Evansville's Oak Hill Cemetery Tour May 2013

Panoramic view of the crowd attending this interesting tour of Evansville's largest cemetery.

Dennis Au & Chris Cooke conducts this tour on an annual basis.

Click on the photo above for a larger image.

On the left side you can see Indiana Bones in the yellow shirt and hat.

Next to Indiana to the right in the blue blouse is Becky West.

On the other side of Indy in the red blouse is Deb Travers.

Many TSGS members were present: John & Becky West, Deb Travers, Sue Newcom, Irvin & Connie Conrad, Karin Kirsch, Kathy Wilson, plus at least 3 more.

Two Great Historical Presentations!

The

Vanderburgh County

Historical Society

has two interesting events

coming soon!

Isn't their logo really cool!

It is like the past seeing the present.

The Vanderburgh County Historical Society and Willard Library proudly presents: The WPA at Angel Mounds

Thursday, 30 Aug 2012    6:30PM - 8:00PM
This public program is FREE of charge. 

Angel Mounds Director, Mike Linderman, will discuss the plans to rebuild the WPA camp buildings erected during the 1930's at Angel Mounds.  Linderman's discussion will touch on the history of the WPA at the site with Eli Lilly and Glenn Black and what was accomplished. The talk will then shift to present day plans to rebuild the original camp buildings and how Angel Mounds has gone about finding exact location, size and building design to ensure construction of the most accurate representation.
Event Location:
Willard Library 2nd Floor
Special Collections Dept.
21 First Ave., Evansville, IN 47710
To Register: http://www.willard.lib.in.us/calendar_of_events/event_details.php?eventID=722
<<<<<<<<=====>>>>>>>>
Civil War Tour of Oak Hill Cemetery
Sunday, 09 Sep 2012   2:00PM
This event is FREE and open to the public!

The Civil War Tour will be led by members of the Vanderburgh County Historical Society under the auspices of the City Preservation Office and City Preservationist Dennis Au. The tour will start outside of the Administration Office within the Cemetery. Parking is available in the Veteran's Plaza just inside the main gate off of Virginia Street.  Contact Superintendent of Cemeteries Chris Cooke at ccooke@evansvillegov.org with any questions.

Indiana Bones encourages everyone to attend both of these historical events!


From the First Mate's Photo Album

Oh, Deer!!!

And I do mean deer, White-tailed Deer roaming around grazing in Oak Hill Cemetery!  Superintendent Chris Cooke sent me a photo of these deer that were right in front of the Administration Office Building early yesterday morning.  I went by the cemetery to finish decorating graves for Becky's family.  And, there they were just walking around like they owned the place.  Chris said he had seen some deer over the last few years, but mostly when it was a little colder.  These look like they are young... short and slender.

 They stopped to pose for me and, then, they looked at me as if I was invading their privacy.

 Then they saw the SUV taking pictures of them and decided to run for it.  I was lucky to get this last pic before they were gone!  This was a first for this ol' Cemetery Geek!

- Photos taken and submitted by Indiana Bones

"Cemetery Geek!"

What in the world is a "Cemetery Geek?"


Last Sunday, I attended the Oak Hill Cemetery Walking Tour led by Dennis Au, Shawn Dickerson & Chris Cooke.  A newspaper reporter was asking several people why they came out for this tour.  When she asked me that question... I could not think of a good answer.  My thoughts were in the notion of who wouldn't want to be in this tour!  As a genealogist, most of us love cemeteries, as we do courthouses, libraries, genealogy web sites, family photos and records of any sort.


I told the young reporter that as a genealogist I could not help but be here... I guess I am a "cemetery geek!"  I could not think of anything else to describe why I came out for this tour!!!  Well, that got into the newspaper story, in fact it was the first paragraph about the tour.  I was listed as a "self-proclaimed cemetery geek."    http://www.courierpress.com/news/2012/may/21/oakhill-tour-line-p/?print=1  


Being highly interested in science, math, etc., the term "geek" (to me) is basically a positive adjective of a person's in-depth interest or involvement in a particular subject.  I have always been interested in seeing these little monuments (often called grave markers) to people's lives since I was a kid of about 12-13 years of age.


