Mondays I Mourn

This is one of the baby graves I found in the Orchard Cemetery here in Texas.
This precious little grave is for
Our dear son
Mr and Mrs W.A Hinsch
born and died 4/15/1916

So sad to see baby graves and you know the pain the parents were feeling at this time.

The William Suhr Family of Texas

While wandering through the Orchard Cemetery I came across the Suhr family. Who was this family?
First I came to the grave of Ida Suhr Wife of Wm Suhr
Her stone says she was born February 9, 1872 and died June 10, 1913 at the age of 41 years old.

Next to her is buried Wm Suhr born 1864 and died 1936 at the age of 72 years. . His grave stone is small and flat to the ground while his wife had a much larger stone. Since he died 23 years after she did we can guess he probably chose her grave stone and must of loved her very much.
By the time he died someone else was responsible for his grave stone and probably did not have the money to buy something like his wife's. On his gravestone is listed Forrester Service.


Two graves away is Walter A Suhr whose grave says he was born in 1905 and died 1955. Who was Walter we ask? From the difference in age maybe he was a son of William and ida


Next to Walter is a small grave that only says Baby Ida Lynn Suhr with no dates on the grave.

I went to www.ancestry.com and found this family while searching for family trees with William and Ida Suhr listed. I made contact thru ancestry and invited these related family member to visit my site or to go to www.findagrave.com and find this family at the listing for Orchard Cemetery.

Hope that you enjoy this posting. I will be going back to www.ancestry.com and see what else I can find out about this family. I do know that William remarried after Ida's death and that William and Ida had 5 children with Walter being the youngest child.

Thanks for stopping by and visiting

Wordless Wednesday Austin Williams

Almost Wordless

Austin born Nov 17 1898 died Sept 19 1908

son of H G & Lizzie Williams

Tombstone Tuesday Andrew and Rosa Quinn

Tombstone Tuesday features Andrew E Quinn 1887 - 1954 and

Rosa H Quinn 1890 - 1974

Asleep in Jesus awaiting the glorious resurrection

and

Bert Elmer Sept 30,1911 - Feb 22,2001 and

Edna Drachenberg Quinn April 4, 1914 - Sept 14,1996 (Interred in Webster Texas

They are buried in a little cemetery outside Orchard, Texas. Not sure if they are related but buried close by

Orchard Cemetery Texas Sweet Babies At Rest

Baby Dunn no dates on marker

Babe Mennie Harrt 1905 temporary marker on concrete block


Our Baby Boy In Heaven 1916


This is Orchard Cemetery Fort Bend County Texas. We are in the middle of nowhere but not all that far from the hustle and bustle of Houston.

In this dry lonely little cemetery are the graves of babies. Some have only there name scratched or maybe a temporary marker still attached in 1905 to the concrete grave stone. Some do not even have a name on them.

But for today we will remember and think about these precious little souls. They were alive once and were surly loved. Sadly they died early and left their families to mourn.

Pauline Patterson of Texas Who Were You Sweet Lady

Today I am thinking of Pauline Patterson of Fort Bend Texas. She probably lived in the Orchard area of Texas since she is buried in this small cemetery in the countryside of Orchard.

All we have to identify her is a small concrete grave stone with her name scratched in.
Pauline Patterson

That is it. When were you born and when did you die. What was your life like in this barren area of Texas.
We will never know but for today I am thinking about you sweet Pauline.

Wordless Wednesday Pvt Joe Rochen WW1

Tombstone Tuesday Baby Jenkins died 1930

Today at Tombstone Tuesday we are visiting a little cemetery in the country. We drove to Orchard Cemetery, Orchard Fort Bend County Texas to do a find a grave request for http://www.findagrave.com/ . While there I took over 100 photos. There is a total of 285 graves.

This is the grave stone of a little baby born in 1930

Francis Jane Jenkins born and died November 26 1930

Rest in peace baby girl

Morton Cemetery Richmond Texas Hampil and Charlton Family

While wandering through Morton Cemetery I came across the Hampil and Charlton

family grave site

Joe B Charlton born 1898 died 1965

Terese Hampil Charlton born October 15, 1898 died November 18, 1990

Betty Lee Hampil born March 28,1896 died June 2, 1986

Clarence C Hampil M.D. born 1867 died 1947
Cora Lee Hampil 1876 1949

Ruby Louise Hampil born 1900 died 1951

Wordless Wednesday Jno and Ann McCloy

Almost Wordless

Dr. Jno McCloy died April 11 1895 in the 66 year of his age .. Sacred to the memory of our father

Ann Wesman McCloy died May 1 1896 aged 49 years 2 months 18 days .. In loving remembrance of our mother

Tombstone Tuesday Marie and George Field

Today is Tombstone Tuesday and I am remembering the children of the Fields family.

George and Marie Gray Field born July 25, 1903 died December 19, 1903 4 months and 24 days. There are no dates for baby George.

Mondays I Mourn for the Bakers of Richmond

Tonight's post is for a young family that died so young

Jas B Baker born March 19 1867 died January 7 1899 and his wife

Bessie born February 5 1867 died January 29 1898

Their grave stone is so beautiful. There is a curtain covering the top and a book laying on top of the gravestone..

