Thursday, March 31, 2011

"God saw he was getting tired..."

Located at Friendship Cemetery in Springdale, AR.
Otis Lee Brewer
Aug 6, 1941 - June 2, 1991
God Saw He Was Getting Tired And A Cure Was Not To Be
So He Put His Arms Around Him And Whispered Come With Me
With Tearful Eyes God Watched Him Suffer
And Slowly Fade Away Although He Loved Him Dearly
He Did Not Let Him Stay
A Golden Heart Stopped Beating Hard Working Hands At Rest
God Only Wanted To Prove To Me He Only Takes The Best

Written By And Dedicated To My Son
Mabel Ann Brewer June 15, 1991

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

M.I.A. - CPL Dale R. Garrison

Located at Friendship Cemetery in Springdale, AR.
CPL. Dale R. Garrison
Beloved Son Of Earl And
Mary Garrison... Missing
Nov 2, 1980 At Unsan, North
Korea While Serving With
Co. C, 8th Regt,. 1st Calvary
Div. Declared Dead Jan. 1954
July 30, 1931 - Dec 31, 1940
************************

The following is from Gov. Archives. This one has him listed as a Private First Class.

The following is from Forgotten: The Arkansas Korean War Project. This one also has him listed as a Private First Class.


The following is from Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office. This one has him listed as a Corporal.

Info from Korean War.
PFC Dale R. Garrison 8 CAV RGT 1 CAV DIV (INF) Was MIA and some say POW. He was wounded in Taegu, Korea and received a Purple Heart on 9-4-1950 then was given the 2nd Purple Heart for wounds received in action resulting in his death 12-31-1950. At that time he was given the rank of Corporal.

Here is the info from Ancestry.
Korean War Casualties, 1950-1957 about Dale R Garrison
Name: Dale R Garrison
Birth Date: 1931
Gender: Male
Race: Caucasian (White)
Home City: Washington
Home State: Arkansas
Citizen Status: US Citizen
Death Date: 2 Nov 1950
Processed Date: Nov 1979
Casualty Country: Korea
Casualty Type: Hostile - Died of wounds
Casualty Cause: US Army - No Information Available
Casualty Air: US Army - No Information Available
Service Branch: US Army
Component: Reserve (USAR, USNR, USAFR, USMCR, USCGR)
Rank: Private First Class
Pay Grade: Private First Class (U.S. Army) Or Airman Second Class (Airman First Class) (U.S. Air Force) Or Lance Corporal (U.S. Marine Corps) Or Grade/Rate Abbreviations With First Column: A,C,D,F,H,S,Or T; Second Column: A; Third And Fourth Columns: Blank (U.S
Korean War Casualties, 1950-1957 about Dale R Garrison
Name: Dale R Garrison
Birth Date: 1931
Race: White
Home State: Arkansas
Casualty Date: 2 Nov 1950
Casualty Country: North Korea Sector
Casualty Type: Died as result of missile wound received in action
Group: Captured, DOW or DOI
Branch: Infantry
Component: USA - RA (Reg Army)
Rank: Private First Class
Pay Grade: Private First Class
Previous Detail: Captured
Disposed Date: 31 Dec 1950
Disposed Place: North Korea
Organization: Cv Div Inf - 1st
Element Sequence: Cv Div Cav Regt Inf
Unit #: 0008
Service Occupation: Light Weapons Infantryman
Korean War Casualties, 1950-1957 about Dale R Garrison
Name: Dale R Garrison
Race: White
Home State: Arkansas
Casualty Date: 4 Sep 1950
Casualty Country: South Korea
Casualty Type: Returned to Duty (FECOM)
Group: Returned to Duty (FECOM)
Branch: Infantry
Component: USA - RA (Reg Army)
Rank: Private First Class
Pay Grade: Private First Class
Previous Detail: Seriously wounded in action by missile
Disposed Date: 16 Sep 1950
Organization: Cv Div Inf - 1st
Element Sequence: Cv Div Cav Regt Inf
Unit #: 0008
Service Occupation: Light Weapons Infantryman

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Interesting Old Building - Pyeatte Mill

I always like to take pictures of the old buildings we come across while out gravin.  And this one was kind of neat. It's what remains of the old Pyeatte Mill building located between Canehill and Clyde, AR.
I would have loved to get some pictures of the whole wheel but I wasn't willing to brave the thick weeds to get a picture.

