About 3-4 miles outside of Dallas, Gaston County, North Carolina is one of those very small private family cemeteries. You know the kind - when folks used to bury their loved ones in the backyard next to the zucchini. This is where I found the final resting place of my 7th great grandparents Michael Hoyle and Margaret Dellinger. Michael, who was born 12 January 1738, is the son of Peter and Catherine Hoyle. Michael died 12 March 1793. Margaret, who was born 6 January 1750, is the daughter of Johann Philip Dellinger and Anna Maria Brandstatter. Margaret died 25 May 1827.
They share a single, large marble slab as a headstone. The inscription was really tough to make out as it was mostly eroded away, but this is what my eyes saw:
In memory of
Michael Hoyle died March 12, 1792, aged 62 years
Margaret Hoyle died May 25, 1827, aged 82 years
" Children, dear, as you pass by, Pray on these lines do cast an eye.
As you ware young, so once ware we; Prepare for death and eternity."
The stone must be in worse condition than when I was there in 2005 because now there is this stone that was erected by some descendants. This pretty much tells you all you need to know about this cemetery!
1 comments:
Thank you, Sheri, for your posting about this little cemetery. There are so, so many just like this, aren't there? I hope the efforts of our Graveyard Rabbits will encourage folks to take care of their loved ones gravestones.
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