16 October 2009

Dear Friends of Spring Hill Cemetery,

Ten of us ventured through the thick fog for Friday's Spring Hill workday.  The cemetery had received over 3 inches of rain just days before, but with the vinca and leafy undergrowth, instead of mud we enjoyed perfect working conditions.  The fog even cooperated, lifting just as we began our work.  Much of our activity centered on clearing debris from the recent storm and in resetting more of our headstone bases.  Regional Parks again supported the effort by bringing us their invaluable tool trailer.  As we have had less debris in recent work sessions, this time we stacked our collected debris in a pile and will load this month's debris into Regional Parks' dump truck together with next month's collection on November 20th.

With regard to headstone restoration, we are nearing the end of our "base" phase, and are ready to begin affixing corresponding stones.  Larry and Rick were able to level and reset several more bases this month.  Tackled on Friday were bases for Keziah Finley, William Finley, Hattie and Lulu Zilhart, Edwin Davis McReynolds, and the joint headstone base of brothers James Floyd McReynolds and Robert E Lee McReynolds.  The majority of our bases are now reset and are ready for us to reaffix the headstones and monuments.  I have been talking to Gary Galeazzi of North Bay Monument Company, and he has put our next workday (November 20th) on his calendar.  He will try to join us on the 20th, to help us with this next very important phase.

Dick Giberti continued his 3-month streak of monument discoveries, with the discovery this month of two foot stones; one belonging to Franklin Seymour McReynolds and the other to Elizabeth Patience Gauldin McReynolds.  FS and EP McReynolds are part of a grouping of 6 stones all connected to James Madison McReynolds, the man who started Spring Hill Cemetery with the burial of his first wife, Elizabeth Patience McReynolds, in 1853.  As you can see from the last attached picture, the grouping consists of James M McReynolds, his first wife, Elizabeth Patience Gauldin McReynolds, his second wife Mary Frances Gauldin McReynolds (younger sister to Elizabeth Patience Gauldin McReynolds) and four of James' children by Mary Frances.  James' son, Samuel McReynolds, and wife Emma are buried in another section of the cemetery; descendants of James' daughter, Ellen Sarah McReynolds Wells (the Gilbert and Lancina burials), are just to the north of James' group.  It is interesting to note that 1 1/2 year-old Franklin Seymour McReynolds died on October 23, 1869 - the same day as his 29 year-old mother, Mary Frances Gauldin McReynolds.  I have yet to find a newspaper obit or other source listing the cause of their deaths -- accident?? illness??

The plain wooden marker we found obviously marked the spot of George W. Titus’ grave until his military headstone arrived. The surprise of the stone was that it had two inscriptions – the correct inscription on the visible end of the stone, and nearly the same inscription on the buried other side and end of the stone with “INF” instead of the correct “CAV.” (3rd picture attached). Ray didn’t mention where the government-issue headstones were carved (stones sent with inscriptions already on them, or stones sent and then carved locally), but apparently, the carving on George’s was incorrect, the error caught, and the solution decided on was to reuse the other end of the stone. As my husband pointed out to me, white-out unfortunately doesn’t work on stone.

James Madison McReynolds died June 13th, 1905.  Rich details of his life can be found in his newspaper obituary originally taken from McReynolds Family Westward Bound by Glenva Conklin, pp. 12-13 and also found on Larry Wendt's Spring Hill website.

Many thanks yet again to the ever generous McDowells for the parking spaces and use of water, and to all of you volunteers who joined in our effort.  Remember, the next workday is scheduled for Friday, November 20th.  As this is our last workday of 2009, please mark your calendars and come join us!!