A Lonely Little Cemetery in the Countryside of Texas

This week I received a request from http://www.findagrave.com/ to take a picture at a the Orchard Cemetery, Fort Bend County Texas. This is roughly a 30 to 45 minute drive from home. Hubby I loaded up the car with bottles of water, my digital camera and paper to write on.

What a lonely little cemetery in the middle of almost nowhere. The cemetery is located just outside of Orchard, Texas on highway 36 North between Rosenberg Texas and Wallis Texas.

The cemetery is well kept but so dry from the heat. Part of it is sheltered by trees and other graves are out in the open .

The cemetery was established in 1891.The grave stones range from markers from the funeral home with the names scratched into them to larger beautiful headstones with marble slabs that cover the whole grave. There are under 300 graves at this time.

The request was to photograph the Gravestone of Andrew E Quinn 1887 to 1954 and his wife Rosa H 1890 1974

Inscribed on the stone is Asleep in Jesus awaiting the glorious resurrection .

I spent over an hour at the cemetery so have over 100 names to post on http://www.findagrave.com/ as time allows. Will share some of these with you in the future.

Morton Cemetery and the Hampil & Charlton Family

Morton Cemetery is so beautiful . I was there last week taking pictures and in the back ground heard a song that reminded me of my father. Not sure where music was coming from but there are homes a block away. So quiet and so peaceful there.

These are pictures of the Hampil family gravestones that I took. I found most of them on www.ancestry.com

Clarence C Hampil M D born 1867 died 1947 .

Clarence is husband of Cora and father of Ruby in the 1930 census has them in Texas. 1900 census has a daughter listed as Lilly age 1 not sure if this Teresa or not since she was born in 1898 and not listed on 1900 census

Cora Lee Hampil Born 1876 died 1949

Betty Lee Hampil born March 28 1896 died June 2 1986

1900 census has Betty Lee the daughter of Clarence and Cora and living with them.

Ruby Louise Hampil born 1900 died 1951

In the 1930 census has Ruby listed as a teacher and daughter of Clarence and Cora

Terese Hampil Charlton born October 15 1898 died November 18 1990 I found Terese Death certificate on www.ancestry.com and states she got her social security number in California before 1951

Joe B Charlton born 1898 died 1965

Tombstone Tuesday Schley Family Richmond Texas

Today I am

featuring the gravestones of

Henry J Schley

Dec 19 1852

Oct 7 1934

In Loving Memory

and

Schley Clara Wife of H J Schley

June 20 1854

Feb 27 1920

As a wife devoted, as a mother affectionate , as a friend ever kind and true

and son of Henry J and Clara

Courtland H Schley

Jan 5 1883

Feb 11 1911

Mondays I Mourn Baumgart Babies

Found this fading gravestone in the Morton Cemetery in Richmond Texas. Hard to read parts but this is what I think it says

Eddie

Died Dec 1871

Age 1 yrs 6 mo

Emil

Died Jan 14 1872

7 yrs 6 mo

Children of E and E? Baumgart

there is other writing at bottom of stone but could not make it out.

More from Richmond Texs Morton Cemetery Davidson Family

Here is Commander Y Davidson 1871 1967 and his wife Clara C Davidson 1885 1973

Memoriam of W K Texas Veteran and S Jane Davis

This is the gravesites of W K and his wife S Jane Davis of Richmond Texas. W K was born November 11 1822 and died August 2 1891 and a Texas Veteran . His wife S Jane was born September 4 1838 and died March 5 1885.

W K was born in Alabama and came to Texas February 4 1830. He helped to build the fort at the mouth of Brazos 1836 on Indian campaign around head of Brazos. He was in the Boskis campaign Spring 1842 the John Wallis campaign September 1842. Was wounded and taken prisoner December 25 1848. Mier by order of Santa Anna was made to draw beans. White was life and black was death. Every tenth man was shot. Worked chain gang to September 16 1844 when released by order of Santa Anna and given one dollar to go home 1500 miles.

These are beautiful gravestones and filled with thoughts from their family and the history written.

