A True Story!

A man, while out mushroom hunting, found three or four headstones. Before calling FCCS, he had called the sheriff’s department. We intended to venture out Saturday morning to look at the stones and attempt to figure out where they belong.

Flash! As of this morning, we were able to determine that the stones were from Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery.

A call to the cemetery revealed that these were discarded stones, due to condition, that had been replaced. Amazingly, Jefferson Barracks sent someone out to Catawissa to retrieve the headstones. As of now, they are destroyed to prevent them from being “released into the wild” yet again. Now that’s efficient government!

Marc thought all of you would enjoy this story.

Pending Dates and Projects

Finke Cemetery, Berger, Thursday, March 29, 9:00 a.m.
Brush and tree removal continues.

Brammell Cemetery west of Washington, Monday, April 2, 9:00 a.m.
Maiden voyage to new project site: Meet at 9:00 a.m. at museum.

Finke Cemetery or Krog Park (Bassora Cemetery), Thursday, April 5, 4:30 p.m.
Probe night at either, dependent on weather conditions.
(Cannot drive up to Fink, if too muddy).

Brammell Cemetery, Washington, Saturday, April 7, 9:00 a.m.

Brammell Cemetery, continued. Saturday, April 21, 9:00 a.m.

Watch your inbox for e-mail updates, cancellations or changes to the above agenda.

Cole Cemetery Stones Cleaned

Cole Cemetery headstones were cleaned Thursday in the museum parking lot. Many Thanks to Nancy & Dennis for a job well done.

Cole Cemetery Report

Marc is happy to report that the Franklin County Cemetery Society plans to finish the Cole Cemetery project on Saturday, March 10, beginning at 9:00 a.m. Below is a synopsis of the project.

1. Thanks to a personal connection with one of our society members, permission was given the society to return, repair, and /or re-erect the known tombstones at the site.

2. An agreement with the property owner included that we would not remove any trees nor do anything “invasive”.

3. The site was found to contain a heavy blanket of periwinkle which has kept unwanted brush and tree growth at a minimum for these 150-plus years!

4. Late last year (2011) two large headstones of Mr. and Mrs. Findley (African-Americans) were reset at the site and two Cole family monuments were located there.

5. Research has proven that after the Cole ownership the site was used for the burial of African-Americans from the South Point community up until circa 1924; most of these graves remain unmarked.

6. Late summer, 2011 a tombstone from the cemetery was recovered from a barn in nearby Krakow, Missouri.

7. This week, headstones were recovered from a neighboring property where they had been placed out of harm’s way in about 1975.

8. As I write this, new bases are being fabricated for five Cole family headstones which will then be placed back on site on March 10.

9. Also, an aluminum brace is being fabricated to stabilize the headstone of Sallie Harrison Cole, which is in five pieces. With this method of repair, her headstone will stand again.

10. Sadly, several of the Cole family headstones are apparently gone forever.

The headstones to be re-set are:

1. Montraville W. S. Cole (stone located by probing site, in excellent condition)

2. Samuel L. Cole (stone from neighboring property, in excellent condition)

3. Sallie Harrison Cole (stone from neighboring property, in poor condition)

4. John H. Forqueran (stone from barn at Krakow, MO, in fair condition)

5. Leah M. Cole Graham (stone found on site, against tree, in poor condition)