_songInfo.cfm?bandID=395734&songID=3139373

Ballad of Lewis Baker 

Lyrics: Tim Brown. Music: Graham Snow 

Vocal, guitars and programming: Graham Snow 

In the early nineteen hundreds down Lawrence County way 

Working in the quarries was how you earned your pay 

Lewis Baker was a carver and a good one so it’s told 

The stress of carving took him when he was twenty one years old 

Bedford, Indiana was the place that he called home 

And Lewis earned his living making carvings out of stone 

It was limestone work that killed him, and limestone gave him fame 

For the monument in Bedford, that bears young Baker’s name 

The other carvers liked him, and mourned that he was gone 

They took the block of limestone that he’d been working on 

They carved a fitting tribute, so we’d remember him 

A copy of his workbench, just the way that it had been 

His blueprints and carving tools the way he’d left them there 

Even little mounds of dust, reproduced with loving care 

From far and wide, people come, to see this work of art 

And remember Lewis Baker, a man of noble heart 

Bedford, Indiana was the place that he called home 

And Lewis earned his living making carvings out of stone 

It was limestone work that killed him, and limestone gave him fame 

For the monumental tombstone, that bears young Baker’s name 

At night in Greenhill Cemetary, when a chill is in the air 

You might see a ghostly figure, standing near his workbench there 

Lewis Baker was a carver and a good one so it’s told 

The stress of carving took him when he was twenty one years old 

Bedford, Indiana was the place that he called home 

And Lewis earned his living making carvings out of stone 

It was limestone work that killed him, and limestone gave him fame 

For the monumental tombstone, that bears young Baker’s name 

For the monument in Bedford, that bears young Baker’s name

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_songInfo.cfm?bandID=395734&songID=3139373

65th. Wedding Anniversary

Congrats to TSGS Members...

        Jim & Mary Lou Bevers!!!

[Evansville Courier & Press 02/16/2014, Page D06]

Jim & Mary Lou

are Charter Members

of the Tri-State Genealogical Society

Mary Lou has served in many different offices and committees including the Annual TSGS Seminars Chairperson.  She has served on the society's Board of Directors for many years.  Mary Lou has presented numerous programs and workshops... always emphasizing the importance of citing sources for your family history.  She has contributed significant articles to the Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter and she has been very active for many years with the Indiana Historical & Genealogical Society.

Jim has always helped with the TSGS events with May Lou helping everyone become a better family historian.  Over my 35 years involvement with TSGS, I believe that Mary Lou has helped me the most of any other TSGS member!  For several years Mary Lou helped judge the Vanderburgh County 4-H Fair notebook exhibits.

Anyone making it to their 50th. wedding anniversary has a lot to celebrate, but this couple has reached 65 years of marriage... that is a major achievement!  TSGS is very happy for the two of you and we wish you a very special anniversary celebration!

Unmarked Graves at the Evansville State Hospital

Unmarked cemetery found at State Hospital larger than originally thought

Posted: Oct 08, 2013 4:32 PM CDTUpdated: Oct 08, 2013 4:33 PM CDT

By Nicole Niziolek - email

Posted by Kara Mattingly - bio | email

 

EVANSVILLE, IN (WFIE) -

An unmarked cemetery was discovered at the Old State Hospital grounds in Evansville last January.

As it turns out, it's a bigger find than originally thought. 

The cemetery was found somewhere on the State Hospital grounds near Vann Avenue, just as preliminary research was being done on a project to build a pedestrian bridge across the Lloyd Expressway. 

Evansville City Engineer Patrick Keepes tells 14 News that, at first, the city thought there were 10 to 15 unmarked graves, but with more research, archeologists discovered there are closer to 70 graves. 

The Board of Public Works recently approved a plan to move the remains to a final resting place at Oak Hill Cemetery. We're told that plan should be finalized some time before the end of this year. 

So far, archeologists don't know much about the people who were buried there. What they do know is that the bodies date back to the early 1900's and were most likely people who once lived in the Old State Hospital. 

Keepes says it will be a very interesting process to relocate those individuals. 

"They will take them back to their laboratory, their facilities and they will do their research to see if they can put any names to these individuals. They'll prepare them and give them individual resting places," Keepes says. 

The total cost to relocate the remains is $270,000. INDOT will pay 80 percent of that.

Keepes tells 14 News that this will not delay the start of the pedestrian bridge project which is still set to begin in 2015.

Oak Hill Cemetery Tour (Today 25 Aug 2013)

The Vanderburgh County Historical Society is sponsoring...

an Oak Hill Cemetery tour "Captains of Industry."

Sorry for the late posting, but if you can make it - the effort will be worth your time.  It begins at 2 PM.  Hope to see you there!

- Indiana Bones