Tombstone Tuesday: Two Tiny Hands

This broken tombstone is in Etna Cemetery in Licking County. It is the first I’ve seen with two small hands like this. Unfortunately, the surname is missing. The ages are illegible, but judging from the lamb, the two tiny hands, and the diminutive form of the first names, I think these are two young boys. Buried together like this, they are likely brothers.

Complicating discovering their identity is the fact that their ages are unknown and they died between census years. Also, Licking County’s death records for this time period were destroyed in a courthouse fire.

Tombstone of Artie and Georgie, Etna Cemetery, Etna, Licking County, Ohio. Photo by Amy Crow, 5 July 2009; all rights reserved.

Artie E., died June 6, 1878

Georgie E., died April 15, 1875

Live is a span, a fleeting hour

Asbury Cemetery in Columbus is not only well maintained, but they have done a good job of repairing some of the older tombstones, such as this one for Zechariah Algire. Despite the top 3/4 of the stone having broken off at one point, it is still remarkably legible.

The top features a broken column, symbolizing a life cut short. It is also signed by the stonecarver, J. W. Jungkurth of Lithopolis.

Zechariah Algire, Asbury Cemetery, Columbus, Ohio. Photo by Amy Crow, 9 June 2009; all rights reserved.

“In memory
of
ZECHARIAH
ALGIRE
born Decemr 1st 1813
died March 27th 1844
aged 30 years,
3 months and
26 days.
Life is a span, a fleeting hour.
How soon the vapour flies.
Man is a tender, transient flow’r
That e’en in blooming dies.
J. W. Jungkurth
Lithopolis”

Tombstone Tuesday: John C. Coble, “lovely bud so young and fair”

[NOTE: I also published this on Amy's Genealogy, etc. Blog.]

John C. Coble tombstone, Asbury Cemetery, Columbus, Ohio. Photo taken by Amy Crow 9 June 2009; all rights reserved.

This tombstone is in Asbury Cemetery in Madison Township, Franklin County, Ohio, near the intersection of Noe-Bixby Road and Winchester Pike. It is in excellent condition. I love the epitaph.

“In
memory of
John C.
Son of John and
Jane Coble.
born Augt 3th 1838.
died Septr. 17th 1840.
aged 2 years,
1 month and 14 days.
This lovely bud so young
and fair,
Called hence by early doom
Just came to show how
sweet a flower
In paradise would bloom.”

Vandalism at Forest Cemetery, Circleville

Vandals have stolen the statues from several children’s graves at Forest Cemetery in Circleville. According to cemetery caretaker Martin Garner, parts of at least 5 graves have been stolen over the past month. 

WBNS 10TV has an article and photos here.

Thanks to my friend Beth Santore at GraveAddiction.com for alerting me to this.

Update: 10 Caskets Found at old Cheshire Cemetery site

The Army Corps of Engineers has found 10 caskets at the site of the old Cheshire Cemetery, at least 5 of which contained human remains. They have also announced that those remains will definitely be reburied in Berlin Cemetery, site of the graves from Cheshire Cemetery that were relocated in the early 1970s.

Full article can be found at the Columbus Dispatch.

Not Just Caskets at the old Cheshire Cemetery

According to the Columbus Dispatch, the caskets discovered earlier this week at Alum Creek Reservoir did indeed contain human remains. The Army Corps of Engineers has contracted Devore-Snyder Funeral Home to move the remains. They likely will be moved to the Berlin Cheshire Road Cemetery west of Alum Creek Reservoir.

Caskets Showing Up from Old Cheshire Cemetery

Back in 1973, the Army Corps of Engineers moved the old Cheshire Cemetery in Delaware County to make way for Alum Creek Reservoir. It is estimated that they moved approximately 1,400 graves. Apparently they missed some, as several caskets have been found jutting out of the ground on the east bank of the reservoir. According to Corps spokeswoman Peggy Noel, the coroner’s office has been called in to see if the caskets contain any remains. 

The Columbus Dispatch has a story here.

Joseph M. Wehrle, Mount Calvary Cemetery, Newark

Yesterday, I had the pleasure to go to Mount Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Newark. I wasn’t able to spend a great deal of time there; I hope to go back soon and explore some more. 

At the top of the hill is the Wehrle family plot. There is a large monument in the middle, surrounded by individual tombstones. One of the things I found interesting was that all of the individual stones were identical; even the ones for people who died in the 1950s used a German-script style font.

In the Wehrle family plot is Rev. Joseph M. Wehrle. What caught my eye at first was that his tombstone includes his date of ordination. The front of the stone is an excellent example of the eucharist, chalice, grapes and wheat. As noted in Douglas Keister’s excellent book Stories in Stone, the use of all of these elements together was restricted almost exclusively to clergy. 

According to his death certificate, Joseph Michael Wehrle was the son of Joseph and Philamena (Morath) Wehrle. Joseph was a priest at Saint Mary’s Church in Columbus, which is located in the German Village section of town. 

From the tombstone: Rev. Joseph M. Wehrle/ Born October 24, 1865/ Ordained August 15, 1899/ Died April 24, 1924.

 

Rev. Joseph M. Wehrle tombstone, Mount Calvary Cemetery, Newark, Ohio. Photo by Amy Johnson Crow, 6 March 2009; all rights reserved.

Hidden Message

As I’ve noted earlier, I love celtic crosses. As I walked by this one in Cedar Hill Cemetery in Newark, it looked like just another celtic cross. It wasn’t until I was lining up the photo that I realized that there are words at the bottom. They blend in so well with the design!

Inscription: Edward Thomas, born Nov. 24, 1852, died Sept. 10, 1910 and his wife Jessie Clarke Thomas, born Apr. 10, 1862, died Jan. 7. 1943

 

Edward and Jessie (Clarke) Thomas tombstone, Cedar Hill Cemetery, Newark, Ohio. Photo taken 19 June 2008 by Amy Johnson Crow; all rights reserved.

Zinc tombstones, Union Grove Cemetery

 

Monumental Bronze Company inscription, Union Grove Cemetery, Canal Winchester, Ohio. Photo by Amy Crow, taken 24 June 2008; all rights reserved.

I love zinc (aka white bronze) tombstones. I find a bit ironic that cemeteries across the country discouraged or banned the installation of them because they were seen as being tacky, but now they are the most legible tombstones. 

 

Zinc/white bronze tombstones were manufactured by the Monumental Bronze Company of Bridgeport, Connecticut. Subsidiaries/distributors in Detroit, Chicago, and Des Moines and their work can be found across the United States. However, their years of production were very short — 1875 to 1912.

Customers could chose a variety of motifs. Panels on the sides of the marker could bear words or motifs (and sometimes both). Customization, such as the inscription, was cast in separate plates that would be screwed into a standard base.

Both of these tombstones are found in Union Grove Cemetery in Canal Winchester, Ohio. The taller tombstone for the Rager family is a more typical zinc tombstone. The Grace Courtright marker with the praying child is much more unusual. It stands approximately 2.5 feet tall. I’ve never seen another zinc marker like it. If you’ve seen another one, please leave a comment and let me know.

 

Rager monument, Union Grove Cemetery, Canal Winchester, Ohio. Photo by Amy Crow, taken 24 June 2008; all rights reserved.

 

Grace Courtright marker, Union Grove Cemetery, Canal Winchester, Ohio. Photo by Amy Crow, taken 24 June 2008; all rights reserved.