Wordless Wednesday James Slavin & Cora Brown

Some times having to earn a living comes in the way of my real passions. I love to search for my ancestors and wander Grave Yards looking at the gravestones and taking pictures for others. This is a little late and not wordless, but I have always had a hard time being wordless. Here is the gravestones of James W Slavin 1862 and 1930. Buried next to him is Cora Brown 1848 1945. I do not know their relationship yet but their stones match so they were related probably.

Tombstone Tuesday " The Meserve" Family

This is the tombstones of George B and S Louise Meserve. George was born 1854 and passed away 1925, his wife was also born in 1854 and passed away 1921. They are buried here in Richmond Texas at the Morton Cemetery.

I found George and Louise in the 1910 census at http://www.ancestry.com/. Living with them is their daughter Nellie Pattent and grandson Earl W. Pattent.
Nellie is listed as about 23 years old and widowed. Earl is listed as the son of the head of household which was a mistake he is grandson of George . Earl is about 3 years old at the time of census.

Census has George birth place as Vermont and his parents being born in Vermont.
Louise was born in Massachusetts with her father also born in Massachusetts and mother born in New York.

Mondays I Mourn for baby Clyde Pullen

Pictured is the gravestone of a precious baby. Only 7 days old. We can just image the pain the parents were feeling when they buried their little baby. Mondays I mourn for a baby lost.

Clyde Pullen born January 24, 1896 died January 31 1896

Today's Epitaph Katie Darst Rest In Quiet Sleep

Katie L wife of R. H. Darst Born July 28 1862 Died September 2 1894

Rest mother Rest in quiet sleep - While friends on sorrow o'er thee weep - As wife devoted, As Mother Affectionate, As a friend ever kind true

+ Infant son of R. H. & Katie L Darst

Morton Cemetery Richmond Texas Courtland Schley

This is the gravestone of Courtland H Schley Jan 5 1883 .. Feb 11 1911

Courtland was found on www.ancestry.com in the 1910 census. He is listed as a male and living with his parents Henry J and Clara, and he was listed as single Center of his stone is a circle with Women of the World Memorial written.

More Wandering thru the tombstones Richmond Texas Collier Family

The weather is very hot this July so I can only spend a short time in the cemetery taking pictures of the gravestones for http://www.findagrave.com/. My time there is spent with great pleasure though. Hubby is in the car with the air conditioner going listening to the radio and I am doing what I love. We plan it before lunch so that is another pleasure on a warm Texas day.

Here are a few beautiful old stones I took pictures of late last week.

The above is

Father W. F. Collier

Jan 7, 1828

October 28 1910

and Mother

Elizabeth A Collier

Dec 29 1830

Oct 24 1889

I found them on http://www.ancestry.com/ in the 1880 census. W. F. was 52 years old. His occupation was a bookkeeper and they lived in Richmond Texas. Living with W.F was his spouse Elizabeth and their daughter Clara H Collier

Wordless Wednesday

Tombstone Tuesday Henry Leitsch

Henry Leitsch

Company F24

Confederate States Army

August 30 1832 April 11 1902

Mondays I Mourn for baby Robert McNabb

Pictured is the gravestone of a precious baby. Only 7 months old. We can just image the pain the parents were feeling when they buried their little baby. Mondays I mourn for a baby lost.

Here is the cemetery grave stone of Robert B Mc Nabb born December 04 1903 Died July 07 1904. Pictured in front of his grave stone is what looks like two little lambs. On one is written " Our Special Darling Baby. I can not make out what is written on the other lamb but looks like Little Mc Nabb

More of Morton Cemetery Robert & Mary Calder in Texas

This is another grave that I took a photo on my first trip to Morton Cemetery in Richmond Texas. It is of Robert James and his wife Mary Douglas Calder.

