There it is, the stone that started it all. It's the cause of my obsession with cemeteries and tombstones.
It is a simple stone, nothing really special about it. It was the first tombstone I photographed. Maybe what I had to go through to get to it has something to do with it.
On a September morning in 2000 with only a camera in hand my husband and I set out to take a picture of the grave of John Anderson, my 3rd great grandfather. John was born in either North Carolina or Georgia and at that time the only ancestor I knew served in the American Revolution.
When I think back about this trip I realize what a novice I was. I was not prepared for the adventure which was ahead of me. I thought I was going to drive right up to the cemetery and with a few clicks of the camera I'd be on my way. You should see me when I go to a cemetery today. I can tell you one thing I am armed with more than a camera and tennis shoes!
After driving up and down McCumber Hill Road for the third time, I realized this was not going to be as easy as I had thought. Why? There was no cemetery in site; no matter where I looked or how many times we went up and down the short road surrounded on all sides by hills covered with trees and only a few homes.
After driving up and down McCumber Hill Road for the third time, I realized this was not going to be as easy as I had thought. Why? There was no cemetery in site; no matter where I looked or how many times we went up and down the short road surrounded on all sides by hills covered with trees and only a few homes.
Could the directions I have to be wrong?
Where's the cemetery and how was I going to find it? Surely it couldn't be too far off the road. They had to be able to get a casket and tombstone to the site of burial. I was about to learn I was WRONG again.
I told my husband to stop at the next house and I'd ask if anyone knew of a cemetery in the area. As he went around a curve a home came in view. The front yard was full of guys working on motorcycles. There was no way I was getting out of the car and asking about a cemetery. I had been warned by my uncles to be careful where I went and who I talked to, due to hidden growing locations of "Meigs County Gold" all over the country side.
Down the road a bit we saw another home about an eighth of the way up a hill and noticed a man by the barn. Looked safe enough to me; so up we went. As we went up the drive I thought it was a good thing I didn't have to walk up to this house. OH, little did I know I was soon going to be doing a lot of walking and most of it was going to be straight up.
As I approached him I thought, he is going to think me totally nuts. I took a deep breath and asked if he knew of any cemetery near by and added according to the directions I have it is supposed to be on McCumber Hill Road just east of Nicholason Hill Road.
He looked at me and said, "Let me get my wife; she came across a cemetery up there, as he motioned up the hill from where he was standing, when she was out walking one day." Relief! We found the cemetery. Then I thought, OH, my goodness he pointed up that hill! Not just any hill but the tallest one in the area. I told myself it could not be too far up, right? McCumber Hill Road, Nicholason Hill Road, there was a clue there I didn't see.
I learned just how far up after wading thru tall weeds and brush with only tennis shoes on to a semi flat location where several tall cedar trees were but no cemetery in view. This must have been where a home was at one time, parts of a stone foundation and steps were visual through all the weeds. I was told the cemetery was still further up the hill and from this point on it was about as straight up as it could be and still be able to climb. I wished I had started this adventure about twenty years sooner.
HOW did they ever get a casket up here?? There was nothing that indicated there ever was a road. What we were following had to have been a path deers used to go up and down the hill. This was the only semi cleared area around.
I don't know how long we were climbing but it seemed like at least an hour. Finally the ground started leveling out some and in the distance I saw a stone. Not just a stone; a HUGE stone. To this day I have no idea how they were able to get a stone of that size up that hillside.
After a few more minutes of climbing the trees became fewer, myrtle was covering the ground and we were standing at the top of the hill and the edge of the cemetery. Leaves were still on the trees and light filtered thru here and there. There were standing and fallen stones scattered around and several sunken areas indicated a burial but the stones were long gone. I don't think anyone had visited this cemetery for years, no road was visible leading away from the cemetery in any direction. Later I learned the last burial was in 1933, a few were laid to rest in the 1920s but most were buried from the mid 1800s to 1900.
Where's the cemetery and how was I going to find it? Surely it couldn't be too far off the road. They had to be able to get a casket and tombstone to the site of burial. I was about to learn I was WRONG again.
I told my husband to stop at the next house and I'd ask if anyone knew of a cemetery in the area. As he went around a curve a home came in view. The front yard was full of guys working on motorcycles. There was no way I was getting out of the car and asking about a cemetery. I had been warned by my uncles to be careful where I went and who I talked to, due to hidden growing locations of "Meigs County Gold" all over the country side.
Down the road a bit we saw another home about an eighth of the way up a hill and noticed a man by the barn. Looked safe enough to me; so up we went. As we went up the drive I thought it was a good thing I didn't have to walk up to this house. OH, little did I know I was soon going to be doing a lot of walking and most of it was going to be straight up.
As I approached him I thought, he is going to think me totally nuts. I took a deep breath and asked if he knew of any cemetery near by and added according to the directions I have it is supposed to be on McCumber Hill Road just east of Nicholason Hill Road.
He looked at me and said, "Let me get my wife; she came across a cemetery up there, as he motioned up the hill from where he was standing, when she was out walking one day." Relief! We found the cemetery. Then I thought, OH, my goodness he pointed up that hill! Not just any hill but the tallest one in the area. I told myself it could not be too far up, right? McCumber Hill Road, Nicholason Hill Road, there was a clue there I didn't see.
I learned just how far up after wading thru tall weeds and brush with only tennis shoes on to a semi flat location where several tall cedar trees were but no cemetery in view. This must have been where a home was at one time, parts of a stone foundation and steps were visual through all the weeds. I was told the cemetery was still further up the hill and from this point on it was about as straight up as it could be and still be able to climb. I wished I had started this adventure about twenty years sooner.
HOW did they ever get a casket up here?? There was nothing that indicated there ever was a road. What we were following had to have been a path deers used to go up and down the hill. This was the only semi cleared area around.
I don't know how long we were climbing but it seemed like at least an hour. Finally the ground started leveling out some and in the distance I saw a stone. Not just a stone; a HUGE stone. To this day I have no idea how they were able to get a stone of that size up that hillside.
After a few more minutes of climbing the trees became fewer, myrtle was covering the ground and we were standing at the top of the hill and the edge of the cemetery. Leaves were still on the trees and light filtered thru here and there. There were standing and fallen stones scattered around and several sunken areas indicated a burial but the stones were long gone. I don't think anyone had visited this cemetery for years, no road was visible leading away from the cemetery in any direction. Later I learned the last burial was in 1933, a few were laid to rest in the 1920s but most were buried from the mid 1800s to 1900.
With a sigh of relief, I looked around. This WAS a beautiful cemetery, so quite and peaceful. A wide ray of su light shining thru the trees caught my eyes as I glanced over the stones. It seemed to be shining on one particular tall rectangular stone as if to be pointing the way. Once I reached the stone and read: John Anderson Died Feb 24, 1847 Aged 76y3m27d, an overwhelming feeling came over me and I realize I had finally accomplished what I had set out to do that day. We spent the next hour or so photographing the complete cemetery knowing it was very unlikely I would ever be able to return.
I will never forget the climb nor how I felt when I realized I was standing by the gravesite of my 3rd great grandfather as many of my ancestors did in 1847.
Connie,
ReplyDeleteDo you know about a Devil's Tea Table near Harrisonville?
Julie