The Great Restoration - Collegeville Cemetery, San Joaquin County

HISTORIC COLLEGEVILLE CEMETERY HAS A GUARDIAN ANGEL

When fellow member of the San Joaquin County Genealogical Society told me about a man who was restoring a cemetery in San Joaquin County, I jumped to investigate. Not since the Harmony Grove Church Cemetery Restoration Project in Lockeford has there been such an undertaking.

Mr. Bob Anglin has been spending much of his spare time at the Collegeville Cemetery located at the corner of South Jack Tone Road and East Mariposa, about 6 miles east of Stockton.

Bob’s 2nd great grandfather’s sister is the wife of Alexander McDonald David Mc Intosh. Alexander or AMD as he was called, arrived in San Joaquin County in 1860 along with five brothers and at least one sister. The first land he owned was 160 acres sold to him by his father in law Job Anglin at less than $1 per acre. Within fifteen years he owned 1200 acres. His brother James C Mc Intosh, was a math teacher at San Joaquin College (Morris College) built in 1867 at the corner opposite the cemetery. Alexander was a resident in O'Neal township for nearly 40 years. His son George worked for the first telephone company in the valley. His brother in law James Garwood donated land to the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in 1867. The Alexander children attended McKamy School which later became Collegeville School. The Collegeville School website had this to offer about the area:

“Educational services have been provided on the site of Collegeville School since 1867 when it was part of Chalmer Ranch, a stopping place for freight wagons and stage coaches on their way to the Mother Load. The name was changed to Collegeville when Morris College was established on five acres of the ranch, by the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.”

While on a trip to the area to see the site of his Anglin family’s homestead, he came upon the cemetery. The cemetery was in complete shambles. Vandals had made off with grave markers. Mr. Anglin told me that he knows of a few cases where the markers were likely used as Halloween decorations in the front yards of nearby homes.

There is a possibility that some of the monuments have been found at Little John Creek, however, Bob is still awaiting verification.

Bob located and contacted the land owner of the cemetery. The owner’s daughter, Janie Gilgert had begun to gather supplies to start with the restoration. A local steel company had donated the sign out on Mariposa Road, a local fencing company donated over 100 used T posts and will run the wire for the fence at a reduced cost. Locals have trimmed trees and pulled weeds, and used a backhoe to removed dead trees..

As for the actual gravesites, Bob told me that much of the granite and most of the stencils that are used when he sandblasts the headstone inscriptions have been donated by John T. Robinson from Cornerstone Monument Company in Oakdale. Bob supplies all the labor for the headstones. The Veterans Administration will be supplying a headstone for one of the burials in the cemetery - Reverend Asbury Parks Black who was a Methodist minister and a veteran of the Civil War.

Bob has donated 100 amaryllis bulbs (naked ladies) to plant near headstones, additional fence posts, hundreds of feet of pvc pipe for the much needed sprinkler system. In reading some notes on the cemetery from the 1930’s, Bob learned that river rock had been used to surround the Walrad family plot so he brought in 100 four inch river rock to try and reconstruct the scene and has many more loads of rock to bring in. The owner of the property next to the cemetery has agreed to supply the water.

I asked Mr. Anglin if he had researched all the burials in the cemetery and could he account for all of them. He replied that he volunteered as a Family History Consultant and therefore knows the historic importance of the project. He has collected records from the San Joaquin Historical Society Library, the Haggin Museum Library, the San Joaquin County Recorder’s Office, descendants of the people buried in the cemetery. He says that he has positively identified 37 burials, but thinks that there may be as many as 50 or 60. The use of a ground penetrating radar system to locate all the burials would be ideal, if they could find someone to donate the service. If anyone has knowledge of any burial at Collegeville Cemetery or any old photos they could share, Bob is most anxious to hear from you!

UPDATE: CSI, 532 West Harding, Stockton, CA has agreed to try and locate the burials. The owners of CSI needed an opportunity to test new equipment. If it works, then they will survey the entire cemetery with their ground penetrating radar equipment as a public service to the community.

