Cute Critters in the Cemetery

The topic for the February 2010 edition of the Graveyard Rabbits Carnival is: Cemetery Critters.

For this topic, post those photographs you’ve taken of critters in the cemetery.  All critters welcome: rabbits, squirrels, spiders, chipmunks, whatever you want to share!

I’ve found some critters in cemeteries during my adventures.  Most often, the little buggers are to quick for me and a miss them (or get a really blurry shot).  But here are the few I’ve managed to get, and fortunately, some of them sat still!

These first two feature rabbits, albeit, figurines, but they count, right?  Both photos were taken at Park Hill Cemetery in Bloomington in March 2009.

 

These last two were taken in November 2009, when the squirrels were out to play at Evergreen Cemetery in Bloomington.  They practically blend in with the Fall leaves.

 

Unearthed Tombstone Dated 1843

An article in The Daily Pantagrah (Bloomington, Illinois), dated 18 September 1926 talks about the discovery of a tombstone during the renovation of a cellar.

The discovery was made at the “old Al Loudon property at the southwest corner of Madison and Olive streets.”  Etched upon the stone is “Albert, son of W. & H. Gillespie, died March 7, 1843, aged 6 months and 11 days.”  They didn’t find any bones or a coffin.

The following is an excerpt from the article:

The discovery leads to the speculation whether or not there was a burying ground for the pioneers in that vicinity.  At the date mentioned, Bloomington was 12 years old, the city being organized in 1831.  The first setlers [sic.] reached here in 1822.

The first cemetery in the township of Bloomington was located in the Orendorff neighborhood, south of the city, where the first settlement was made.  The records show that this graveyard was established in 1825.  The next record shows a cemetery being opened at the south edge of Bloomington…which is now bounded on the north by the Big Four railroad.  This was opened in 1832, the firs burial being a Mrs. Remington.  There are no records of a burying ground at other points in the city or vicinity, although it is possible that a small group of the early residents buried their dead in the vicinity where the tombstone was found.  There is also a possibility that this corner was the site of a stone mason’s shop and that the stone just found was ordered and not delivered….

Was someone buried there?  Or is it the case of an undelivered stone as they suggested?  I haven’t been able to find a follow-up to this story.  Perhaps someone out there knows the answer to this story.

This article was written for the December 2009 edition of the Graveyard Rabbits Carnival.

Robert Joseph Durst Dauber (1970-1973)

The topic for the August 2009 edition of the Graveyard Rabbits Carnival is: favorite photo.

Choose your favorite cemetery-related photo and bring it to the carnival. Post the photo to your blog, along with a short description of the photo, where it was taken, and why it’s your favorite.

These photos were taken just the other day during a tour of St. Joseph’s Cemetery, in Bloomington.  Rain was on it’s way so I just began to snap photos without really paying much attention to what I was photographing.  It wasn’t until I went back to the photos that I noticed something I hadn’t noticed when I took these two photos.

Upon first glance, you see the a small statue of a child, one the backside of the headstone.  But if you look closer, you can see that the child is cradling a bird.  What I think is neat about this photo, is that there is dried-out grass around the bird, which looks like a nest.  So it looks like the child is holding a nest with a bird in it.

The headstone and statue belong to Robert Joseph Durst Dauber, who was born 11 October 1970 and died 7 May 1973.

Hester Vernon BROWN Fell (1819-1906)

The topic for the July 2009 edition of the Graveyard Rabbits Carnival is obituaries.

This one is going to be a challenge of sorts.  The “rules” are quite simple:  Find a grave, then find the obituary, or vice versa.  Post your finds to your blog and submit it to the carnival.

Hester Vernon BROWN Fell was the wife of Jesse Weldon FELL.  She was born 2 March 1819 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  She died on 12 June 1906 in Normal, McLean, Illinois.  Hester, along with husband and children, is buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Bloomington, McLean, Illinois.  You can read more about the family and the burial plot here.

 

   

 

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Photograph of gravestone taken by Julie Tarr on 5 November 2008.

Obituary published in the Pantagrah (Bloomington, Illinois) on 13 June 1906.

A Little Corner of Evergreen Cemetery

I just love Evergreen Cemetery in Bloomington.  It’s an older cemetery, with many trees, and is very peaceful.  Back in the far northeast corner, in the Old City Section, is a small lot where approximately 70 U.S. military veterans are buried.  Many of these veterans served prior to the Civil War; a handful served after.   It’s hard to say if these folks died while serving our country.  Regardless, they did serve in one way or another and deserve to be recognized, honored, and remembered.

In memory of the unknown soldiers of the Civil War 1861—1865 Erected May 30, 1928 By R.J. Oglesby Circle 46 Ladies of the D.A.R. Emma K. Daiger—Medora Weaver Lillian Shelter Comm.

 

This article was written for the June 2009 edition of the GYR Carnival.  This edition’s theme is: Veterans’ Memorials.

Preserving Cemetery Data in Bloomington-Normal Cemeteries

There are many ways in which we can preserve cemeteries.. When we think of preservation, we often think of physical restoration-type activities.  But the type of preservation project this article discusses is something we rabbits do all the time:  collect and preserve cemetery data.

Data can be in many forms, from various sources, and presented in several ways.  Of the most popular are gravestone data, such as photographs, transcriptions, and rubbings.  Another form of data comes from the collection transcription of actual cemetery records.

There are so many projects going on across the globe.  Cemeteries aren't getting any younger and preserving the data is becoming dire.  Data is showing up in many ways, from traditional books to various types of websites, such as Find A Grave.

In terms of Bloomington-Normal cemeteries, much work has been done by the McLean County Genealogical Society.  There are currently 20 volumes of cemetery records for McLean County compiled and more on the way.  Below is a listing of the volumes that pertain to Bloomington-Normal cemeteries:

• Volume 3 - Bloomington Township Cemeteries  (B-N cemeteries covered in this volume: Blooming Grove, Grassy Ridge, Jewish, Orendorff, Woodlawn)
• Volume 5 - Dale Township Cemeteries (B-N cemeteries covered in this volume: Scogin Hill)
• Volume 8 - Dry Grove Township Cemeteries (B-N cemeteries covered in this volume: East Twin Grove, Lantz)
• Volume 10 - Old Town & Downs Township Cemeteries (B-N cemeteries covered in this volume: Bishop)
• Volumes 14-1 to 14-3 - St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery
• Volume 15 - St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery
• Volume 17 - Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery
• Volume 19 - Evergreen Memorial Cemetery
• Volume 20 - Park Hill Cemetery

All of these books are available in the MCGS library or can be ordered using this form.

This article was written for the May 2009 edition of the  Graveyard Rabbits Carnival.