Last Sunday, Bruce finally agreed to go with me to see if I could locate the Eel River Cemetery. I turned on the GPS and also used the one on my phone.
We headed West on US 24 and he pointed out the road we usually take as a shortcut to get to US 31 by Gallahan's as being Eel River Road. I didn't have much gas in the car so knew we could not go wandering off too far.
Bruce noticed a sign across 31 pointing West, past the State Police post. It seemed like forever until we got to a four-way stop sign and there was the cemetery, sitting at the bottom of a hill. The stones all faced West so I noted that it would be an afternoon project. There were houses around so at least I could knock on a door if I had a problem. I often wonder what people think when they see this crazy lady taking pictures of every grave in the cemetery...
Anyway, we had to go home soon after arriving but at least I knew where it was and when best to visit again, and yet, I returned the next morning, forgetting about the way the stones were facing. It didn't matter anyway because my GPS refused to kick in. I turned off the phone and rebooted it. Nothing did.
So I decided to head to Springdale instead.
I tried again the next day - still no luck. I was pretty much ready to just leave this one alone but I don't like defeat and so decided I'd give it one more chance Thursday afternoon. This time, however, I turned on the application way before getting to the cemetery. I don't know if that's why it worked but it did.
I took pictures for about an hour before the sun set and it was pointless to go on.
There is a good mixture of old and new in the Eel River Chapel cemetery and what is good to see is that most of the stones that were once broken have been repaired.
I noticed a lot of BOWMANs, MYERS, GALLAHANs and other familiar names...
The cemetery sits on a ridge of the Eel River. Some stones are awfully close to the edge of a ravine and I had to be very careful not to slip and fall. In fact I think there is at least one stone I was not able to photograph properly.
There were recent dates on the stones as well as some much older ones.
This cemetery has been indexed before and I am always grateful for such listings because they help me decipher the eroded stones or the poorer pictures. Find-A-Grave also has an index.
I have found however that neither is complete.
It was hard to go in straight lanes in this cemetery and I found myself back tracking several times as I realized I had missed a complete row or a certain grouping of stones.
The weather still cooperated on Friday and I finished up before taking Michael to a costumed Halloween party he wanted to attend.
I like the old tall flat stones. Some of the oldest ones in the cemetery are those of the Anderson family.
Samuel Anderson, who died in 1855 buried several members of his family before taking his turn to rest in the Eel River Chapel Cemetery.
Susana (Anderson) Plotner, wife of Elijah was buried there in 1844, shortly after her brother William Anderson and sister-in-law Elizabeth Anderson. Their daughter, Malinda Anderson had passed away 2 years prior. How very sad to have so many leave so soon... I wonder if it was due to typhoid fever like so many deaths in those days...
This stone caught my eye for some reason.
A quick look in Ancestry.com put a face on the name...
Wish that I could put one on each stone...
Next time, with Springdale...
We headed West on US 24 and he pointed out the road we usually take as a shortcut to get to US 31 by Gallahan's as being Eel River Road. I didn't have much gas in the car so knew we could not go wandering off too far.
Bruce noticed a sign across 31 pointing West, past the State Police post. It seemed like forever until we got to a four-way stop sign and there was the cemetery, sitting at the bottom of a hill. The stones all faced West so I noted that it would be an afternoon project. There were houses around so at least I could knock on a door if I had a problem. I often wonder what people think when they see this crazy lady taking pictures of every grave in the cemetery...
Anyway, we had to go home soon after arriving but at least I knew where it was and when best to visit again, and yet, I returned the next morning, forgetting about the way the stones were facing. It didn't matter anyway because my GPS refused to kick in. I turned off the phone and rebooted it. Nothing did.
So I decided to head to Springdale instead.
I took pictures for about an hour before the sun set and it was pointless to go on.
There is a good mixture of old and new in the Eel River Chapel cemetery and what is good to see is that most of the stones that were once broken have been repaired.
I noticed a lot of BOWMANs, MYERS, GALLAHANs and other familiar names...
The cemetery sits on a ridge of the Eel River. Some stones are awfully close to the edge of a ravine and I had to be very careful not to slip and fall. In fact I think there is at least one stone I was not able to photograph properly.
There were recent dates on the stones as well as some much older ones.
This cemetery has been indexed before and I am always grateful for such listings because they help me decipher the eroded stones or the poorer pictures. Find-A-Grave also has an index.
I have found however that neither is complete.
It was hard to go in straight lanes in this cemetery and I found myself back tracking several times as I realized I had missed a complete row or a certain grouping of stones.
The weather still cooperated on Friday and I finished up before taking Michael to a costumed Halloween party he wanted to attend.
I like the old tall flat stones. Some of the oldest ones in the cemetery are those of the Anderson family.Samuel Anderson, who died in 1855 buried several members of his family before taking his turn to rest in the Eel River Chapel Cemetery.
Susana (Anderson) Plotner, wife of Elijah was buried there in 1844, shortly after her brother William Anderson and sister-in-law Elizabeth Anderson. Their daughter, Malinda Anderson had passed away 2 years prior. How very sad to have so many leave so soon... I wonder if it was due to typhoid fever like so many deaths in those days...
Wish that I could put one on each stone...
Next time, with Springdale...
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