Identified surnames of burials: ANGLIN, BLACK, BOURLAND, COBB, GARWOOD, MC INTOSH, MOORE, MURRAY, NORWOOD, POYNER, PRIDEAUX, RITCHIE, SIMPSON, SNOW, STRICKLAND, WALRAD, WARD, WHITE.


San Joaquin County District 4 Supervisor Ken Vogel has contributed to this project and has planned a dedication ceremony for the cemetery in April 2010.
Bob says that there is still work to be done and that they can always use a helping hand. Interested in helping? Send an email to Bob Anglin - dncnref@yahoo.com

PHOTOS - Courtesy of Tim Cook, Stockton, California

Follow The Bunny

Are you ready for some fun? Follow Me ........

Creative Cremains - Now You Can Go Out In Style

Tired of the same old way to store a loved one's cremated remains? Well look no further. Creative Cremains, located in San Francisco, California, is a company co-owned by David Riccomi and Rena Fregosi. They have at their disposal a network of local artists and can commission an urn that captures the spirit of the deceased. The artists work in a variety of media: Ceramics, Clay Urns, Sculptures, Stained Glass, Memorial Plaques, Bronze Portrait Busts just about anything you could imagine.

They can also alter just about anything to hold ashen remains, from knickknacks to sporting goods. Some examples of modification of existing objects are collectibles, sports equipment, jewelry, books, statues, musical instruments, walking sticks, fishing rods and picture frames.

Co-Owner David Riccomi says, when he dies, he wants his ashes encased in fishing rods that will be distributed to family and friends. Then, long after he's gone, he says, he'll still be able to go fishing.

Because the business won't be scattering remains, it doesn't require state licensing. Riccomi and Fregosi say, however, that they have established strict guidelines in an effort to reassure customers they will handle the remains carefully and with respect.

The very best part of all is the very affordable prices. The minimum cost of converting a memento into an urn is $150. Prices for custom-designed urns vary substantially, but usually start at about $2,000. You can find about the same price range for standard urns sold through funeral homes. The only limits at this place are your imagination and finances.

My Exceptional Find

During Victorian Times is was popular to make jewelry from a deceased loved one's hair. The bracelet below was made by tightly weaving the hair into this intricate design.

Here in the 21st century, there is a new way to have jewelry made from your deceased loved one.

LifeGem®. Forever. Like the memory of a loved one, a diamond lasts forever.

The LifeGem® is a certified, high-quality diamond created from the carbon of your loved one as a memorial to their unique life, or as a symbol of your personal and precious bond with another.

Their patented technology is designed to capture almost all of the available carbon in an 8 oz. portion of existing cremated remains. The carbon is then heated to extremely high temperatures under special conditions. While this process removes the existing ash it converts the carbon to an extemely pure level of graphite. The graphite is then placed into a diamond press which replicates how a diamond is naturally formed. The more time in the press, the larger the rough diamond crystal. Then the diamond cutters facet the stone according to your specifications.

Let me tell you something, this is definitely not for those who are on a budget. For a stone with a carat size of .20 to .29 it will run you about $3500. The prices go up according to the carat size with the largest being .90 to .99. This has a price tag of $19,999.00. The setting is extra.

But as the song goes.."Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend"

Written for the Graveyard Rabbit Carnival

Photo of hair bracelet courtesy of Musee McCord Museum, Montreal, Quebec

Wabbit Wheelie !

Aw Jeez, I KNOW it's not a cemetery or headstone. But it sure is funnier than hell don't ya think?

All Dogs Do Go To Heaven

And cats and even horses according to Sacramento Pet Cemetery and Crematory which is located just outside Sacramento, California. Family owned and operated they are a full service, one stop shop. They offer a wide variety of services and products.

Transportation - You may bring your pet directly to them during our regular business hours or they can pick up your pet from the veterinarian or from your home.

Cremations are offered with individual choices. Prices vary according to the size of the pet. Cremains will be returned to the owner or may be interred in special areas of the cemetery. (crematory on premises)

Pre-need (Pre-arrangement) - This future protection ensures that the best decision is made for your devoted companion. Pre-need arrangements also allow you to secure multiple plots together for all of your pets. The choice of interment or cremation as well as the selection of memorial, casket and/or cremation urn can be made in a relaxed atmosphere.