A book found on a cemetery tombstone can represent many different things, including the book of life, often represented as the Bible. I would picture the Bible would be open this one is closed.

A book on a gravestone may also depict learning, a scholar.

The curtain I am not sure of could be an actor or could be the curtain of life.

All of this I do not know but is beautiful.

If any one has any ideas I would love to hear them.

My Great Grandfather William Albert Day

Today I have been working on a genealogy post for my great grandfather William Albert Day. This is his gravestone. My dh and I drove to Sacred Heart Minnesota to find his and his wife Carrie's graves. If you are interested read his story go to http://myfamilyrootsrundeep.blogspot.com/2009/08/who-were-my-great-grand-parents-part-1.html

William Albert Day was born October 15 1867 and died February 9 1920

Carrie ( Lockwood) Day was born October 7 1870 and died April 1946

Hopping Around Interesting Graveyards

I have spent some time today wandering around looking at interesting old graveyards. Here is a great one I found this morning.
http://www.capecodgravestones.com/

Enjoy looking at these wonderful old gravestones.

Taking pictures in El Campo Texas at Oak lawn Cemetary

A while back we had a request to take a picture of a gravestone at the Oak lawn Cemetery in El Campo,Texas from http://www.findagrave.com/ . It was a good hour away and finding the cemetery was an adventure. The website address happened to be the home address of the caretaker of this small country cemetery. We asked several people where it was and finally after calling this lady got directions to the Oaklawn Cemetery.

It is a small Cemetery but the day was hot and I could only stay and take a few pictures. We will have to take another trip some day to this little cemetery in the country. Read my earlier post for more of our trip Taking pictures in El Campo Texas at Oak lawn Cemetery

These are the other gravestones from that trip to Oak lawn Cemetery

Lula Frances Sager born August 01 1905 died August 20 1986 .

Luella B Casey born January 15 1925 died November 20 1971

Walter L Jr Maples born 1927 died 2003 and Nora Mae Maples born 1928 died 1972

Hazel Sue Maples ( Tootie) born August 25 1953 died February 9 1999

Daughter Sister Mother

Thomas Walter Jr Ely born May 22 1900 died September 4 1964 and
Maurine Pyburn Ely born July 23 1903 died October 13 1992

Ejler Peter Hermansen born May 13 1912 died September 17 1965 and
Minnie Esther Hermansen born September 24 1916 died January 6 1994

Sigurd R Hermansen born January 9 1914 died October 9 2001 and
Dorothy A Hermansen born September 19 1916 died June 8 2001


and from Wordless Wednesday at Oak lawn Cemetery Harold and Eda Hermansen

Vanishing Burial Societies and Cemeteries

There was an interesting article in the New York Times this week. It was a discussion about the impact of the vanishing Jewish burial societies. As the community members grow older and eventually die, there are fewer people available (or willing) to coordinate the administrative and burial traditions.

The Jewish burial societies that sold the gravesites no longer have administrators. They were founded by the immigrant ancestors of the people now caught in this bind, the societies, in effect, have died.

The article says " When Mrs. Marmor visited her deceased husband’s cemetery plot in Flushing, Queens, one afternoon, she found that someone had been freshly buried in the spot next to his, where she had planned to rest someday. No one could tell her why."
" Mrs. Marmor, 76, said that when she asked the cemetery director what happened to her plot, he told her it had been sold by the president of the burial society, who had since died. "
Luckily for her she found out that the plot on the other side of her husband is available.

Right now, the Jewish burial societies have an office mandating their final wishes. But one question is who will take care of those other abandoned cemeteries? Who is responsible for the long-forgotten community cemetery or family burial site that is way off into the woods?

I was searching for an old cemetery here in the Richmond Texas area. All I see is new homes being built. Where I think the road to the cemetery should be is blocked off by a construction company. What has happened to this century old cemetery?

There is an interest in old cemeteries by people like us, but we go and take pictures, blog about the headstones, write about these people and for the moment they are with us again . I may wipe off the leaves or touch the stone of a soldier long gone. But then I leave to go home. What will happen to that old cemetery in the future? No one knows, but as a society we have to care about our cemeteries.

Our country is what it is because of those who walked before us. They may not be with us any more but they lived , loved and died. We must cherish their memory and their last resting spot.

This is just one person's opinion though.

Wordless Wednesday at Oaklawn Cemetery

Almost wordless

Harold Carroll Hermansen born 4 25 1914 died 2 1 1991

Eda Helen Hermeansen born 8 20 1918 died 4 14 1994

Gravestone features wedding rings with 2 16 1938 and Together Forever

TOMBSTONE TUESDAY

Today at Tombstone Tuesday I am featuring the Tombstone of

G W Parnell

Born October 8 1856

Died December 9 1899

Engraved is the touching message from his wife

" In Loving Remembrance Of My Husband "

Buried near him is Mattie Parnell

1858 1933

Charles W Parnell

1887 1940

and

Burtie P Smith

1885 1945