My mother was an avid fan of Memorial Day, a time to remember our American soldiers and family members.  Mom would make Dad drive her around to all of the cemeteries with family to decorate their graves with flowers.  After a time, it was hard to tell who wanted to do this the most.  Of course, us kids were dragged along, too.  I started to get curious about all of these graves... who were these people to us.  That and a 5th. Grade English assignment to make a 4-generation family chart got me interested in my family history.  Shortly after I got out of service, my father died which made grave visitations a little more important to me.  The next Memorial Day and many years afterwards, my younger brother Don and I took turns taking Mom around to decorate the graves.  Mom's Aunt Maggie Wood decorated graves, too.  Don & I began putting out flowers, too.  Then, suddenly in about 2 years time - Mom, Aunt Maggie & Don were no longer with us and there really was no one else alive to decorate the graves or know where most were buried.  So, this became my primary "duty!"  We decorate my wife Becky's family, too.  Becky has a birth & adopted family to remember.


I have become a volunteer for a web site called "Find-A-Grave" to take grave marker photos to post online for others to be able to see their family's markers.  On this blog I have a feature called "Tombstone Thursday" that I post interesting or unusual grave markers that I find from time to time.  I even have a photo album on FaceBook called "Cemetery Hopping" (going from one cemetery to another & posting photos from each!).  Yesterday, I told my friend Jill Brinkley who works at Alexander Memorial Park Cemetery that we were out cemetery hopping decorating family graves... she said you are always going to cemeteries!  I guess she is right!


I guess cemeteries have become a part of my life... I was once even in charge of Evansville's City owned cemeteries - Oak Hill & Locust Hill.  In the Sons of the American Revolution, I travel around with other members dressed in Revolutionary War uniforms serving in Color Guards to honor the graves of Revolutionary War Soldiers.


OK, it appears that I am a "cemetery geek!" for sure.  I do think of the term as a good thing.  Writing this blog, I thought I should check to see what the definition of a cemetery geek might be.  I went to Google to search for the term.  What came up was that news article about me being a cemetery geek... there was no other use of the term except in describing me!!!  I may have coined a new term.  One related to genealogy, at that!  How many of our readers might be able to proudly call themselves "Cemetery Geeks?"  You would not have to be as extreme as me to qualify.  There are at least 3 qualifiers, however.  One you must know that the word "cemetery" does not have an "a" in it and that (two) you must actually go to a cemetery to see all of its glory from time to time.  Three, you must feel strongly about cemetery vandalism as being one of the lowliest things people can do.  Don't be shy or modest, please let me know if you are or want to be a cemetery geek!!!


- Compiled by JGWest (AKA: Cemetery Geek)

Marker/Plaque/Monument Monday

'

Locust Hill Cemetery
Mausoleum Marker
Evansville, Indiana
This is the exterior wall of this beautiful mausoleum near the entry double doors. (Click on image to get a larger photo.)

I knew Rick Dickinson from my days of working in the Vanderburgh County Surveyors Office. After Rick was my ol' buddy Wayne Pasco (deceased) as the cemetery's Superintendent. I got to know the next Superintendent Jack Jones when I talked the Levee Authority Board into letting me use the crane we had to lift some large tombstones that vandals toppled. It was one of those days working with my crew that Jack came by and let me know that he was resigning and he suggested I apply for the new City Manager post that would oversee both city cemeteries. I applied after he resigned and finally ended with the position. After I cleared up some very long-standing problems at the cemeteries, someone else suddenly became better qualified for the job. Well, that is politics and it was a political appointment. I enjoyed my short tenure, nevertheless. By the way, I was the only Evansville City Manager of Cemeteries... the city changed the title back to Superintendent of City Cemeteries. The current Superintendent is Chris Cooke (another friend).

- Photo taken by JGWest. Article compiled by JGWest

Respect Cemetery Workers!

.

[Day 8 Lion's Head Location Final Clue/Hint: To discover the location of the lion's head, go to the North, exit by the very large grinding stone & look West . Check the previous daily clues. See TSGS Cruiser Blog ~http://tsgsblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/guess-where-this-lions-head-is-located.html]