Endowment Care - They are a deeded and dedicated pet cemetery, a special endowment care fund has been set up for continued maintenance

Horse Burials - They have a special section for horses.

Country Garden Burial - This burial option offers a natural setting at a reduced cost. The individual gravesites are unmarked, however, markers for these pets will be placed on the central memorial plaque

Tombstones come in either

granite ( shown above)

or engraved river rock

(shown below)

A "New-To-Me" Cemetery Website

Greetings Rabbits! I have come across a website that is new to me and may be of interest to you. It covers the State of North Carolina and is called "Cemetery Census." Here is a description from from website:

"Cemetery Census is a strictly volunteer effort to record the burials in local family, religious and municipal cemeteries. We are not associated with any government agency, religious affiliation or commercial cemetery entity. This is strictly a labor of love by the many volunteers who collect, record, photograph and make available these valuable resources.
Allen Dew is the originator and driving force behind Cemetery Census. Allen started collecting cemetery records from several sources in 1995 and 1996. A few years later, Allen published these records on the Internet. The collection has grown to include several counties in central North Carolina.
Plans and capabilities have been put into place to expand the collection to other counties and states in the surrounding area. Partnerships have been established with Historical Associations and Genealogical Societies to import and display their cemetery information."


It also has a section that explains and defines cemetery law in North Carolina. This is a wonderful project completely done by volunteers. Take a few minutes and check it out.

A Little of This and A Little of That

Most of ye Graveyard Rabbits have found a niche. This Rabbit is still floundering, presenting a little of this and a little of that.

Along the way I have discovered some most excellent blogs and websites that I have to share with you. Some are Graveyard Rabbits, some are not. But all of them left some kind of impression upon me.

Up first is a blog called Blogging A Dead Horse . Member of the Graveyard Rabbit Association, this blog is by far one of the most interesting. The selection of cemeteries chosen, the great photography and best of all is the writing. It is captivating, poignant and very moving. Here is a descriptive excerpt from the blog

"I collect grave site offerings, permanent and ephemeral. I am a digital archaeologist. I record objects brought to sacred ground to bask in and add to the spiritual powers present there. What I do is record a world that will be gone tomorrow. Like the river that is never the same whenever you step into it twice, the cemetery you visit will not be the same one I saw. I’m showing you the soft inside of the culture of the Oregon Territory as it stands at the beginning of the twenty-first century. It will never be seen again. Enjoy it while you can."

There is a collection of photographs from Dead Man Talking that further exemplify his talent. You can find them at Flickr.com or by clicking here.

Take a few minutes to explore the blog and the photo collection. I promise you won't be sorry.

My, What A Handsome Rabbit!

(I apologize for the total lack of self control, but I think it's funny!)

Brichetto's Tomb

The Brichetto Tomb sits all alone, high up on a hill overlooking what was once the vast lands of the Brichetto estate in San Joaquin County, California. Immigrants from Italy, G. Joseph, a pioneer farmer and merchant, and his wife, Luigia Canale, settled in the Banta area of San Joaquin County in the 1870’s. The mausoleum is made of marble and granite, built in the Grecian Doric style. The tomb sits alone on one acre of land that is enclosed by a wrought iron fence. Built in 1916 according to the provisions of the will of G. Joseph Brichetto, the tomb contains twelve crypts but only six have been used.

G. Joseph Brichetto 23 Dec 1841 to 22 May 1916
Luicia Brichetto 18 Feb 1860 to 12 Dec 1956
Irene L. Brichetto 7 Jun 1884 to 10 Sep 1945
John N. Brichetto 5 Feb 1881 to 3 Mar 1934
Baby Edward 13 Jan 1883 to 11 Dec 1883
Baby Henery 14 Dec 1885 to 25 Nov 1886

The wrought iron fence that encloses the acre of land was made by Stewart Iron Works Company who are still in business to this very day.

