52 Ancestors 2021: Week 25: Groups

Introducing the world to my literal 'babies' - our cemetery groups on Facebook. 

Henderson KY Cemetery Research Group

WKM (Western Kentucky Metro) Cemetery Research

Anyone and everyone is allowed and more than welcome to join. We love new members and embrace anyone who is interested in cemeteries - new or old. 

For a while, I was stumped on what to write about for 'groups' and then it finally hit me tonight: my cemetery groups on Facebook!

First and foremost, I have to mention my baby - Henderson KY Cemetery Research Group. It wasn't my brain child and I never, ever, no matter her feelings towards me or anything else want to take credit for it. Originally, the group was made in December of 2015 to house Sarah's cemetery photography, to talk about the cemeteries here in Henderson County, and for us to potentially get out and research some. 

Sarah and her then husband, Dustin Vittur, went out to some cemeteries in the Bluff City, Hebbardsville, Niagara areas and started having some success finding tombstones buried beneath the dirt (sometimes as little as three or four inches, and sometimes as much as a foot deep) that had been lost for decades. They were prodding the ground with fiberglass rods (about five feet in length. You can buy them at Rural King. They're actually called 'driveway stakes' I believe.) 

Well, the three of us had struck up a fast friendship in September of 2015 and knowing that I shared her love of cemeteries and the enthusiasm as well, they started inviting me along to the cemeteries and gave me a rod to look for tombstones. The first real cemetery adventure I went with the on was New Years Day 2016 so 1/1/2016. We ended up discovering a cemetery out in the outskirts of Hebbardsville (on the Green River) that even Mr. Blue didn't know about. 

Mr. Blue was a local man who in the 1980's and 1990's mapped out all (or close to all) of Henderson's cemeteries and made an accompanying book of the burials. The first tombstone I actually managed to find was in Ridgewood Cemetery in February of 2016. After finding my first tombstone, I was absolutely hooked. 

By September of 2016, Sarah had lined us up with an interview with the Gleaner and in October of 2016, we made the front page of the Sunday edition of the Gleaner newspaper. We were interviewed out at Bethel Cemetery and the tombstone we found that was featured was that of Eulalie Cosby. The tombstone had been missing for at least fifty years, if not longer. 

That day was absolutely one of the happiest days of my life. No matter our falling out - I will thank Sarah for the rest of my life, and thank God, too, for bringing her into my life and giving me the amazing opportunities that she did. 

We had our most successful day finding tombstones out at Bethel Baptist in October of 2016. We heaved so many tombstones up from a ditch... and for a long time we believed they had fell down over the edge with time. I've since talked to someone whose family owned land out there and they let me know: those tombstones were intentionally shoved down into that ditch, which just knowing that, it disgusts me. 

None of the above tombstones were documented in Mr. Blue's book so they had absolutely been uncounted for since before at least 1980. Bethel Baptist is definitely a treasure trove of lost tombstones buried beneath the Earth or off the side of the ditch. Cash Creek also proved to be a decent place to find lost tombstones. One day when we were out there, we found the lost tombstone of the son of Dr. McCarty. 

After making the front page of the Gleaner, we were asked to come document Brown-Konsler Cemetery in Cairo. The cemetery is actually set up to kind of be two different cemeteries - but right beside each other. Historians and genealogists over the years have just kind of decided to merge them because they really are in the same spot, separated by a few trees.

Then we were asked to come to Webster County and document a cemetery in the middle of the woods -- Asher Cemetery, and checked out Rock Stile Cemetery (which was a stones throw away) as well. 

Then we were asked to come check out Boswell Cemetery out in Bluff City which was 100% on our bucket list. The owners of the Craven Boswell house were SO incredibly nice. 

In November 2016, just a few days before my best friend was killed in a horrendous car accident, we were asked to document Dorsey Cemetery out in Corydon. We even found Noah Dorsey's lost tombstone! Noah and his wife are credited with naming Corydon and pretty much founding it (officially yet unofficially at the same time.) Noah's tombstone is a double - the bottom half is a young daughter of theirs that had passed away. 