This is what remains of the foundation and wheel. The wheel measures 36 feet in diameter. And is still in pretty good shape. This site was added to the Historical Registry in 1982.

You can see some much better photos of the mill at Mill Pictures.

Monday, March 28, 2011

A Good Man Has Gone

This is the only stone I have found with the heart in hand symbol. I think its pretty neat looking.
Located at Ruddick Cemetery in Garfield, AR.
There are two symbols here.
The 3 Chain links with F L T inside is the symbol for the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

The heart in the hand symbolizes a few things. It is the symbol of charity, given from the heart. It has been used by the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Shakers, and is often associated with the Amish community. I have also seen it mentioned that the Masons used this symbol, but I haven't found any documentation of it anywhere.

A Good Man Has Gone
Aaron L.
Ricketts
Died
June 7, 1893
Age 66 years

The stone carvers name is at the bottom right corner of the stone.
L. Kelly
Brightwater, Ark.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

My Little Graveyard Bunny And Our Trip To Ruddick Cemetery

My little one asked me the other day if we could go out and wander around a cemetery together.  Of course I said heck yeah. So we headed out to Ruddick and Union Chapel Cemetery in Garfield, AR.
 Here are a few interesting pics I took.
Here she is taking down names and dates. I love this picture! How could I not when two of my favorite things come together in a photograph?
This particular stone was really neat.  I will show it better in my next post. 

We thought these two looked like fairy rings around the unknown grave markers. 

I look at this one every time I go to Ruddick Cemetery because its such and interesting and unique marker.  Just wish I knew who resided beneath it.

The way this cemetery is laid out it has Ruddick Cemetery in the Front and Union Chapel Cemetery is in the very back part. This is the bell that marks the beginning of Union Chapel Cemetery.
Union Chapel Cemetery
Graves from Beaver Lake reservoir moved here August 1961
Bell purchased in 1902 for church and school in Mundell
Community relocated as a memorial July 1966.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Cemetery Art - Article For The Graveyard Rabbit Journal

Cemetery Art
Cemetery Art is one of my favorite types of photographs to take. I should probable say make because, once I have taken the photographs I upload them into various photo editing programs and make them look like completely different photos. This is, to me, a huge part of making photographs into great art.

The two editing programs I use the most are Photoshop's Lightroom and Picasa3. Picasa3 is a free download from Google that you can find at http://picasa.google.com/.

Here is an example of a before and after of a photograph I have taken.


This is the original photograph I took of an item left on an infants grave in the Rogers City Cemetery. Sweet trinket to leave but nothing spectacular about this photograph.

The following are a few of the pictures I created in the editing programs from the original photo.




 
So for all of those who love taking pictures get out there and play with the photographs you take and see what else you can create with them. One never knows when a photograph will turn into an “amazing” photograph.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

My Blog Is A Year Old!

HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY!


Can you believe it! I started my blog a year ago today.  Who knew it would take on a life all its own.  It sure has turned out to be much more than I ever expected.

In that year I have made 419 posts, visited 250 cemeteries, started writing articles for The Graveyard Rabbits Journal,  had a newspaper article written about me, and became one of the top 40 blogs for the Familytree magazine.

That to me is just amazing! Because honestly I never really thought my blog would even be around after a year. I started it on a whim but over the year I have really begun to enjoy creating this blog. 

Thank you all for following my blog. If it wasn't for you guys giving me encouragement I doubt I would still be writing a blog.

I hope to see you guys back here in another year to celebrate with me again.


Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Ceramic Photos - Couples

The following are all ceramic photos of couples I have come across. I am only posting the ones that appear more vintage because I could fill a whole album if I posted all that I have found.  Theses are some of the best vintage ones I have come across.