There is nothing quite like this in all of San Joaquin County. I decided to do a little research about this family who commanded such a grand place of eternal rest.

G. Joseph Brichetto came to San Joaquin County in 1867. He was employed by the Southern Pacific Railroad Company in tunnel construction for a time; he then settled in the San Joaquin gardens on the river, and later located in Banta, where he raised and sold vegetables. In 1872 he opened a general merchandise store at Banta, which he conducted for many years. He became a large farmer and landowner in the Banta section, owning, at the time of his death in 1916, 9,000 acres of land on the West Side. I found this little article about him in an Ohio newspaper:

CLEVELAND PLAIN-DEALER
13 September 1917
PAGE 8
When an inheritance tax report was fixed in the estate of the late G. Joseph Brichetto, it was shown that he came to California with a capital of $40 and in 40 years accumulated an estate of $333,279.35

There were seven Brichetto children born and five who lived to adulthood:

John N. Brichetto was born 5 February 1881 and died 3 March 1934. He formed a partnership with his brother, Joseph C., under the name of Brichetto Bros. which is known for their grain farming. John was the president of the Board of Directors of the Banta-Carolinia Irrigation District which cared for the irrigation of some 20,000 acres in the Tracy and Banta districts. He also became prominent in banking circles becoming director in both the San Joaquin Valley National Bank of Stockton and the Bank of Tracy. In 1916 he married Nancy Kneass.

Irene Brichetto was born 7 June 1884 and died 10 September 1945. She never married.

Mollie Brichetto was born 12 September 1887 and died 2 June 1965. She married Joseph J. Raspo in 1911. Joseph was employed by Mollie’s father in the general merchandise store the Brichettos owned. In 1917 he acquired a one-third interest in the concern and its trade, and in November, 1918, he became sole proprietor, purchasing the business from the Brichetto heirs.

Minnie Cecelia Brichetto was born 8 October 1889 died 6 December 1989. She never married.

Joseph C. Brichetto was born 18 February 1894 and died 20 August 1976. Joseph became the manager of the vast agricultural interests of the Brichetto estate, consisting of several thousand acres of land on the West Side, which he developed into one of the show places of Central California. He married Eva Campodonico in 1921.

Photos curtesy of Brian W. Barringer

After The Fact, After The Fact

Mount Olivet Catholic Cemetery, Elk County, Kansas

I have made some progress towards finding the answers to questions I posed in my post "Engraving After The Fact" .

A saint of a woman named Ruth Walker has been patiently finding answers to the endless questions I keep tossing her way. Ruth is the parish secretary for St. Mary's Catholic Church in Moline, Elk County, Kansas. St. Mary's is the "caretaker" of Mount Olivet Cemetery. My 3rd great grandparents - Daniel Derondo Delaney and his wife Ellen Collins are buried there as well as my other 3rd great grandmother - Ann Emily Leseure Sheern.

Ruth could only answer questions about the Delaney's. Ann Emily Leseure Sheern was buried before 1900 and Holy Name Catholic Church would have those records.

Ruth explained to me that they were originally buried at Boston Catholic Cemetery which was located in the now defunct county of Howard. The headstones were moved to Mount Olivet in 1961 but it is possible that the remains were not.

As to specific questions about the plot purchased by E.F. Sheern in 1911 she replied, "I can only speculate what your ancestor was thinking but you would assume he purchased the lots when Mount Olivet was very new, then moved to a new community and decided to be buried there. He may have known he would not be buried in Mount Olivet and so gave permission for the graves to be relocated in his lots or someone in his immediate family gave permission for the graves to be moved there. We do not know this. "




The question as to the care and upkeep of Mount Olivet got this response:

