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.

Jonathan & Elizabeth Hurd - Bound for California in Prairie Schooner

1905

In the Spring of 1905 Mr. and Mrs Jonathan Hurd who live southeast of Columbia City in Columbia Township are making plans to leave about the middle of May on a trip to California in a covered wagon. Going with them on this trip will be their nieces Miss Bertha Miller and Miss Clara Cole of the city and Mr Luther Shoemaker. Mr. Hurd plans to purchase a light wagon and have it covered, like a regular movers wagon, and start out through Illinois, Missouri, and Kansas and drive the entire distance. They have no idea how long they will be gone but say they have allowed a year to get there and a year to get back. They intend to stop for several days whenever they want to visit. They plan to do their own cooking and sleep in the wagon or under it as the forty-niners did. Mr. Hurd said it will be a great pleasure trip and is the only real way to fully enjoy the magnificent scenery.

The day to begin the trip was set for May 17, 1905. On the Monday night before that Mr. and Mrs. Hurd were the victims of surprise when the members of Spring Run Grange and neighbors numbering fifty-two took possession of their home. The occasion was in the nature of a farewell and as a token of the high esteem in which they are held in the community. The evening was thoroughly enjoyed by all.

In June, 1906, Jonathan Hurd and his wife Mary Elizabeth (Roberts) Hurd and Miss Clara Cole, the remainder of the Hurd Prairie Schooner party who started May 15, 1905 for an overland trip to California arrived home. They traveled over 3,000 miles and reaching a point in Colorado as the terminus of their trip. Miss Bertha Miller started with the group but returned home in July, 1905, and Mr. Luther Shoemaker returned back home in September, 1905. The party passed through Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska and Kansas, and finally stopped in Colorado Springs, Colorado where they stopped for a few days and then returned to Kansas where they spent the winter with a brother of Mr. Hurd. They started back for home on May 7 but did not send word to their relatives here and their arrival was a big surprise. The trip was quite expensive, although they count it worth the cost.

The information for this posting came from articles that were printed in the Columbia City Post in April 1905, May 1905 and June 1906. Jonathan Hurd is my great great uncle. He was born in Whitley County, IN, on April 14, 1850, the son of Samuel and Bernice (Wilcox) Hurd. He married Mary Elizabeth Roberts on October 28, 1876. She died on April 15, 1925, and he died on January 25, 1933. They are buried at the Oak Grove/Compton Cemetery in Whitley County.

Related Post: Rain and Floods Galore (1905)

David Shoemaker Returns From the West (1905)

Columbia City Commercial Mail ~ Friday, July 28, 1905

David Shoemaker, a former resident of the city, arrived here from the west early Friday morning, to visit with his son, Ira Shoemaker and family and his many friends in the county. Mr. Shoemaker was formerly engaged in the business of moving buildings with his son but left five years ago last January for Rockyford, Colorado, where he joined his son-in-law, E. C. Purse and family. For the past four years he has been conducting a large ranch which he and his son-in-law purchased forty-five miles north of Rockyford.

He likes the country very well and the climate agrees with him but he has been working hard and thought he would return to Indiana for both a rest and visit. Mr. Shoemaker is well and hearty and looks almost the same as he did when he departed for the west. He says that Amos Reece formerly of this county, is doing well at Rockyford.

Mr. Shoemaker will make quite an extended visit and intends to return to the west between the fifth and tenth of September.

Rain and Floods Galore (1905)

Columbia City Commercial Mail ~ Friday, June 23, 1905

Hurd Party Has Wet Time Out in Iowa. Luther Shoemaker Writes Interesting Letter of Trip to His Sister. Rain and Floods Galore.

Luther U. Shoemaker, a member of the John Hurd party leaving this county May 17, on an overland trip to California has written his sister, Miss Nettie Shoemaker, an interesting letter, narrating some experiences of the party, which through Miss Shoemaker's kindness we are permitted to publish. The party which is traveling in a prairie schooner is composed of Mr. and Mrs. John Hurd, Miss Clara Cole, Bertha Miller, and Luther Shoemaker. The letter is as follows:

Keokuk, Iowa, June 10, 1905.Dear Sister: I am as well as common, eat whenever meals are ready and go to bed when I get ready, gut up about 4 o'clock, and we start out on our journey about 6:30 to 7 a.m. when we are not detained on account of water. We are not traveling this afternoon. The reason is Friday about 3 o'clock we stopped to fish along the Des Moines river. Tried fishing but failed to catch any fish, so it was too late to go on our journey any more that day. So we stuck our tent for night. It was thundering when we went to bed. We were about 60 ft. from the edge of the river water.

Gee Whiz! it rained during the night. The women had light in camp tent till 12 and about 5 they awoke us men and said the river was about to swallow the tent. Well just as sure as God made little green apples, the water had raised 15 ft. I like water but it was too much this time. I got up went in the tent and the water was just ankle deep, all over the ground and it was still raising to beat the band. John Hurd and I commenced to pull stakes. We packed everything in the wagon as quick as possible. The water was 8 to 12 inches any place on the ground. In less than 12 hours the river raised about 10 ft. The bridges are all out and here we are. We saw four large bridges and some house roofs and other things going down the river. Some people say here the river has not been higher in 30 years. Lots of railroads are washed out.

June 14th - - Will finish my letter tonight. May be some more news. Have been traveling since I commenced this letter. Well it rained some today. We are camping at a school house at present. We went through a town yesterday by the name of Farmington. There I was and talked with a man that was born in Roanoke, Ind., and once lived in Columbia City. He left there when he was 11 years old. His father was a doctor, Dr. Rockwell.

Well the roads are no better and the bridges are all out and we had to ford and when we could not ford we would turn around and go some other road. We only went 12 or 13 miles today. We crossed the Des Moines river at Farmington Iowa. Some men told us the water raised 4 ½ feet in 35 minutes but 20 ft. altogether. There are about $50,000 worth of bridges out.

Today we stopped at a place to get some corn for the horses and potatoes for ourselves and the woman sent me in the cellar to get the spuds. She asked me if I would do her a favor before going down cellar. By the way the cellar was 8 inches deep in water. She wanted me to bring her butter out from the cellar. So I pulled off my shoes and took it barefooted and while I was getting the potatoes, she tied up a lump of butter, enough for two meals. She said I should tell how I had to do to earn the butter.

June 15th - - I'll bet I'll make somebody tired before getting this read. I guess we are over the worst bridges for this time. We crossed over one today that we had to unhitch and run the wagon over by hand. There are hundreds of acres flood and some lives lost, one man lost 150 sheep. The mail carrier just went by and he told us the river at Keokuk and down to Quincy was 8 miles wide. A wealthy farmer lost 100 head of large steers.

If you see Foy Hull tell him his dog Pomp is holding out fine. Tell everybody we are having a good time and wish you all the same.

Love to all, Luther U. Shoemaker