Richland Cemetery

A little different kind of post this time, but still under the "long, winding road" part of my blog's description.

I have always had an interest in cemeteries.  I suppose it fits with my fascination with history in general. The South has an abundance of very old rural cemeteries. You may remember in an earlier post when I took a photo of an ancient headstone located in a long-forgotten graveyard.  There was no engraved name or date, just the imprint of a hand pressed into the stone. Was it the hand of the person who died or the hand of a person who loved the one whose remains had long ago merged with the earth below?

I found this particular cemetery, with many more intriguing stories like that, in the heart of Mississippi. I was driving between bookstores, somewhere on a back road between Lemuria Bookstore in Jackson and TurnRow Book Co. in Greenwood. What struck me first, after noting that the vast majority of dates were from the mid 1800's, was that most markers weren't engraved with just the name of the deceased and when they were born and died, as is so common in today's world. Many of these headstones and markers, in fact most, had messages written on them. Messages of love and loss, of sadness and heartfelt grief, of acceptance of God's will to take a child, husband, wife, sister or brother. But not to allow this person, whose life was sometimes measured only in days or even hours, to be unmarked in the history of this world.

Some of the carved stones were still quite readable, some I had to decipher. All, though, were in various shades of dilapidation. I think about how they were once brand new and people like us stood around a freshly dug grave on a warm summer morning or a cold winter's afternoon and spoke kind and loving words about the man, woman or child being lowered into the ground where I now stood, on this particularly cold, rainy and gray day in March.

As well as I could make out, I have written what was chiseled out of the stone, each one a poignant story unto itself.

CATHERINE E

Wife of

J.F. WILLIAMS

Died

Nov. 6. 1847

AGED

35 Yrs 7 Mos. 1 Day

Also her  Son

CORNELIUS

Ages 1 Year 6 Mos.

Erected by a friend.

Thou art dead but not forgotten

Stella M. Doty 1874-1937 
Her life was beauty, truth and love.

Perry J, son of G. A. and Ellen St. John

 born Feb. 5th 1891, died Oct. 26th 1891

Thou art gone little darling, 

sweet child of our love,

from earths fair strand?,

to bright mansions above.

Perry J, son of G. A. and Ellen St. John

JOHN MORROW

BORN AT

Castle Dorson, Ireland

April 16, 1816

DIED AT

Richland, Miss.

June 16, 1879

In early manhood he became a citizen of the United States, which relation was scrupulously maintained in all its legitimate demands through the medium of the royal old State to whose municipality his allegiance was paramount to any federated claims, as was demonstrated by thirty-six years of unfaltering loyalty and in whose bosom now undisturbed by internecine commotion quietly reposes his dust.

Would you know him better, go ask his neighbor, his friend, his churchman.

CHILDREN of Dr. Jno. & E. A. TACKETT

MARY PLEASANT, 

BORN Jan. 1, 1848

Died Oct. 7, 1848

GEORGE DULANY

BORN Mar. 17. 1850

DIED Sept. 17, 1851

INFANT

Son of  J.P & S, M.TACKETT

BORN & DIED Dec. 17, 1850

FATHER

WHITING W. SMITH

BORN

NEAR WINCHESTER. VA.

NOV. 15.1813

DIED

IN HOLMES CO. MISS.

SEPT. 8 1888.

His toil o’er his work is done.

And he is fully blest,

He fought the fight, the victory

won.

And entered into rest.

Dr. JOHN

TACKETT

BORN

Aug. 15, 1854

DIED

Nov. 14, 1903

He died as he lived

Trusting in God

GLADYS,

INFANT DAUGHTER OF

J. W. & M. I.

NABORS.

BORN JAN. 21 1901

DIES JAN. 24, 1901

HUGH GALLAGHER

BORN APRIL 29, 1857

DIED MAY 22, 1906

“ERECTED BY THE

WOODMEN OF THE WORLD

DUM TACET CLAMAT”

("though silent, he speaks")

JOSEPH T. JOHNSON

BORN FEB. 22, 1843

And fell in battle

at Atlanta, Ga.

July 19, 1864.

JOHN S. MORROW

BORN FEB. 1. 1846

And fell in battle

at Jonesboro Ga.

July 29. 1864.

STELLA

DAUGHTER OF

W.E. & M. MORROW

BORN

OCT. 6 1895

DIED

OCT. 10. 1895

Beneath this marble sweetly rests

A mother’s joy, a father’s pride.

The gentle Savior thought it best

Her tender life in His to hide.

JOHN WILL

Son of

W.E. & M. H.

MORROW

BORN MAR. 2, 1897

DIED SEPT. 11 1901

Ere sin could blight a

sorrow fade, Death came

with kindly care:

The open bud to heaven

conveyed. And bade it

blossom there.

SON OF W.E. AND M.D. MORROW

BORN JULY 25 1903

DIED MAY 22, 1905

A SUNBEAM FROM _______?

HOME HAS VANISHED

In tender love and memory

Of our dear Mother

KATIE MORRON wife of A. P. SHEPHERD

Born Aug.23, 1856,

Fell asleep in Jesus

July 28, 1910

SHEPHERD

Beautiful toiler, thy work all done

Beautiful soul into glory gone

Beautiful life with its crown now won

God giveth thee rest

Beautiful spirit, free from all stain,

Ours the heartache the sorrow and pain

Thine is the glory, the infinite gain.

Thy slumber is sweet.

SARAH

WIFE OF

JOSEPH GOWSERT

BORN

Mar. 21, 1798

DIED

Aug. 3, 1852

AGED

54 Yrs, 4Ms, 12Ds.

W. T.

&

SISTER

LITTLE WARDIE,

SON OF

W.J. & KITTIE TAYLOR,

Born Oct. 20, 1868

Died Sep. 27, 1874

That once loved form, now cold dead

Each mournful thought employs:

We weep, our earthly comforts fled,

And withered all our joys.

Infant daughter of

W.J. & KITTIE TAYLOR

Born & Died

July 11, 1870

Budded on Earth to bloom in Heaven.

TO THE MEMORY OF

MINERVA DOTY,

CONSORT OF

HON-BLE JACOB J. DOTY

BORN 12, AUGUST 1812

DIED 25, NOVEMBER 1851

ALSO

HER INFANT DAUGHTER

KATE.

?esignation  and Love

?red Her last word

?APPY”

Here they all lay, Stella, Kate, Sarah, John Will, Gladys, Little Wardie and the rest, away from all of life's troubles and joys. I wish them well.