26 April 2014

Dear Friends of Spring Hill Cemetery,

Yesterday's workday looked doubtful as my husband and I drove to the cemetery from the bay area in pouring rain. But the skies cleared by the time we got to Spring Hill. Sun filtered onto the cemetery, and the abundant periwinkle filled the vista with blue-purple blooms. Six of us gathered at the cemetery for the clean up effort. We had another amazing day, filled with hard work and another new discovery - good work Patsy!

The last Spring Hill workday had been in February, and in the interim there was much debris and a few large branches littering the cemetery floor and paths. Our focus was on clearing the debris and restoring the paths, along with taming the rampantly invasive ivy, thistle, broom and acacia. Just as we were putting in our last 15 minutes of work, Patsy came across the complete headstone for Frank L Fairbanks, buried in the debris. It is a beautiful stone, in nearly perfect shape, with just a small crack. The base for Frank's stone is broken, but after repairs to the base, we will be able to reset his stone in its original position.

The Fairbanks were a large family . Frank was one of 8 children born to Benjamin Fairbanks and his wife, Clarissa Hoard. Benjamin was born in Massachusetts in February 1823, but he and his wife, Clarissa, had resided in Richmond, Kalamazoo Co, Michigan for some years before moving to California. Benjamin and Clarissa, with 4 children between the ages of 2 and 9, made the arduous move to Sonoma County about 1854, where Ben and Clarissa had an 175 acre peach orchard at Freestone. While at Freestone, Benjamin and Clarissa had 4 more children. At some point Benjamin and several of his sons moved to El Dorado County to mine, while wife Clarissa, and presumably the rest of the family (including sons Osmond and Frank) remained in Freestone, farming. Benjamin and his wife Clarissa are both buried at Rural Cemetery. Osmond and Frank are at Spring Hill. Their stones are together in the cemetery, one in front of the other.

Osmond Fairbanks, the third son, was born in MI April 21, 1850. He died September 23, 1888 in Freestone - from the Coroner's book, "Overdose of morphine taken for pain, the same proving fatal."

His younger brother, Frank, was born April 21, 1860, in Sonoma County. He died May 28, 1887 in Santa Rosa, cause unknown.

From a Fairbanks researcher, I have the following Obit on the father, Benjamin Fairbanks:

Georgetown Gazette Dated May 2, 1895- ANOTHER OLD MINOR GONE - Editor Gazette - A sad accident happened at Buckeye Hill, two miles below this place, yesterday forenoon, by which Benjamin Fairbanks lost his life. He was working all alone, as his son Percy, who works with him had gone to Georgetown to get his foot dressed--he had hurt it with a rock a few days before. Mr. Fairbanks had intended to work but a little while and then come up to this place; but as he did not return by noon, his daughter-in-law became uneasy, and went down to the claim but could not find him, so thought it possible he had gone up on the ditch, and it was nearly night when he was found by some of the neighbors. It seems that the tunnel through which he sluiced had become choked, and he had entered for the purpose of clearing it, and when the debris started it went with such a rush that it carried him out and down the gulch about 100 yards below the sluices, where he was found lodged against a little oak tree on the bank, outside the gulch, his head and chest badly mashed and bruised: "Old Banks" as he was familiarly called, was a jolly old soul, always cheerful, hopeful and full of fun, and will be greatly missed by his many friends. He was a native of Massachusetts, aged 73 years. J.W.E. Volcanoville, April 29th 1895. - The funeral of B. Fairbanks took place at Volcanoville Tuesday. He leaves a wife in Sonoma County, and a large family, all grown, his sons Austin, Orin, Julius and Percy being well known here.

Our next workday is scheduled for June 20th. Please come join us if you can.

Best Regards,

Sue

Attachment #1
George W. Titus stone

Attachment #2
Group

Attachment #3
Patsy's stone

Attachment #4
Top

Attachment #5
Stone

Attachment #6
Resting

Attachment #7
Group Working