Courtesy For Cemetery Workers & Volunteers

This Memorial Day weekend, I have gone to several cemeteries to decorate graves of loved ones & many of my ancestors. In Owensboro, I was surprised that a person had called ahead for the cemetery staff to look for the location of the grave he wanted to visit. I thought that sure was a good idea for him and the staff. I mentioned that to Chris Cooke at Evansville's Oak Hill Cemetery. Chris stated that it really helps him & the staff to look things up when they are not busy and then have it all waiting for the person when they arrive. At Owensboro they told me that some people request 20 grave locations at once and expect them to stop whatever they are doing and take them to each grave - they can not take that much time with photographers for Find-A-Grave or even genealogists. Most cemetery employees are happy to help you find the graves of your loved ones and even an ancestor or two, but remember that they have other work to do, as well, and in most cases it is preparation for a funeral or cemetery grounds maintenance. They maintain the grounds, inter the remains of the deceased, and maintain the cemetery records. Unfortunately, cemetery superintendents/managers have to deal with vandalism far more than what most of us might imagine.

The main thing is be courteous to these employees/volunteers at the cemetery... during holidays like Memorial Day, these people have to work! I have found that even if the person you deal with is not being friendly or seems aggravated that you are bothering them, that if you try to be nice & friendly - they will help you more. In Owensboro on Friday, the manager actually took me out to the unmarked grave of my grandfather's after I had searched and was not sure where it was. I had been friendly and they knew I had tried on my own first.

Sometimes, Mother Nature or Father Time causes deterioration or damage to tombstones or grave sites (let alone vandals). But, in these cases, it is not the cemetery's staff to blame. If it has been raining everyday for 2 weeks, the grass will not be well groomed. If there was a hard rain the night before, there will be mud on markers and possibly partial sunken graves. A heavy wind storm will break-off limbs all through the cemetery. Workers appreciate you letting them know where the problems are, but generally, they will not be able to run and take care of it immediately.

These past 4-5 days I went through 7 cemeteries... and I saw limbs down, mud on top of the flat markers, standing water in flat & low areas and grass that was a lot higher than I like to wade through. However, we have had some very bad weather conditions for quite some time. Grounds crews were on mowers flying around leaving tire tracks in the rain-soaked ground in an attempt to mow down the grass! You could hear or see crews using chain saws cutting up large fallen trees & limbs. Tough time to show-off the cemetery grounds after all of the rain & high winds in the tri-state area. I saw some really bad spots that mud covered several markers completely. And, if that was my Mother's grave, I would be upset; however, it is not the cemetery's fault - Mother Nature gets the blame. I could go to the office and put in a polite work request to have the mud cleaned off at there convenience... I might ask them to email me when they get it done so I could return to pay my respects.

We generally go to cemeteries to show our respect for our lost loved ones, please show some respect to those who work to maintain their final resting place.

- Written by JGWest

TSGS Meeting Recap For Those Not Attending

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Tri-State Genealogical Society Meeting Report

We had a very good meeting last night despite the cold temps! About 20 people came out for the meeting. The following report is being offered for the other 320 TSGS members that was not able to attend the meeting.

The Treasurer's Report gave a current balance of $7,756 and 340 members. We approved the proposed budget for the current year. The Acquisition Committee now has $2,000 approved to buy books & other research materials to deposit at Willard Library. All of the research materials that we obtain are placed on the stacks for any researchers to use (open to the general public). TSGS has added about $100,000 worth of books since our organization began. In the earlier years $2,000 bought a lot more books than it does today. The nominating committee was announced with Don Counts as Chair along with Bettie Cook. Don reported to me after the meeting that all Officers had been selected with one or two Directors needing to be confirmed. The attendance prize was won by Sue Hebbeler... she chose the TSGS paid one-year membership! Congratulations, Sue!! Thanks for attending!!!

Christopher Cooke, Superintendent of the Evansville City Cemeteries, sent me information from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources about the Historic Preservation Month Photo Contest from the Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology... for more info go to this link: http://www.in.gov/dnr/historic/3994.htm

Our speaker last night, Kim Nightingale gave a program concerning German "ahnentafeln" or "ancestor charts. According to John T. Humphrey, in Germany beginning in 1933, it became law that all governmental employees had to obtain an Ahnenpass with ancestor charts containing 4-6 generations which would have from 15 to 60 ancestors with 11 to 52 surnames. These German SS Records required that all family relationships be proven by documentation with each document being certified. At the end of World War II, the U.S. acquired the original records of the SS and archived them on microfilm now stored at the Maryland College Park campus of the National Archives - being part of Record Group 242, Collection of Foreign Records Seized. Mr. Humphrey discovered these records at NARA in 2003 & has been getting the word out about the value of these records to genealogists. Go here for more information on Military & SS Records: http://www.archives.gov/research/captured-german-records/foreign-records-seized.html

If today's weather (late afternoon snow with slippery streets) was one day sooner, we would have had to cancel the meeting. Everyone seemed to like Kim's presentation... it was well prepared and concise with a very nice outline with all of the pertinent facts & links.