After that, a lot of the cemetery stuff died down, especially for me, because I lost Nick so tragically in that car accident. I was broken and devastated. We did a few cemetery things in 2017 but a lot of it, Sarah and Dustin did by themselves, which I was more than okay with. They got a few more cemeteries documented out in the Zion and Hebbardsville areas which I'm incredibly thankful for.

By 2018, I knew something was going on between the two of them. I had lined up going out and documenting the Sights Cemetery but, that never happened. It was like, I had been shut out. At the start of 2019, I felt like I had been ex-communicated from the group because of S & D's divorce, so I started up my second baby -- WKM (Western Kentucky Metro) Cemetery Research. By mid 2019, I was told that I could have Henderson KY Cemetery Research Group, because both S & D had moved about an hour to an hour and a half away in different directions. I was relieved. 

WKM Cemetery Research hasn't done *as much* as our Henderson group but that's because my collaborators and myself haven't had the chance to get out and do as much. Taylor and I managed to find Jordan Cemetery in March of 2019, which was quite a feat for Henderson KY Cemetery Research Group. Jordan Cemetery is so grown up, you can't even tell it's there. It took us thirty minutes to finally find it. We wouldn't have ever finally found the right area to look if it wasn't for Taylor's Dad saying he and his late wife had been walking one evening and stumbled across it back before Taylor was even born, I believe. That finally gave us a pinpoint of where to look.

Jessica and Taylor have both done some things in Indiana for WKM, but as with all good things, things come to an end. A literal demonic seed that I called my best friend since I was 11 years old came in and destroyed the friendship I had with Taylor and of course, she felt slighted when I kicked her from the WKM group and blocked her, she tried to say she was the owner and operator of WKM (bull). We're on better terms now that we know who the demon spawn is and what she did to us.. but now WKM is just Jessica and myself. Supposedly, Taylor has started her own new group in Warrick Co and well, good luck to her, of course. The more cemetery research groups the better in my opinion. 

The last big thing I did for Henderson Ky Cemetery Research Group was getting Cheatham Cemetery in Zion documented and even finding a lost tombstone there. Well, the other half of a lost tombstone. It was in November of 2019 and a very exciting and rewarding day!

Now here it is late 2021 and I've been asked to come out and document a couple different locations but, it's November 7th, and I'm sick as a dog. Changing of the seasons (when it gets super cold for the first time of the year) always gets me sick. 

I'm hoping to order the large D/2 kit from Atlas Preservation and get to cleaning tombstones in the spring. Here's to 2022 being a big and exciting year for me and Henderson Ky Cemetery Research Group! I sure do miss finding lost tombstones. I miss being out in cemeteries and doing what I love. 

52 Ancestors 2021: Week 15: Brickwall

 

The topic for week fifteen is "brickwall," and for me there's nothing better to write about than Brickwall Cemetery. This cemetery is a "hidden gem," if you will, located out in the Beals, Henderson County, Kentucky area. As far as what we've been told, it's on "Beasley property." We knocked on the door of the house and nobody answered -- so we left a note on the door with our numbers, letting them know we were going to go back and check out the cemetery, that if they had any problems or questions, to just call our cell phones. No one ever contacted us. 

It's located about 3/4 mile off of Highway 811 - off the right side of the road if you're heading down 811. If you're heading back towards US 60, it would be on the left side of the road. It seems like there's a "farm road" that leads you back there, kind of.. where they probably take the combines in and out of the field. It's definitely something I wouldn't drive back to, unless you're on a four-wheeler. I would honestly walk it, if I were you. 

This is a GPS pinpoint that I put onto Find-a-Grave when we went out to the cemetery in August of 2014. I'd like to get out there again because honestly, middle of August wasn't the best time to go. The leaves were thick and hid a lot of tombstones, I have no doubt. Plus, I didn't know about the method of prodding for tombstones beneath the ground (that might be buried by dirt and hidden from view) that I know about now. 

Here is another map showing you the roads that are nearby. Highway 811 is what it's technically "off" of but Highland Rd is very near. Across 811 is "Ohio River Rd #2" and Cheatham Rd runs between 811 and Highland "behind" the cemetery if you will.  

