Tombstone Tuesday :: Cleveland Family

JESSE CLEVELAND ESQ. / Son of / Dea. Palmer / Cleveland, / died / Dec. 11, 1838, / in the 35, y'r. / of his age.

Jesse was, reportedly, the first person to be buried in the Cleveland Cemetery, which is located southeast of South Whitley, Cleveland Township, Whitley County, Indiana. Arriving in 1834, Jesse joined his parents Palmer and Anna Cleveland, and his brother Benjamin and their families who were among the first white settlers to come to what would later be known as Cleveland Township.

I don't know if this is the oldest grave marker in existence here in Whitley County, but it is one of the oldest (and in the best condition) of the old ones that I have come across.

Buried next to Jesse are his parents.

• DEA. PALMER CLEVELAND / died / July 19, 1842, / in the 75, y'r. / of his age.
• ANNA CLEVELAND. / WIFE OF / PALMER CLEVELAND, / DIED / Oct. 1, 1847 / AGED / 70 YEARS. (A portion of Anna's transcription is from a reading done by someone in 1982, when the stone was lying flat on the ground.)

Photos taken January 26, 2002 by Rebeckah R. Wiseman.

Tombstone Tuesday :: Douglas Family

The Douglas family monument, a good ten feet tall, stands in Masonic Section #3 at Greenhill Cemetery in Columbia City, Indiana. This view is looking towards the north and a little west. Inscriptions are on three sides of the stone.

Alexander Jackson Douglas, more commonly known as A. J., was a prominent preacher and teacher in Whitley County from 1860 and until his death in 1905. The family also lived for a short time in Monroeville, Indiana and Florence, Kentucky as well as Noble County, Indiana during that time period.

A. J. Douglas, had 11 children by his first wife, Mary Jenner, (5 were alive when he died in 1905) and 3 by his second wife, Jennie Cassel, (2 were living when he died in 1905). The first child born to A. J. and Jennie was Lloyd C. Douglas (1877-1951), who would become a well-known writer and author of "The Robe" as well as other novels with a religious theme.

As a minister, A. J. performed many marriage ceremonies during his career. Among those was the 1871 marriage of my 2nd great grandparents, William Brubaker and Malissa Joslin.

Inscription on the south facing side:
MARGARET / WIFE OF / Wm. DOUGLAS / DIED / Aug. 30, 1872: / Aged 69 Years.
REV. A. J. DOUGLAS / BORN MAR. 22, 1827 / DIED MAR. 23, 1905 / AGED 78 Y's. 1D.

Inscription on the side facing west:
IN MEMORY OF / MARY JENNER / WIFE OF A. J. DOUGLAS / DIED / April 21, 1875 / AGED / 43 Y's. 1 Mo., 23 D. / The "In-as-much" her ears have / heard and the "Well-done" hath / crowned her head.

Inscription on the east side:
JULIA M. DOUGLAS / DIED / May 5, 1853. / AGED 3 DAYS.
INFANT / So of an hour / DIED / Aug. 19, 1867
BIRDIE DOUGLAS / DIED / Sep. 2, 1875. / AG'D 5 Mo., 6 D's.

The grave marker for Jennie Douglas and two of her children is in Salem Cemetery, Noble County, Indiana. The stone is located in the first row north of the Salem Church.

JENNIE CASSEL DOUGLAS / 1847 - 1939
MABEL DOUGLAS / 1878-1879
CLYDE E. DOUGLAS / 1883-1909

The obituary notices for these and other members of the Douglas family can be found on my kinexxions website.

Tombstone Tuesday :: Joseph Shoemaker

They (whoever "they" are) say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. So, I hope that Amy Crow over at Amy’s Genealogy, etc. Blog is flattered that I am helping myself to her theme of "Tombstone Tuesday" for a series of blog posts. . . Thanks for the inspiration, Amy!

I have a large "collection" of photos of gravestones from various cemeteries that I've visited and plan to eventually post them at Find A Grave. But until that happens, I thought I'd occasionally post some of them here at Whitley County Kinexxions.

Masonic Section, Greenhill Cemetery, Columbia City, Indiana

Joseph Shoemaker / 4 MAR. 1759 / 22 SEPT. 1864 / REV. WAR AND WAR OF 1812




Columbia City Post, Whitley County, Indiana
Wednesday September 28, 1864

Obituary. Near Columbia City, September 22, 1864, Mr. Joseph Shoemaker, in the 106th year of his age.

The deceased was a native of Pennsylvania, but in his early life moved to the State of New York where he lived until about eight years ago, when he came to this city, where he has been a citizen ever since. A good old man, a Christian has fallen at an age more than ordinary among men. Mr. Shoemaker was the oldest man in Whitley county, perhaps the oldest in the State. He retained his mental faculties to a remarkable degree even to his last hours on earth. He voted at all the presidential elections of the Government from its beginnings - From Gen. Washington to Lincoln. Has lived to see most of the nineteen presidents pass away. A good man has gone from our midst.

His funeral was well attended by a large concourse of citizens and friends. The funeral services were performed by the Rev. R. H. Cook, of the Baptist church. Father Shoemaker is gone. Let him sleep in the grave where kind hands have laid him. M.

The Republican, Columbia City, Indiana
Wednesday September 28, 1864

In Memoria. Joseph Shoemaker died in Columbia City, Indiana, September 22nd, 1864, Aged, One Hundred and Five Years, Five Months and Twenty-Eight Days.

Joseph Shoemaker was born in Pennsylvania on the 24th of March, 1759. In the early part of his life he lived in the Wyoming Valley. His father was an officer in the Revolutionary Army under General George Washington. At that time he was not old enough to be in the army, but was employed as Continental Mail carrier. While acting in this capacity he was often shot at by the Tories and Indians, and twice wounded by them. At one time in carrying the mail he was fired upon by a party of Tories who attempted to capture the mail, and received a ball in his hip, which he carried with him to his grave; but being lashed fast to his horse he escaped and carried the mail safe to its destination. George Washington was frequently at his father's house, and dined with the family.

In the War of 1812, he was called to defend our lines at Buffalo and Black Rock. He married and moved to Canandaigua, N.Y., where he spent the greater part of his life, and raised a large family. About seven years since he came to this place, where he has resided until his decease. He has been a professor of Christianity for upwards of seventy years, and died in the full faith of the promises of his Redeemer.