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.

Rev. Lloyd C. Douglas and Besse Io Porch Married

Columbia City Post ~ Saturday April 9, 1904

Big Church Wedding. Eldest Daughter of Dr. Porch United in Marriage to Rev. Lloyd C. Douglas, of North Manchester.

The marriage of Rev. Lloyd C. Douglas, pastor of the Lutheran church of North Manchester, and Miss Besse Io Porch, daughter of Dr. F. M. Porch, pastor of the Lutheran church of this city, was solemnized in the auditorium of the church Thursday afternoon at 4 o'clock in the presence of several hundred people. The members of the church were invited to be present at the ceremony and special invitations had been sent out to a number of special friends of the families, so that when the bridal party entered, the auditorium and gallery were crowded with guests.

The church was elaborately decorated with palms and flowers. The section occupied by the honorary guests was marked by ribbons and flowers in great profusion, and altogether the scene was most beautiful and inspiring.

When Miss Jessie Weber struck the first notes of the wedding march on the pipe organ, Little Ruth Mills, the ribbon girl, entered from the rear of the church, Ed Weber and Clyde Douglas being the ushers. Following came Misses Glen Porch and Mary Makemson, and in turn the bridesmaid, Miss Nell Porch, and the bride upon the arm of her father, Dr. Porch. All the ladies carried large bunches of flowers, those carried by the bride being white lillies. The bride wore a beautiful white French lawn dress trimmed in Teneriss lace and presented a very charming appearance.

The groom, attended by Joe E. Brown, of North Manchester, came down the steps from the pipe organ and met the bridal party in front of the altar, whereupon Dr. Porch proceeded with the marriage ceremony. Immediately after the vows had been taken, the bride and groom entered a cab and were driven to the home of Rev. A. J. Douglas (who was unable to be present) that he might be the first to offer congratulations. They then returned to the parsonage and received the congratulations of those who were there by special invitation.

Later on a wedding dinner was served, consisting of five courses. Misses Marie Meyers and Hazel Harrison and Mrs. Joe Adair-Keirn waited upon the guests. The decorations were in white, consisting largely of white carnations and lillies.

The guests from out of town were Mr. and Mrs. Joe Brown and two daughters, Mr. and Mrs. Holly Sheller, Mrs. John Mills, and the church coterie girls, of North Manchester; Mrs. W. J. Stuart, Mr. R. M. Hatcher, sister and father of Mrs. Porch, from Springfield, Ohio, and Miss Nell McGavern, of Van Wert, Ohio.

The bride received a great many beautiful and useful presents, and the groom was especially pleased over the bag of gold, consisting of twenty, five dollar gold pieces, which came from his congregation at North Manchester.

The groom is the son of Rev. and Mrs. A. J. Douglas of this city. He is a young man of fine attainments and great promise. He owes his success in life largely to his own efforts. He was able to complete the course as a student in Wittenburg college, practically paying his own way, and immediately after graduating entered the theological seminary, completing the course there in 1903. During all his college life he was an exceedingly busy boy, for in addition to keeping up his studies, he was obliged to turn his hand to many tasks in order to obtain means with which to meet his expenses in school. He met with many hard trials, but these trials only tended to more fully develop him and to better fit him for the duties of life. While yet a student, he frequently received calls to fill pulpits in various parts of the country, and among other points he visited North Manchester. He made such a favorable impression there that the congregation gave him a call before he had completed his theological course. He is a pleasing speaker, a clear and logical reasoner, and possesses a personality that wins warm and lasting friendships. His bride is also a graduate of Wittenburg college and a young lady of many good qualities of heart and mind.

The happy twain departed for the east at 7 o'clock.

[Note: The Reverend Lloyd Cassell Douglas, son of Alexander Jackson Douglas and his second wife, Jennie Cassell, was born in Columbia City, Indiana on August 27, 1877. Lloyd only lived for a few years in the area but is claimed as a 'famous native son' by Whitley County. Though he didn't write his first novel until he was 50 years old, he was one of the most popular authors of his time. Magnificent Obsession and The Robe are, perhaps, his best-known novels. Lloyd Douglas died on February 13, 1951 in Los Angeles, California.]