As far as I can tell, Brickwall was started in the 1830's to early 1840's. It served the community of Beals and whatever other small "river communities" that are close by such as Scuffletown, Vanada, etc. Supposedly, the cemetery got its name because of the brick walls that surrounded the cemetery. When we went out there in 2014, you could still see remnants of the original entrance to the cemetery and all the bricks laying around. 

I was told in an e-mail years ago, I forget who from now, that back in the possibly 1920's or 1930's (I forget which decade.. don't shoot me, I'm just the messenger) that hogs, I'm guessing wild hogs, got into the cemetery and rooted up a lot of the bones, scattering them about. They said that the hogs destroyed quite a many tombstones, too. 

From what I can tell, the earliest tombstone that can be made out is for Robert McCormick. Robert was born in abt 1801 and died March 20th, 1842. His tombstone says he was 41 years of age. 

From my genealogical records, Robert McCormick was the son of George Elliot McCormick (1771-1849) and Jane Steele (1774-1843). Robert was the husband of Nancy Griffin. I believe they were married about 1829 in probably Henderson County, Kentucky. I've found them in the 1830 census and they haven't bore a child yet. Their first born was Carneal Boone McCormick (1831-1904.) By 1840, it appears they have another son and a daughter.. I believe the son is a Fenwick McCormick, born 1834. Not sure who the daughter was. It is possible that Nancy (Griffin) McCormick and the other McCormick children are in Brickwall Cemetery, too, just with lost tombstones. 

The newest death I was able to find in the cemetery was that of Cordelia J. Meredith, young daughter of Lonnie Meredith and Cordie Price. She was born September 30th, 1936, and died October 6th, 1936. No tombstone was found for Cordelia but her death certificate states a burial in Brickwall. 

The newest tombstone seems to be a new tombstone erected for the Beasley family. Emma Smith was the daughter of Wiliam Smith and Polly Wells. She was born June 26th, 1854, and passed on May 16th, 1918. She married David Morris Beasley sometime between 1880-1883. He died sometime between 1893-1900 and is probably buried in Brickwall Cemetery, too. 

Emma shares a new tombstone with her grandchildren: Walter, September 8th 1908 -- September 12th, 1908; Johnie O, August 8th, 1909 -- October 29th, 1910; and Edgar M, February 24th, 1914 -- April 9th, 1914. They were children of William Ambrose Beasley and his wife, Susie Ann Morris. 

Other last names buried in this cemetery include: Allen, Babin Barger, Billings, Bolen, Bugg, Burd, Chaney, Dixon, Everett, Folden, Gildersleeve, Goldsberry, Gray, Greathouse, Hardin, Hill, Holmes, Horn, Hust, Lacer, LeGrand, Ligon, Masterson, McCallister, McDonald, McLean, Oldham, Parker, Purcell, Robinson, Scales, Shelby, Skaggs, Smith, Strange, Thompson, Wait, Weddle, White, Williams, and Yates.

There appears to be one Civil War tombstone in the cemetery -- Stephen "Steve" Gildersleeve. He was born October 15th, 1847, in Butler County, Kentucky. It appears he married Milly Phelps in Butler County, KY, in 1865. He enlisted on August 12th, 1862, and by November 17th, 1862, he was assigned to the 12th Kentucky Cavalry. He was on the Union Side. He mustered out on August 23rd, 1865. According to his application for a tombstone -- he died November 30th, 1901, in Spottsville, Kentucky. It appears that Steve was the son of Joel Gildersleeve from New York and Elizabeth McDonald from Ohio. By 1870, the family lived in Union County, KY, but then moved on over to Henderson County by 1880. Their daughter, Annie, married a Billings and some of their infant children are buried in Brickwall. 

Without a doubt as of 2014 -- the cemetery was in major disrepair. It desperately needed cleaning.. old tombstones needed cleaning and fixing. Trees needed to be downed and brush needed to be removed.. I can only hope a lot of descendants can gather together in the coming time and fix up the cemetery. There's a lot of history in it, a lot of ancestors that probably half of Henderson are descended from but they don't even know it.. It's always so sad to see a cemetery fall into this shape. They farm all of the land around it, so I guess it's a blessing that the cemetery hasn't been removed completely (yet). 