"We do not have a "sexton" as such. St. Mary's is a small, (less than 50 families) rural parish. Most everything is done by volunteers. We do hire the mowing done in the summer months. Our funds mostly come from former parishioners living elsewhere that help support the cemetery. The iron fence in front of the cemetery is painted by volunteers. The barbed wire fence on three sides is maintained by volunteers. When we need to repaint the large statue [see photo above] in the middle of the cemetery some member or former member will donate the money and a professional is hired. Graves are dug by the city of Moline. I keep the books and if you want to purchase a plot you would need to visit with me.
Many times lots are purchased as the purchaser wants to buried by family, then they move to another community, become involved in that community and decide they want to be buried there or the ones making the final arrangements want them buried there and so the lots in the original cemetery are vacant. We have that at Mount Olivet. We would hope
they would donate the lots back to us or we would buy them back, but many times this is not done. And I do know of instances where they did not notify any of their heirs that they owned the lots and so they cannot return what they do not know about. "

Next Stop - Holy Name Catholic Church !

Update to Wreaths Across America

I finally recieved the photos that were taken when I participated in Wreaths Across America on December 13th at the San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery in Gustine, California.

I am the Rabbit with the blue coat!

Wreaths Across America

REMEMBER the fallen

HONOR those who serve

TEACH our children the value of Freedom

This is the motto of Wreaths Across America, a nationwide project, started by one man who simply wanted to show his remembrance for fallen soldiers.

The Wreaths Across America story began over 15 years ago when Worcester Wreath Company (a for-profit commercial business from Harrington, Maine) began a tradition of placing wreaths on the headstones of our Nation's fallen heroes at Arlington National Cemetery during the holidays.

Humbled with a new understanding about the impact the Arlington Wreath Project has made, not only in honoring the dead, but recognizing the sacrifices of the living, Morrill Worcester - President of Worcester Wreath Company committed himself to doing more, by reaching out across the country.

On Saturday, December 13th, along with members of El Toyon Chapter NSDAR, I went to the San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery in Gustine, California to attend the wreath laying ceremony. It was a very moving experience. We laid wreaths on the graves of my step-father Lyle Dean Hartley, a past regent of El Toyon Chapter NSDAR Esther Bonta and the husband of a chapter member Milton Farley.

A little about San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery - In 1989, the Romero Ranch Company donated land to the Department of Veterans Affairs for the creation of a National Cemetery. The first phase developed 105 acres of the land, and was completed in May 1992, giving enough space for the interment of over 20,000 remains.
There is a small military museum on site, which has exhibits of uniforms, medals, and other memorabilia. The California Korean War Veterans Memorial, erected in 1998. It consists of 16 five foot tall granite monoliths arranged in a circle. Engraved on each monolith is the name of the 2,495 veterans from California who died during the Korean War. The 11th Airborne Memorial is a granite and bronze monument that was dedicated on May 11, 2002, in honor of all airborne soldiers. The sculptor was William Porteus, a member of the 511th unit.

(Photo of Arlington National Cemetery by James Varhegyi)

Engraving After The Fact

My post yesterday about my 3rd great grandfather, Daniel Derondo Delaney, got me to thinking.

I would like to have the date of death etched into the headstone for Daniel. It sounds like a simple thing to have done, right? But sometimes my mind can come up with all kinds of "what ifs" and "but what ifs". Such as:

Would I have to prove that Daniel is my 3rd great grandfather to who ever is in charge?

Would I need permission to commission this? If so, then from who?

Would I need to be there in person to make sure the job gets done?

I am guessing that this isn't the type of thing you call around and get estimates for. How do I select someone to do the job and must it be a headstone shop or can anyone who owns a dremel do the job?

The owner of the plot at the cemetery was Earnest Francis Sheern who was my 2nd great grandfather. He died in 1939. So who owns the plot now? Do I need their permission?

Oh all those questions, had me thinking of more :

The plot has 4 graves on it that I know of, I was told that the plot holds up to 8 graves. The plot was paid for in 1911. When I die, could I be buried there? Would they make me re-buy the plot? How does this stuff work?

Just some things that made me go hhmmm. Time to go find some answers.

Yoo-Hoo! Are You In There Daniel?

This headstone is located in Mount Olivet Catholic Cemetery just outside Moline, Elk County, Kansas. I have spent 5 years trying to confirm if my 3rd great grandfather, Daniel Derondo Delaney, is buried with his wife Ellen Collins. The headstone does not have the date of death on it. In the last week or so I have received an abundance of information and my answer is : I'm not sure either of them are buried here!


