Today's Walk Through the Tombstones is at The Ellettsville Methodist Cemetery. It is also known as the Methodist Cemetery. It is located at the corner of West Reeves Road and North Louden Road across from Edgewood Primary School.
GPS Coordinates: Latitude: 39.23121, Longitude: -86.64053
The Cemetery was established in 1846 as part of land donated by Joel A. Kirby for the Wesley Chapel. In later years the church moved downtown and the land was used as the cemetery. There is an area in the cemetery that is fenced off with a lovely wrought iron fence, but none of the graves inside of the fenced area have the same names, which seemed kind of strange.
We visited this cemetery on Janurary 25, 2015 by accident. We were driving down Louden Road looking for another cemetery, which we never did find, when we came across this one.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Our first stop is at the graves of Chas A. and Daisy M. Anderson.
Chas A. Anderson:
Born: December 9, 1874
Died: July 14, 1931
Daisy M. Anderson:
Born: December 7, 1880
Died: January 17, 1934
I can't seem to find any reference to any family listed for these two.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is the grave of W. Anderson.
Born: unknown
Died: unknown
There is no interment record for this person. I have no idea if this was a child, or possibly a relation to the above listed Chas and Daisy.
If anyone has any information, please let me know.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here we have the grave of Colonel Hiram Francis Braxton.
Born: October 1, 1836, Paoli, Orange County, Indiana
Died: May 20, 1881, Ellettsville, Monroe County, Indiana
He was the son of Hiram Braxton (1802-1864) and Martha White Braxton (1798-1852). They are both buried in Lick Creek Friends Cemetery, Orange County, Indiana.
He had one brother:
Charles Lindley Braxton (1839-1922) - buried in Greenwood Memory Lawn Cemetery, Maricopa County, Arizona.
He graduated from Hanover College in 1858.
He served several different capacities during the Civil War. On August 15, 1861, he was commissioned into the 24th Indiana Infantry, Company A, as a second Lieutenant, but he resigned on December 23, 1862. After that, on July 10, 1863 he was commissioned as a Colonel in the Field and Staff of the 112th Indiana Infantry, which didn't last very long. He mustered out in Indianapolis, Indiana on July 18, 1863. But just a month later, he entered into the service of the 117th Indiana Infantry, Company D, as a Captain. He stayed until February 25, 1864 when he mustered out in Indianapolis, Indiana.
A few months later, he married Julie A. Munson Braxton (1844-1935) on June 16, 1864. I am not sure where she is buried.
They had six children:
Unknown Male Braxton (?-?) - unknown
Unknown Male Braxton (?-?) - unknown
Unknown Female Braxton (?-?) - unknown
Julia Braxtan (1874-1874) - buried in Ellettsville Methodist Cemetery, Monroe County, Indiana
Juliet Braxtan (1877-1878) - buried in Ellettsville Methodist Cemetery, Monroe County, Indiana
Irene M. Braxton (1880-1880) - buried in Ellettsville Methodist Cemetery, Monroe County, Indiana
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here we have the grave of Easter Clay.
Born: March 11, 1856, Newark, Greene County, Indiana
Died: February 2, 1865, Newark, Greene County, Indiana
The inscription on her stone says, "dau. of H. & N.M. Clay died Feb 2 1865 aged 8y 10m 22d". There is a lamb on her tombstone which usually symbolizes a child.
Her parents were Henry Clay (1826-1913) and Nancy May Cooper Clay (1827-1902). They are both buried in Covenanter Cemetery, Monroe County, Indiana.
She had two siblings:
Milligan Clay (1858-1821) - buried in Covenanter Cemetery, Monroe County, Indiana.
Maston Clay (1863-1944) - buried in Covenanter Cemetery, Monroe County, Indiana.
I am unsure of the reason as to why she is buried so far away from the rest of her family. There are several other Clays buried in Ellettsville Methodist, so I wonder if there was a mistake somewhere and Easter was buried in the wrong place. If anyone has any information as to why she is buried here instead, please email me or leave a comment.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is the grave for Sergeant Dora Sherman Coffey.
Born: July 1867, Richland, Monroe County, Indiana (though it is also listed as Iowa)
Died: December 29, 1890, Pine Ridge, South Dakota
His parents were James Whisenand Coffey (1846-1937) and Amanda Starnes Coffey (1841-1909). Both are buried in Ellettsville Methodist Cemetery.
He had one other brother:
George Whisenand Coffey (1868-1965) - buried at Ellettsville Methodist Cemetery, Monroe County, Indiana.