If you're a descendant or a relative of any of these families and you're ever in the Beals, KY, area... try and stop by. I'm sure it'll be worth your visit. If it's summer time though, be sure you wear your hiking clothing and spray down REAL GOOD with spray to combat the ticks and mosquitos! 

Cemetery Spotlight: Fernwood Cemetery in Henderson, Kentucky

 A couple of years ago, I had a burst of creativity in writing posts called "Cemetery Spotlight" in my cemetery group -- Henderson Ky Cemetery Research Group. Before I write up any new ones -- I'd like to go back and re-visit a few of the originals.

The first cemetery I wrote about, on July 24th, 2017, was Fernwood Cemetery. This post has now been edited with new and more accurate information. 

Originally, Fernwood was just called the "City Cemetery" and was located downtown at 4th and Elm Street where the city bus garage is currently located. In 1849, they decided, "hey, we need a new place that's much bigger; we're starting to have too many dead and not enough space," and thus the moving of the cemetery begun.

I originally reported that the first burial in Fernwood was 1852 -- but I believe it was 1854, instead. I believe Mary Owen, death date February 18th, 1854, was the first grave in the new Fernwood Cemetery. Any tombstone you see with a death date prior to 1854, the person was originally buried in the old City Cemetery. Not every tombstone was moved, and definitely not every body was moved, either. But there are quite a few old tombstones in Fernwood with a date older than 1854, and those would be from the original cemetery -- for example:

Captain Wynn Dixon who died in 1829. Mary Smith Towles who died in 1831. Martha Cunningham who died in 1832. Elizabeth (Scott) McCallister who died in 1833. Rebecca (Hart) Dixon who died in 1833 as well. The list goes on and on.

There are also some other cemeteries that have been moved INTO Fernwood over the years.. Swann/Farmer Cemetery for example. There is a marker towards the front of the cemetery bearing the names of all the graves they found out in the Swann/Farmer Cemetery.

There are several notable people of prominence buried in the cemetery. From congressmen, governors, senators, to even a professional golfer; you can find many people of many different walks of life resting peacefully in the cemetery.

One of the stories you'll learn, sometimes on the Fernwood Tour and others on Spooks and Legends, is that Henderson had a bad cholera outbreak in the early 1800's, when the city cemetery was still being used. Cholera is something typically picked up by bad drinking water (and back in those days, folks used well water.)

When they were moving the bodies from the original city cemetery downtown to the new place "Fernwood," guess what happened to break out again in about 1850-1852? You guessed it...Cholera.

Most of us that live in Henderson have countless kin buried here. I have countless ancestors resting here and have the privilege of living right beside this beautiful place. I was raised in the cemetery, my parents pushing my stroller around it to help me fall asleep as a tot. I learned to ride my bicycle in the cemetery. Some of my fondest memories involve this cemetery. It's extremely close to my heart.

Every September for the last handful of years - they've had a great walking tour with actors depicting people of prominence buried in the cemetery. (2020, due to the pandemic, they did not have the Fernwood Cemetery Tour. I hope and pray it returns for 2021.)

This cemetery is located at 920 Madison Street. It bears, at the very least, 17,000 burials. The neighborhood is actually referred to as "Fernwood." Right across from the cemetery is "Fernwood Avenue." Across from the front entrance, where Raj's Mart is now - at 925 Madison Street - was Fernwood Flowers, back in the day. For as many burials as Fernwood has, I can only imagine how busy that flower shop stayed, day in and day out!

If you've ever been to Fernwood, then please, share your experiences! Who all of your family is buried there? How often do you visit? When was the first time you ever visited the cemetery? 

I'll start us off by saying I have several relatives in Fernwood. I can see my Great-Grandparents (Henry Sandefur & Anna Thompson)'s grave from my bedroom window. Henry's parents -- Eugene Sandefur & Ollie Moss, and his 3 of 4 of his Grandparents -- Philo Sandefur & Susan Jarrett, and Jane (Hazelwood) Moss Watkins are buried in the cemetery as well. We have numerous other Uncles, Aunts, and cousins there but that would take much too long to type out!