Robert James Calder, soldier and public official, was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on July 17, 1810, the son of James H. and Jane E. (Caldwell) Calder. He was raised by his mother's brother, James Peckham Caldwell, after his father's death and moved to Texas from Kentucky in 1832. He joined Stephen F. Austin's army in 1835, took part as a second lieutenant in the battle of Concepción, was made third lieutenant of artillery in December, and accompanied James W. Fannin, Jr., on a recruiting expedition. In 1836 Calder joined the army at Gonzales and was elected captain of K Company, First Regiment of Texas Volunteers, which he commanded at the battle of San Jacinto. He was among those who delivered news of the battle to President David G. Burnet on Galveston Island. Calder received 640 acres of land for his service and was appointed marshal of Texas by Burnet in 1836. In 1837 he was elected sheriff of Brazoria County, a position he held for six years. One source states that "he was Brazoria sheriff during the famous Monroe Edwards contests with Dart and was swindled by Edwards out of about five thousand dollars, fees and responsibilities undertaken, while in charge of imported Africans." He was elected mayor of Brazoria in 1838 and chief justice of Brazoria County in 1844 and 1846. After moving to Fort Bend County, Calder became mayor of Richmond in 1859 and from 1866 to 1869 served as county chief justice. He later practiced law with the firm of Mitchell, Nolan, and Calder. In 1881 he officially unveiled the monument to the memory of those killed at San Jacinto. Calder married Mary Walker Douglass of Brazoria on January 3, 1837; they had six children. He died at Richmond on August 28, 1885. In 1929 the state of Texas erected a joint monument over the graves of Calder and his wife in the Richmond Masonic Cemetery. [Bio: Handbook of Texas Online]

Unbelieveable Disrespectful Behavior

Terry Thornton of Hill Country of Monroe County Mississippi alerted many of us to this story. I'm passing it along with very few words to add. Once again what are they thinking. I simply cannot believe how greedy, disrespectful, and unbelievable cruel the persons involved in the decision-making process for this destruction of local, state, regional and cultural history can be. As Terry said, "Read it and weep."Oxford, Alabama Destroying A 1500-Year-Old Indian Mound To Build A Sam's Club

Taking pictures in El Campo Texas at Oaklawn Cemetary

Last Tuesday July 7th I received a request to take a picture of a grave stone at Oaklawn Cemetery in El Campo which is in Wharton County Texas. This was my second request since I joined http://www.findagrave.com/ . The first time I was asked to take a picture, I was not able to get out to the cemetery right away, it was 30 miles away and we were having car trouble. By the time I was ready to go and take the picture someone else had already visited the cemetery and take care of the request. Finally I have another request to help someone get a picture of their ancestor's grave stone.

This cemetery was a good 40 miles away, but hubby agreed to go for a ride after we had taken care of personal business. He is not really into my grave hopping but loves to be with me and I try to not spend to much time at any one time wandering around the cemetery.

The drive was nice but nothing special. I had googled the cemetery name and came up with an address and directions. Off we went. Got to El Campo but never could find the road we were suppose to take. Stopped and asked a couple of people in a truck and they would point us in a different direction. Just as we were about to give up we decided to stop at a gas station. Asked if anyone knew where Oaklawn was, no one really knew. Showed the address to a mail carrier and she says that is a residence area no cemetery there. The address listed with cemetery is the owners mailing address. Not the address of the Cemetery. Good lesson for my next visit. Check out where cemetery really is. Call a phone number if possible. Thanks to the mail carrier she noticed I had a phone number. Why not call the number? I had never noticed this.

Sure enough the sweetest lady answered the phone. Gave me really good directions and even guided me to the grave.

This is a small cemetery in the country. Once we had the right directions it was really easy to find.

When I was given the request they did not know which husband their ancestor had been buried with. This lady was married twice. I told my my new friend at the phone number for the cemetery that I did not know last name on grave stone. I read off the two husband's last name and she says " LANGDON " you will find Elsie there. She was buried with hubby number two. This lady knows her cemetery.

She shared that her husband had started this cemetery in the 1950's. They raised 4 children and put all four through college., one is a lawyer. You could tell she was really proud of this. She is now probably in her 80's and just sold the cemetery in April. Her health is failing and she can no longer go out there to check it , to plot out the graves and everything else she took care of.

Well here I am wandering for a bit, temperature is 100 degrees and sunny. Really hot for sure.

After taking the pictures of the Langdon grave and took pictures of 8 more graves which gives me 11 names to list http://www.findagrave.com/ site.

We had a nice ride home and I had some pictures to load and list on http://www.findagravecom/ . We had a great adventure that day. Not sure if we will be out that way again in the future but if so we know our way to Oaklawn cemetery.