According to records, Dora S. Coffey was one of the casualties of the Massacre at Wounded Knee in South Dakota on December 29, 1890. He was a 1st Sergeant in the 7th Indiana Cavalry, Company B. He was originally buried at the Military Cemetery in Pine Ridge, South Dakota but he was disinterred by his family in January 1891 to be moved to the family burial plot.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is the grave of Rachel Coffey.
Born: April 16, 1814
Died: January 25, 1885
The Inscription on her tombstone reads,
"Rachel
Wife of
Archelaus
Coffey
Born April 16,
1814
Died
Jan 25, 1885
Age 70yrs, 9m
& 9 ds"
She was married to Archelaus Coffey (1810-1900). He is buried at Ellesttville Methodist Cemetery as well.
Together, they had ten children:
Zachary J. Coffey (____ - 1854) - buried in Hopewell Cemetery, Owen County, Indiana
Sarah A. Berry (1836 - 1886) - buried in Ellettsville Methodist Cemetery, Monroe County, Indiana
James David Coffey (1837 - 1899) - buried in Ellettsville Methodist Cemetery, Monroe County, Indiana.
Jonathan R. Coffey (1840 - 1841) - buried in Hopewell Cemetery, Owen County, Indiana.
William A. Coffey (1841 - 1899) - buried in River Hill Cemetery, Owen County, Indiana.
John W Coffey (1842 - 1917) - buried in Riverside Cemetery, Owen County, Indiana.
John G. Coffey (1843 - 1920) - buried in Ellettsville Methodist Cemetery, Monroe County, Indiana.
Noah Coffey (1847 - 1932) - buried in Riverside Cemetery, Owen County, Indiana.
Joseph M Coffey (1851 - 1933) - buried in Riverside Cemetery, Owen County, Indiana.
Levi W. Coffey (1859 - 1943) - buried in Riverside Cemetery, Owen County, Indiana.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is the grave of Enoch Dean.
Born: September 8, 1825
Died: February 26, 1880
The inscription on his tombstones reads,
"Died
Feb 26, 1880
Aged
54Y, 5M, 18D"
There is no family information and no other Deans buried in this cemetery.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is the grave of W.P. Everman.
Born: Unknown
Died: Unknown
He served in the Civil War in the 38th Indiana Infantry, Company G. He was a Private.
I have no further information on him or his family.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here is the grave for Sergeant James E. Farmer.
Born: 1829
Died: 1917
He served in the Civil War in the 3rd Regiment Indiana Cavalry, Company G. He is listed as having the rank of Sergeant going in and having the rank of Private upon exit.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here we have the grave of Mahala M. Fletcher.
Born: December 8, 1834
Died: December 15, 1875
She has two reference markers in the cemetery. There is the one pictured to the right and then there is a larger one that is for her husband, G.W. Fletcher (1834-1906).
Her headstone is inscribed with "God is Love" at the top.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is the grave for William C. Gilliland.
Born: April 16, 1870
Died: April 23, 1870
There is an inscription on the stone. It looks like it could be "Son of J.P. & M. Gilliland" but it is very hard to make out. I can find no reference of his parents and there doesn't appear to be anyone in the cemetery that matches the time frame.
There is also a poem inscribed on his stone, but it was almost completely covered and what little I could read was very faded.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
These are two children's graves. The one on the left is for Dorris Gilliland.Born: February 26, 1912
Died: February 24, 1914
The right grave is for Harrell Gilliland.
Born: April 19, 1928
Died: August 21, 1928
Their graves are in front of the graves for Mary Ellen Swafford Gilliland (1854-1932) and Robert F. Gilliland (1849-1916). Either these are their parents or other family members as I can not find an actual reference to who their parents are.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Born: unknown
Died: unknown
He served in the Civil War as a Private in the 22nd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company G.
He was married to Edith Franklin Hanna (1866-1950) on September 14, 1903. She is buried in the Ellettsville Methodist Cemetery.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Born: December 29, 1797
Died: November 16, 1855
He was married to Elizabeth Kirby (1796-1880). She is buried with him at Ellettsville Methodist Cemetery.
Joel and his family came to Monroe County from the east in 1824 and settled just west of Ellettsville. He held church in his home every other Sunday. In 1846, he donated an acre of ground on his farm for what was known at the time as Wesley Chapel. After the church moved to downtown Ellettsville later on, he gave an additional plot for the cemetery.
He also has a large family marker near this one that has several of him family members listed on it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is the grave for Margaret M. Kirby.
Born: January 21, 1827
Died: April 2, 1856
She was the wife of William M.A. Kirby (1821-1901), who is also buried in Ellettsville Methodist Cemetery.
