Discovery at Maupin Cemetery

Photo of Mosias Maupin’s gravesite by Dennis. Discovered to be the present frontrunner for the oldest marked burial in Franklin County.
REMINDER: Brammell Cemetery work day this coming Saturday beginning at 9:00 a.m. We’re making fast and efficient progress. We need LOTS of help probing and looking for fallen stones. We suspect there are more awaiting discovery but need your help to find them. Also, plenty of cleaning work to do as well as the usual repair and resetting. Hope to see you all there.

More Burning at Finke

Norbert & Susie were at the Finke Cemetery a second time yesterday. They burned all but one brush pile. The one that is yet left to burn is the teepee looking pile on the southwest corner of the cemetery. It could probably be burned yet because there are plenty of dead trees standing that can be used to burn with green wood that is cut down. They think the white flower shrubs that Bob B. saw might be bridal wreath of some type. They just need a few more work days to complete the clean-up.

FINKE Cemetery Report

Bob B. went to Finke Cemetery one morning and burned two brush piles and cut brush! He touched off the largest pile on the east side first. He later moved to the west side beyond the mound. He ignited a brush pile near the field and cleared that corner of small trees and added them to the fire. If the fire is hot enough it will burn the green stuff fine. He kept the two fires going all morning and let them die down by the time he left at 2 p.m. There are some Lilacs in the NW corner and some Red Buds in the SE corner. He flagged them with orange tape. Bob also sprayed some Japanese Honey Suckle and some Multi-Flora Rose. The cemetery is covered with a blanket of Periwinkle and Day Lilies. There are also some flowering shrubs about 2 ft. tall with white flowers! At least, he didn't get any ticks or chiggers. Very little Poison Ivy.

Bob thinks two chainsaws and 2 or 3 people to pile and burn brush, the rest of it could be knocked out in half a day of work. There is only one more week till the burn ban. There will be more trees to take out in the future. Even if there are stones underneath them, it won't hinder probing. There is still fencing to be removed and more brush. With a good turnout Thursday, Bob B. thinks we could get a lot done!

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)