Avis Eileen McBride
April 10, 1917 - May 10, 1990
Married June 3, 1939
A.C. "Mac" McBride
July 28, 1904 - Aug 14, 1983

Located at Berryville Memorial Park Cemetery in Berryville, AR.

Easther L Beck
1886 - 1976
Clarence A Beck
1886 - 1940

Located at Horner Cemetery in Cassville, MO.

Linda Lou Phillips
June 21, 1943 - Sept 27, 2008
Married Feb 2, 1964
Bobby Gene Phillips
June 6, 1940 - May 21, 2005

Located at Howell Cemetery in Prairie Grove, AR. 

Delvin Alva Jenkins
Aug 25, 1919 - Mar 6, 1982

Located at Prairie Grove Cemetery in Prairie Grove, AR.

Betty Lou Smith
Mar 12, 1934 - Aug 28, 2010
Married Jan 9, 1954
Duward "Dude" E Smith
Dec 2, 1928 - Mar 25, 2007

Located at Rose Cemetery in Prairie Grove, AR.

Loyd Walker
1903 - 1960
Opal Walker
1906 - 1989

Located at West Fork Cemetery in West Fork, AR

John Henry Stubbs
Feb 22, 1936 - Still Alive
Married Oct 6, 1957
Patty Sue Stubbs
Sept 17, 1939 - May 29, 2006

Located at Centerton Cemetery in Centerton, AR.

Henry Welytok
July 17, 1926 - Feb 23, 2003
Married July 24, 1951
Jean Welytok
Dec 22, 1929 - Sept 21, 1998

Located at Maplewood Cemetery in Harrison, AR.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

This Little Guy Was Visiting Too

This Little Northern Mockingbird was hanging out at Shady Grove Cemterey while I was there taking pics.  Couldn't help but snap a picture of him.  Cemteries are great place to photograph birds.
According to the Encyclopedia of Birds of North America, the number of birds' songs that the mockingbird can imitate is 39, along with frogs, crickets and squeaks of items such as squeaking gates. It has been theorized that the mockingbird has more brain matter devoted to song memory than most other birds do.

Links about the Northern Mockingbird:


If your interested in some folklore about Mockingbirds here are a few links:

Monday, March 21, 2011

The Murder Of Nellie Moneyhun

Located at Friendship Cemetery in Springdale, AR.
Nellie Susan
Dau of J.G. & L.A. Moneyhun
Born Dec 18, 1887
Killed Feb 2, 1913

Her happy soul has winged its way
To one pure, bright, eternal day.
No pain, no grief, no anxious fear
Can reach thepeaceful sleeper here.

*********************

The following informatin was taken form Deathpenalty.

Broken Heart End On GallowsIt was a story of unrequited love.

Omer Davis, 18, of Springdale, loved his teacher, Miss Nellie Moneyhun. He misinterpreted her attention and kindness toward him as romantic interest. The teacher was engaged to marry Sam Claypool. Davis was devastated when Nellie told the school children her plans.

Davis went to the Moneyhun home to visit Nellie the evening of Feb. 2, 1913. He tried to convince her to marry him instead of Claypool. He talked with Nellie and her parents for some time.

Davis asked Nellie to step into the vestibule. He drew a .38 pistol from his coat pocket and shot her in the forehead. She fell into the living room and into her father's arms. She died instantly.

Davis then tried, unsuccessfully, to kill himself. He suffered a bullet wound to the forehead.

When J.G. Moneyhun approached Davis, who was on the floor, Davis raised the gun to shoot him. Moneyhun grabbed the pistol and the hammer fell on the flesh between his thumb and forefinger, but failed to fire. He wrestled the revolver away from Davis, grabbed a shotgun and fired it into the air. Davis ran away. He was later caught by a posse outside Springdale.

Davis said at his trial that the shooting was an accident. His attorneys argued he was mentally incompetent and too young to be tried as an adult. Some newspaper accounts described Davis as a "dull-minded creature."

The jury convicted him May 10, 1913, and the judge sentenced him to death.

A crowd gathered by 5 a.m. outside the jail to watch the execution on Sept. 11, 1913.