She is shown as having two children:
Sarah Denny Kirby (1854-1857) - buried at Ellettsville Methodist Cemetery, Monroe County, Indiana
William Kirby (1856-1856) - buried in Ellettsville Methodist Cemetery, Monroe County, Indiana.
Her name is also carved on the Kirby Family Marker.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now we come to the grave of Sarah Denny Kirby.
Born: January 13, 1854
Died: November 22, 1857
Her parents were William M.A. Kirby (1821-1901) and Margaret M. Kirby (1827-1856), both buried in Ellettsville Methodist Cemetery.
She had one brother:
William Kirby (1856-1856) - buried in Ellettsville Methodist Cemetery, Monroe County, Indiana.
She is also listed on the Kirby Family Marker.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here is the grave of Matilda J. Marshall.
Born: March 21, 1845
Died: February 27, 1873
The inscription on her stone reads, "Matilda J. wife of E.H. Marshall died Feb 27, 1873 aged 27 11m 6d.
There is a hand pointing upward which symbolizes going home to heaven.
She was married to E.H. Marshall (?-?). I am not sure where he is buried.
There was one child born to them. It is noted on the base of the tombstone for Matilda that that was an Infant Daughter (1873-1873). The child died on February 22 and Matilda died three days later.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There are three graves in this picture. It almost seems as if there were two children and a parent, but I can only make out the small one in the front on the left. It is the grave of Omer Raper.
Born: unknown
Died: unknown
The inscription says, "son of S & B Raper, died ---". The bottom of the stone was stuck into the ground.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is the grave of Elizabeth Rawlings Sedwick.
Born: December 26, 1779
Died: September 15, 1855, Ellettsville, Monroe County, Indiana.
There is an open book carved into her grave which symbolizes her faith.
She was married to John Sedwick (1775-1849) who is also buried in Ellettsville Methodist Cemetery. His grave is marked as a Freemason's Grave.
Together they had two children:
Rebecca Priscilla Sedwick Munson (1805-1897) - buried in Ellettsville Methodist Cemetery, Monroe County, Indiana.
Sophia Jane Sedwick Munson (1826-1920) - buried in Rose Hill Cemetery, Monroe County, Indiana.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is the grave of Elizabeth's husband, John Sedwick.
Born: September 13, 1775, Calvert County, Maryland
Died: December 5, 1849, Ellettsville, Monroe County, Indiana
His marked is carved with the square and compass symbol, with the letter G in the center. This is a common symbol denoting that he was a Freemason.
He was married to Elizabeth Rawlings Sedwick (1779-1855). She is buried near him at Ellettsville Methodist Cemetery.
They had two children:
Rebecca Priscilla Sedwick Munson (1805-1897) - buried in Ellettsville Methodist Cemetery, Monroe County, Indiana.
Sophia Jane Sedwick Munson (1826-1920) - buried in Rose Hill Cemetery, Monroe County, Indiana.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here we have the grave of Polly Smart.
Born: unknown
Died: June 21, 1865
Her tombstone is inscribed, "Daug of Wm & E. Smart".
There are no other Smarts listed at Ellettsville Methodist Cemetery, so I am not sure of any of her family.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is the grave of Mary B. Sommel.
Born: July 19, 1833
Died: December 11, 1857
The inscription reads, "dau of J & E.S. Sommel".
The gravestone is very worn so I can't be one hundred percent sure of the dates.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here we have two graves. The one on the left is for Private James Lafayette Stimson.
Born: May 24, 1839, Iredell County, North Carolina
Died: February 18, 1878, Ellettsville, Monroe County, Indiana
He served in the 38th Indiana Infantry, Company G.
He married Harriette E. Baugh (1843-1920). She is buried in Ellettsville Methodist Cemetery.
Together they had two children:
A.A. Baugh (1861-?) - unknown
R.J. Baugh (1866-?) - unknown
It is possible that the initials for the children are not correct.
The grave on the right is for George W.R. Stimson.
Born: Decemeber 11, 1827
Died: January 4, 1853
Inscription states, "d Jan 4 1853, aged 25y 24d".
It's possible that he is the brother of James Stimson, but I have no information to base this on.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is the last stop on our walk today. It is the grave of Arty Theophilia Freeman.
Born: March 17, 1876
Died: June 21, 1879
The inscription reads, "son of J.M. & Lura Freeman".
His parents were Joseph M. Freeman (1856-1919) and Lura A. Rumple Freeman (1857-?). They are both buried in Ellettsville Methodist Cemetery.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If anyone has any information on any of the graves listed here, or has a photo request, please email me or leave a comment.
I hope that you have enjoyed your walk through Ellettsville Methodist Cemetery.
Please visit the listing at Find-A-Grave.
0 comments:
Post a Comment