- Submitted by JGWest

"Evansville City Cemeteries - New Link"

'

I just discovered that the link to the Evansville City Cemeteries has changed! I was making a list of links for a handout for an introductory program on Wednesday. Joan Elliott Parker asked me to make a short presentation to about 40 librarians at the Newburgh Public Library on 20 Oct 2010. I wanted to send this handout to Joan ASAP so she could get the copies made for everyone. I almost went into a panic, as I view the databases for the 2 cemeteries to be prime examples of excellent information that you can get on the Internet.

Luckily, Chris Cooke, Superintendent of the cemeteries is a friend on FaceBook... Isent him a private message from FaceBook and he responded quickly giving me the revised new URL for the cemeteries. Chris said that the city was making changes to their network of department web sites the last few weeks. It looks great and on the left hand column you can find various links including the link to the searchable database.

For our blog readers, here is the new URL for the Evansville City Cemeteries: http://www.evansvillegov.org/Index.aspx?page=1334

John G. West, TSGS President

Mystery at Oak Hill Cemetery

'

Chris Cooke, Superintendent of the Oak Hill Cemetery, asked me to drop by when I got a chance to take a look at some small sawhorses that he found in the Administration Building basement. They had the letters "G.A.R." on each one. I counted at least nine of them, but there might have been a couple more; some were being used like stands for some planks that were marked "Oak Hill Cemetery." Chris speculated that the planks were used to stand on when lowering a coffin into the grave... that was just a guess. All of them had water stains on the legs and were dirty from being stored in the basement undisturbed for many years! Below is a picture of one of the legs with the letters stenciled on it with the "G" being at the bottom.
We used a 16"x 25"x 1" filter to show the approximate size. They were about 12 to 15 inches tall and about 15 inches long.

Photo above shows how most has been used in this storage area in the basement. The planks with the stands made a nice shelf to store some of the cemetery's wreaths.

The mystery has four parts. Why are they so small, why do they have the letters "G.A.R." on them, what does "G.A.R." stand for, and what were they designed to be used for?

The initials, immediately, point to the "Grand Army of the Republic." Or could they be the initials of someone or a funeral home (or even a vault company)?

The small size might be to use as a platform or even a stage. Maybe they were used like barricades to block off some of the streets during some funerals or special ceremonies. They seem too short for using as benches.

Were they donated to the cemetery or simply just abandoned? Anyone have any ideas, let us know, please!

- Photos taken & submitted by JGWest

Remembering 11 Sep 2001

'

This poster...
was found in the basement of the Administration Building at Oak Hill Cemetery while the Superintendent Chris Cooke & I were in this basement storage area looking at something that is a mystery for both of us (look for that mystery tomorrow... we need your help!). The poster was used at some sort of ceremony at the cemetery, apparently. The poster board is warped, but it conveys the important message just the same. Click on the photo for a larger, better image.


- Photo taken & submitted by JGWest
Another reminder of our TSGS meeting Tuesday, 14 September at 7PM at Willard Library, 2nd. floor.

Oak Hill Cemetery Cannons

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Both cannons
at Oak Hill Cemetery (Evansville, Indiana)
have been restored and returned to the Civil War grave site section! One was restored some time back, but the other one was just brought back looking great this month.

Cemetery Superintendent Chris Cooke has gotten both of these cannons back in good shape again (actually, excellent shape). Chris said there is still a lot of work to do to get the cannons set-up like he wants them for next years 150th. Anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War.