An obituary for Ellen Delaney in 1901 said that she was buried at the catholic cemetery in Boston. In 1904 when Daniel died, his obit did not state where he was to be buried. I posted to a message board inquiring about the location of Boston Cemetery and was told that it wasn't called that anymore. It is now Mount Olivet Cemetery. About 5 years ago, I made a request to RAOGK (Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness) for a photo of the Delaney's headstone and a wonderful volunteer took the time to not only take the photo above but explain to me that Boston Cemetery and Mount Olivet were not the same cemetery. He said that for some reason the cemetery closed at Boston and that the majority of the burials in Boston were removed to Mount Olivet but he did not know when this happened.


I finally get someone at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Moline to check into the burials for me. I had asked if the church were indeed the caretakers for the cemetery and if they had burial records. I also asked why the cemetery at Boston closed and why the need to move the remains.


I received part of the answers to my questions. I was told that:


1. Yes, according to church records, Daniel and Ellen Collins are buried at Mount Olivet.

2. No, they do not know why Daniel's date of death is not on the stone.

3. The graves were moved from Boston Cemetery to Mount Olivet in 1961

4. No, they do not know why the cemetery at Boston closed and why the graves were re-located.

BIG BONUS INFORMATION = total confusion:

The reply also told me that the Delaney stone was located in Section 7, Lot 61 and in the same place are the graves of Ray Sheern (died 1907), Helen Sheern (died 1900) and Ann Sheern (died 1892) . The lot was purchased by E.F. Sheern in 1911.

Ann Sheern is my 2nd great grandmother and E. F. Sheern is her son my great grandfather. Ray and Helen Sheern are children of E. F. Sheern. E. F. Sheern married Jenny Delaney who is the daughter of Daniel and Ellen. Are you with me still?

Now with all this information here is my confusion:

E. F. Sheern buys the plot in 1911 in Mount Olivet but his mother and children and his in-laws the Delaneys died before that.

Let's assume that everyone was buried originally at Boston Cemetery. The church says that the graves were moved in 1961. Why would E. F. Sheern buy a plot that remains empty until 1961. E.F. Sheern died in 1939 and is not buried there.

Why was Daniel's death information never etched on his stone? His sons and daughter all had money enough to have it done?

Were the remains really removed from Boston Cemetery? Maybe just the headstones were moved?
By the way, Boston cemetery still has graves and markers.

Time to put on my rabbit ears and fasten my seat belt. It could be a bumpy ride on the way to finding the answers

A Mason in our Midst?

Pleasant Hill, Cass County, Missouri is where the Skillman branch of my family lived from about 1850 to around 1900. My 3rd great grandparents are buried in the Pleasant Hill Cemetery. Josias Payne Skillman and his wife Lavenia Thomas Wilson were both born in Bourbon County, Kentucky and they both died in Pleasant Hill.

Lavenia is the granddaughter of Richard Thomas (my 5th great grandfather) and grand niece of General Philemon Thomas (Richard's brother) whom you've seen mentioned before on this blog and over at The Educated Genealogist.





Joseph Payne Skillman is the son of Christopher Skillman and Henrietta Payne. He made a living as a ferryman. Pleasant Hill is situated at the confluence of the Kansas and Missouri Rivers.

(Josias Skillman is the handsome man on the right with the spectacles)

The most surprising thing is that I have had these photos of their headstones for well over a year and never noticed the icon engraved on Josias' stone. I believe that the icon is masonic in nature. In all of my research, nothing I have come across would have led me to thinking that he belonged to a masonic society. Oh happy day! Josias isn't a brick wall, but I never knew to much about him. This discovery has opened a new avenue of research for me.

Of course this is before my becoming The Educated Graveyard Rabbit. Not much gets by this Rabbit now!

General Philemon Thomas - Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Over on my other blog, The Educated Genealogist, I had written a couple of posts about my 5th great grandfather Richard Thomas here and here.