Davis ate a hearty breakfast, then deputies escorted him from his jail cell, though a bathroom window and directly onto the scaffolding.

Davis, wearing a blue shirt, striped overalls, tan socks and a new pair of shoes, reportedly showed no remorse or emotion.

His final words: "I want you all to meet me in heaven, for I am going there."

Rev. Marion Nelson Waldrip said a prayer. Deputies fitted Davis with a black hood and 2-inch-thick rope.

Sheriff Sam Caudle sprung the trap at 6:39 a.m. Davis fell about 6 feet. His neck was broken. The body was allowed to hang for about 15 minutes before being cut down and taken to a funeral home.

The Washington County Sheriffs Office provided a floral wreath.

The rope, hood and gallows were sent back to the state penitentiary in Little Rock.

Davis was the last of 18 men hanged with the 2-inch rope and his was the last scheduled legal public hanging in Arkansas.

The state took over all executions from counties the same year and changed the method of death to electrocution.
**************************************

The following are all the newspaper clippings I could find.

Oakland Tribune, Sept 11, 1913; pg 1 Oakland California

Reno Evening Gazette, Sept 11, 1913;  pg 5 Nevada, AZ
  
The Daily Northwestern, Sept 11, 1913;  pg 1 Oshkosh, Wisconsin

The Mansfield News, Sept 11, 1913; pg 1 Mansfield Ohio
The Sheboygan Press, Sept 11, 1913;  pg 1 Sheboygan Wisconsin
The Washington Post, Sept 12, 1913; pg 1 Washington

The Chillicothe Constitution, Sept 12, 1913;  pg 1  Chillicothe Ohio

The Frederick Post, Sept 13, 1913; pg 8 Maryland

***********************************

The following statement is from Fighting Death.
The last legal hanging in Washington County was of Omer Davis, according to information from county records. He was hanged on Sept. 11, 1913, on the gallows on the north side of the old Washington County Jail, just south of the old Washington County Courthouse, where Davis was tried for the murder of his teacher, Nellie Moneyhun.
***********************************

The following is from Sheriffs 1908 - 1940
•In 1913, Omer Davis, 19 years of age, was hanged for the murder of Nellie Moneyhun, a teacher from Spring Valley.

•Deputies Holcomb and Jackson were in charged of making sure the equipment was in working order.
•Deputy Robert Curtis assisted Sheriff Caudle when he was pulling the trap on Omer Davis who was killed from a broken neck.
•The newspaper complimented the sheriff's force and the manner of the hanging and the way that it was conducted.
•This was the last legal hanging in the State of Arkansas.




Sunday, March 20, 2011

Just An Angel With Shades

Thought this was cute and funny. Came across it in the Rogers Cemetery in Rogers, AR.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Saturday Symbol: The Wheel

I don't find theses often so I wanted to share it.

The wheel symbol (broken or unbroken) representing eternity, continuation, and progress. The above is a pretty generic type of wheel. But there are also two specific types of wheels that can be found in cemeteries.

For example the eight-spoked Buddhist wheel of righteousnes.

And the circular eight-spoked wheel of the Church of World Messianity, with alternating fat and thin spokes.
Both of these are approved to be used on military stone.

Friday, March 18, 2011

Charles Christian Hammer - An American Classical Guitarist

Located at the I.O.O.F. Cemetery in Eureka Springs, AR.
~Sir~
Charles Christian Hammer
May 17, 1952 - Feb 18, 2004
Beloved Master Musician

No matter where The saints abide, They make
their circuit fair. Behold! How great a
firmament accompanies a star

Note: the epitaph at the bottom is from "No matter where the Saints abide," by Emily Dickinson
*****
'Sir Charles' gave his music and love


Tuesday, February 24, 2004
Carroll County News

Arrangements for memorial services for Charles Christian Hammer, 51, longtime Eureka Springs resident, are pending.

Hammer passed away in a Rogers hospital Wednesday evening. He had been hospitalized for treatment of a lung tumor.

Friday evening, he was honored as the Musician of the Year by members of the Greater Eureka Springs Chamber of Commerce during the annual "Eureka's Best" dinner.