Photos taken (via cell phone) & submitted by Chris Cooke

Oak Hill Cemetery Superintendents

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Newly updated plaque
(last update was 30 years ago)

(Click on image to enlarge)

The plaque for a listing to honor the city's Superintendents of Oak Hill Cemetery was updated 30 years ago when the Cemetery board started a new plaque... the older one faces visitors as they walk into the office building. This past Monday, Superintendent Chris Cooke sent out photos to everyone listed. They were beginning to combine the two city Cemeteries in Evansville under one Superintendent when Jack Jones held the position. When they combined the two they created a new position called Cemetery Manager and I was the first to hold that title and officially manage both cemeteries after the two had been separate for about 135 years. When I left in early 1987, the job title went back to Superintendent. So, I was possibly the shortest tenure Cemetery Head and the only one to be Manager. It is an honor to be listed on the plaque. The cemeteries had a lot of problems that needed correcting or resolved when I started and before I left all was turned around... I am very proud to have that opportunity to resolve those problems and return these 2 large cemeteries back to the status they deserve.

- Photo submitted by Chris Cooke

Mystery - "The Agoga Bible Class Fountain of 1929"

Yesterday morning (Saturday), I went over to Oak Hill Cemetery to find a few grave sites to take photos of the grave markers for “Find A Grave” requests of individuals living away. I had searched for one on late Friday after work and could not find it... so I was hoping the office would be open on Sat. to look at the plat sheets in the office showing all of the burials. Chris Cooke, the Superintendent of the Evansville City Cemeteries (Locust Hill & Oak Hill), was manning the office. He helped me locate the graves I was looking for and we talked about some interesting things concerning the cemetery and he showed me a photo on his cell phone of a plaque on the back side of a large monument that he was curious about. (See their huge database for both cemeteries http://www.evansvillegov.org/cemeteries/ )




The above plaque (click on images to enlarge) is on the back of James Monroe Crowder's monument (below) at Oak Hill Cemetery. It apparently was used in 1929 as a memorial to Crowder when they were dedicating a fountain at the Agoga Tabernacle. At least, I suspect that the fountain was at the Agoga Tabernacle.

Agoga Tabernacle images of exterior & interior from Willard Library Photo Gallery http://www.willard.lib.in.us/online_resources/photography_gallery_detail.php?ID=14

Donahue Studios http://www.donahuestudiosphotographs.com/documents/Donahue_Studios_Church.pdf
Text taken from negatives for a brochure, probably around 1955.
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH [Edited by JGWest]
The formation of First Baptist Church, 04 July 1847. Services were held in a small church on Second & Clark Streets until lots on Third & Cherry were purchased for $800.00, and a brick church built there in 1868. A call was extended to Rev. J. Frederick Rake of St. Louis in 1916. The present church on Fourth & Cherry was built and dedicated in 1922. The next year, the Agoga Bible Class erected the Tabernacle on the corner across the street. In 1944, the church purchased the Welborn-Walker Hospital changing its name to Welborn Memorial Baptist Hospital. December of 1951, Dr. Rake resigned after fifty years in the Ministry. Rev. Dallas J. West [no relation to me – JGWest] was called to succeed him.

Indiana History by Ralph D. Gray, Published by Indiana University Press, 1994
ISBN 025332629X, 9780253326294
442 pages (article by William E. Wilson pp. 292-302) Page 294: “As we approached a large vacant lot [on Fourth Street - JGWest] we saw that a crowd was gathered under floodlights, and a fiddler's contest was in progress on a platform in the blue haze of a pit barbecue. My father [U.S. Congressman William Edward Wilson of Indiana's 1st. District, D-Evansville - JGWest] said, '... The Agoga Bible Class is raising money to build a tabernacle on that lot. They outgrew the Strand Theatre and moved into the Victory Theatre, and now they've outgrown it. They gave the preacher an automobile last month.'”

From my limited research which included the Browning Genealogical Database of obituaries http://browning.evcpl.lib.in.us/ and newspaper articles http://local.evpl.org/ and Google & Yahoo web searches, I think that the fountain was completed about the time of J. Monroe Crowder's death in 1928. It appears that the Agoga Bible Class dedicated the fountain in 1929 about 4 to 6 years after the Agoga Tabernacle was built. The memorial plaque would have been placed on the fountain or nearby. I am not sure when the Agoga was razed, but I believe the fountain went with it and someone salvaged the plaque and had it mounted to Mr. Crowder's Monument. His wife Mary Lou (nee Coomes) next married Carl H. Blum and she was a long-time Chief Clerk of the Vanderburgh County Probate Court, ending a 43-year career at the time of her death in 1962. She is buried next to her first husband J. Monroe Crowder. - Compiled by JGWest
[Anyone with additional information concerning this Agoga Fountain, please contact me: jgw.mylines@gmail.com ]