In this blog, I will introduce you to his younger brother General Philemon Thomas. Philemon was born 2 February 1763 in Orange County, North Carolina to Richard Thomas and Frances Hawkins.

Served in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War (most notably the Battle of Guilford), the the United States Army during the War of 1812 and commanded the forces that captured the Spanish fort at Baton Rouge in 1810. Later in life, Thomas served in both the Kentucky State and Louisiana State legislatures and was twice elected to the U.S. Congress representing Louisiana's 2nd District in the United States House of Representatives, serving from 1831 to 1835.

Philemon died 18 November 1847 and was first buried at the Old Baton Rouge Post Cemetery of the Arsenal Grounds. In 1886, the US Army Corps of engineers removed a levee and he was re-interred in the National Cemetery at Baton Rouge.

The inscription on his stone reads:

TO THE MEMORY OF GEN'L. PHILEMON THOMAS
WHO WAS BORN IN ORANGE COUNTY, VA.
FEBY. 9TH, 1763
AND DIED
IN BATON ROUGE, LA.
NOV. 18TH 1847
THIS TABLET ERECTED BY HIS CHILDREN
HE WAS A SOLDIER OF '76' AND OF '14', A MEMBER
OF THE CONVENTION THAT FRAMED THE CONSTITUTION
OF KENTUCKY AND A MEMBER OF HER LEGISLATURE

HE REMOVED TO LOUISIANA IN 1806
COMMANDED THE FORCES WHICH CAPTURED THE
SPANISH FORT AT BATON ROUGE IN 1810. SERVED
MANY YEARS IN THE LEGISLATURE OF LOUISIANA.
AND WAS TWICE ELECTED TO THE CONGRESS OF THE
U.S. THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER, HE WAS CALLED
A PATRIOT AND A GOOD CITIZEN - WE KNOW HIM
TO BE A KIND FATHER AND A FIRM CHRISTIAN.
"SIC TIBI IN TERRA LEVIS"

Of course, being the curious kind of Rabbit I am, I looked up the Latin. It translates pretty close to "May the earth rest lightly on you".

Caterpillar Man

Here in Stockton, California we actually have a famous person buried in the Rural Cemetery. Even his tomb-house is pretty elaborate compared to the rest in the cemetery. While I was at the cemetery I took this picture on impulse, not knowing at the time I would become a Graveyard Rabbit. I am glad I kept it because now I have something to blog about this week!

Benjamin Holt - Can any of you guess what he is famous for? Well here’s a hint - He invented the Caterpillar Tractor.

Benjamin Holt was born in New Hampshire on New Year's Day in 1849. He was the fourth son of William Knox and Harriet A. Holt. Benjamin's older brothers were Charles, William Harrison and Ames Frank. The Holt family operated a saw mill in New Hampshire and processed hardwoods for wheel and wagon construction.
At the age of 20, Benjamin went to work at his father's lumber factory. Three years later, he received an interest in the business. His three older brothers left New Hampshire years before in the 1860s and set up a similar business in San Francisco. Their company, called C.H. Holt and Co., produced wooden wheels and later metal wheels for streetcars. Benjamin shipped hardwoods from New Hampshire to his brothers, who took the wood to dry in the arid climate in Stockton.

In 1883, the Holt brothers formed a new company, the Stockton Wheel Co. Recognized as the “mechanical and entrepreneurial genius of the family,” Benjamin moved out west in 1883 to manage the new business. The Stockton Wheel Co. factory cost $65,000 to construct It consisted of a three-story brick building and a one-story wood frame building. It employed 25 men.

Sinking into the mud was a common problem on farmland surrounding Stockton where Holt made his residence. Caterpillar tracks allowed practical cultivation on an industrial scale on the rich farmland. Holt's tractors had a conventional wheel on the front which was used to steer and caterpillar-type wheels on the back, and looked very similar to traction engines. Holt patented the caterpillar track on December 7 1907, having first invented it on November 24 1904.

Benjamin Holt died 5 December 1920 and was buried at Stockton Rural Cemetery. In honor of Benjamin, we have a street and a school here in Stockton named after him.