John Two Hawks called Hammer "my musical comrade" as he spoke briefly about "his magic hands and feet."

"He could turn a guitar into a river or a beating heart," Two Hawks said. "He knew the transforming power of his music. He was a master living in our midst. And at the end of the day, he was a lot of fun."

Many of his friends saw him as "a true Renaissance Man. Born with music in his soul, he brought light and joy to his family and friends as well as to the many who knew him from the beautiful music he created and shared with the world."

Hammer was born in May 17, 1952, in Chicago.

After graduation from high school in Virginia, Charles' love of the guitar led him to Puebla, Mexico, into private tutelage under Maestro Juan Gaspar for the next three years.

He was planning a spring tour in Mexico including performances in San Miguel de Allende, Puebla and Guanajuato.

He moved to Eureka Springs in the 1970s and became part of the musical establishment in the community, playing for weddings, special events, dinners and in Basin Park for the sheer joy of playing.

He earned a bachelor of arts and a master's degree in music at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.

In the late 1990s, he taught guitar and music history at the university.

In 1998, he was awarded a music composition fellowship by the Arkansas Arts Council.

A respected classical guitar virtuoso, he often played on National Public Radio (NPR), and participated in educational programs sponsored by NPR in area schools introducing children to music.

He has recorded 11 albums. His latest is a collection of Beatles love songs, "It's Only Love."

Survivors include his longtime partner, Poco Carter, and his mother, Floss Schloss of Rogers.

*****************************


The following info is from Wikipedia.

Charles Christian "Sir Charles" Hammer, (1952 - 18 February 2004), was an American classical guitarist.

Charles Christian Hammer was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1952. Hammer took up the guitar in his youth after hearing The Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show. He purchased his first guitar with earnings from a newspaper route. Hammer was influenced heavily by The Beatles throughout his career.

During the 1970s Hammer moved to Mexico where he studied Spanish guitar. Hammer stated that his nickname, "Sir Charles", was given to him about this time by a "fairy princess" with golden hair, but it is more probable that the nickname arose from comments about the styling of his blond hair or the baroque puffy-sleeved shirts he wore on stage.

In the 1980s Hammer moved back to the United States, establishing himself as a local act in the small artist's retreat of Eureka Springs, Arkansas, where he performed at weddings and parties.

During this time and into the 1990s Hammer experimented in the studio. He generated 11 albums that combined electric and classical guitar but fell short of his long established goal of producing 30 albums during his lifetime.

In the late 1990s, Hammer taught guitar and music history at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree and a master's degree in music. In 1998 he was awarded a music composition fellowship by the Arkansas Arts Council. Hammer's final album was a classical guitar rendering of several of his favorite Beatles songs.

Just prior to his death Hammer began to experience some commercial success in the foreign market and was scheduled to tour three cities in Mexico. Hammer was a much-loved figure in Eureka Springs, especially by the local children for whom he put on school concerts.

In 2003 he was diagnosed with lung cancer. Charles Christian Hammer died on 18 February 2004 at St. Mary's Hospital in Rogers, Arkansas. Hammer was survived by his long-time partner, Poco Carter, and their dog Prema.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Three Baby Girls...

Located at Shady Grove Cemetery in Springdale, AR.
Three baby girls, so they say, their names unknown,
Were laid to rest in this space many years ago.
Three guardian pine trees were set near by.
To watch over those who slept below.
And God sent a family who, with love and great care,
Tended the area and the graves that were there;
Roses were planted, the grass was mowed,
The trees were watered and they watched them grow,
Then as the years passed and time took its toll,
The family and and the trees began to grow old.
Mother Nature took the trees, and God took the souls.
Now the family watches through windows of gold,
To them we dedicate these three new pine tress,
That God has provided from tiny seeds
And we pray that all who tread in this precious space
Shall surely know that the presence of God is in this place.
*********
In Loving Memory of
Gunter Brooks 1883 - 1960
Lucille P. Brooks 1906 - 1986
Jim "J.B." Brooks 1935 - 1996