The Real Definition of a Volunteer

About 10 miles south of my home in Stockton is a little town called Manteca. The East Union Cemetery in Manteca is in a pickle. It's a complicated story, but here are the simple facts:

It seems that the cemetery had been operating for about two years without a valid license or a licensed manager as required by California State Law. The East Union Cemetery is privately owned and run by a board of directors. Delinquent loans and tax problems occurred under an earlier board, which had not met for at least two years and failed to hire a licensed cemetery manager, among other issues. The problems came to a head in late June after an administrative law judge ruled the California Department of Consumer Affairs Cemetery and Funeral Bureau could revoke the East Union Cemetery Association's license to operate.

Up to that point, the cemetery's plight was not known to the general community. Once it became public, a new, larger board was formed in a last-ditch effort to save the historic cemetery. In an effort to pay off loans and back taxes, this new board used money from the principal of the cemetery's Endowment Fund. Because they used the money for purposes other than what the Endowment Fund is legally intended for, The Bureau was left with no choice but to seize the account so that the Endowment Fund would be protected and not depleted further.

California law requires all private cemeteries licensed by the Bureau to establish, maintain and operate an Endowment Care Fund in a trust account. Every time the cemetery sells a "plot" - a burial space in the ground, a crypt space in a mausoleum, or a niche space for cremated remains - the cemetery collects an endowment care amount from the purchaser. All monies collected for endowment care must be placed in the trust account. The initial amount collected from the purchaser is what is referred to as "principal" and can never be utilized. Over time and through investments, the trust account continues to grow and generate interest income, and the interest income is what is available to use for the on-going maintenance of the cemetery into perpetuity.

The biggest dilemma by far is how and who would be responsible in burying the dead? For even though the state has revoked the cemetery association's business license and froze all of its funds, there was still the matter of the pre-paid burial plots. A legal provision allowed the association to hold the burials of individuals who have purchased their plots. But with the caretakers gone, who was going to dig the graves and take care of all the other tasks involved?

Enter a group of volunteers extraordinaire:
A retired law enforcement officer - Bill Good.A retired Bank of America president - Leon Sucht.A Sheriff's Team of Active Retired Seniors (STARS) volunteer - Victor Gulley.The director of the Manteca Historical Society and Museum - Evelyn Prouty.

Their new calling: grave diggers at Manteca's historic East Union Cemetery. Good, who took over as president of the reorganized cemetery association, learned by himself how to operate the cemetery's back hoe that is used to dig the graves. The rest of the work is done with shovels. That brawn part of the work is handled by Sucht, Gully and Prouty. They also had to learn by themselves how to operate the $18,000 equipment whose name none of them could tell but to which they have given descriptive name as "the casket-lowering thingy-jiggy".

For those who wish to make donations to help the cemetery, they can do so by sending checks to the Friends of the East Union Cemetery. Funds given to this organization do not go to the state but are strictly used to help the cemetery. An account has been opened at Delta National Bank in Manteca where people can go to make contributions. Donations can also be sent to: Friends of the East Union Cemetery, P.O. Box 591, Manteca, CA 95336.
For more information on how to help Friends of the East Union Cemetery or how to become a member, call (209) 823-8533.

An aside: In 2003, Travis Haroldson of Boy Scout Troop 438 catalogued the cemetery for his Eagle Scout Project. You can find the entire cemetery transcribed here.

Fabulous Find-A-Grave

Becky over at Grace and Glory recently blogged about discovering a website called Find-A-Grave . I thought everyone knew about this exceptionally useful website. According to my profile member page at Find -A-Grave, I have been a member for 2 years and 10 months.

Find- A- Grave, founded by Jim Tipton, is an online database of seventeen million cemetery and burial records. With millions of names and photos, it is an invaluable tool for the genealogist and family history buff.

How much does it cost to become a member and use Find A Grave? Nothing. Find A Grave is completely FREE! They do not charge anything for any of their services. You can become a member, create a memorial, submit data, add flowers, add photos and search the database at no charge.