CONNECTIONS
After
viewing the plot layout* provided by Renessa Lewis I could see that many of the graves were in areas
or “family plots.” After further
analysis some of this early placement logic seemed to break down while other
parts held true. If there was an Osborn
Plot with additional room why were there Osborns
buried with the Alexanders and the Jones. There is an Alexander Plot with only Alexanders and the two Bottom plots have only Bottoms. While the Miller, Hale and Harmon plots hold
only those names, the Yates holds two Yates, two Pattisons
and three Woodards. Likewise the Thomson Plot holds two Thomsons, two Morgans and one
Denning. There was a smattering of
graves here and there, such as two Williams and a Reed near the Hales and
common marker for two Yates far from the Yates “plot”.
*(This is an external link, use you browser
“<Back” button to return)
As
of today (Dec, 2007) I have discovered a connection by either birth or marriage
for 68 of the 86 people buried here accounting for 17 of the 27 Surnames and
have answer most of my original questions.
Question:
Why are T.W. Osborn and Daughter Osborn buried with
the Alexanders?
Answer:
Thomas Alexander is their Grandfather and two of the earliest graves, the 2nd
and 5th respectively.
Question:
Why are Albert and Maude Jones buried with Freda Osborn?
Answer:
Albert Jones sister Lilly is Freda Osborn’s Aunt.
Question:
Why are there two Woodards, two Pattisons
and only two Yates in the Yates plot and why are they even together with a Linhart, McGinnis and a Rice?
Answer:
It’s appropriately named because a Yates married a Linhart,
a Yates married a Woodard and a Yates married a Pattison. The Rice and McGinnis however are still a
mystery.
Question:
What’s with the name of Thomson Plot and why do Laura Morgan and Mary Denning
share a marker?
Answer:
This plot probably should be called the “Waggoner plot” because all these
people are Waggoners. Laura and Daughter Morgan are daughters of
Sarah (Waggoner) Morgan. Sarah’s sister
is Chloe (Waggoner) Thomson and Lara is Chloe’s daughter. And as to Laura Morgan and Mary Denning
sharing a grave marker, they are half sisters to Sarah who remarried Joseph
Denning.
Question:
Why are all these seemingly unrelated people buried in what appears to be a
family cemetery?
Answer:
As it turns out the Alexander Cemetery is
a family cemetery albeit, of a large extended family with the Alexander Family
at its center.
Thomas
Alexander(1)
was the patriarch of the
Thomas’
5th daughter was named Prudence.
She
married Andrew Marion Osborn(2).
Andrew
and Prudence’s 2nd son was named John William.
He
married Lilly Jones(3).
Lilly’s
mother was named Nancy Thomas.
Samuel
and Nancy’s 2nd son was named Nathan.
He
married Fannie Williams(5).
Fannie’s
oldest sister was named Sherlottie.
She
married Unknown Reed(6).
Fannie’s
younger sister was named
She
married George Hale(7).
Thomas Alexander’s 3rd son was named Benjamin.
He
married Samantha Morgan(8).
Benjamin
and Samantha’s 1st daughter was named Jannettie.
She
married Unknown Arnold(9).
Benjamin
and Samantha’s 2nd daughter was also named Samantha.
She
married
He
married Jenettie Yates(11).
Jenettie’s
older sister was named Jauntia.
She
married O.P Woodard(12).
Jaunita
and O.P. had twin daughters named
Dicie
married Harold Pattison(14).
Jenettie’s
younger sister was named Mary Catherine.
She
married Daniel Woodard (no relation to O.P. that I
can find).
Mary
Catherine and Daniel’s daughter was named Myrtle Mary.
She
married William Alfred Bottom(15).
Jenettie,
Jaunita and Mary Catherine’s mother was named Anna
Her
maiden name Linhart(13).
Samantha
Morgan’s younger brother was named Daniel McKey
Morgan.
He
married Sarah Sallie Waggoner(16).
Her
2nd husband was named Joseph Denning(17).
Sarah’s
older sister was named Chloe Mary.
She
married John Thomson(18).
Those
are the connections between the 18 Surnames and
the 67 people they name that have been accounted for to date, leaving the
following unresolved Surnames:
Brown (1 name)
Estelle (Estill)
(4)
Harmon (4)
Hummel (2)
McGinnis (1)
Purcell (1)
Rice (1)
Sutton (4)
Towns (1)
The
Surname Rice shows up on the JC History map in census data as a neighbor to the Alexanders but
with a different first initial. Census
data show that Charles Harmon, who
is buried here, lived in the vicinity of the cemetery and was a neighbor to a
J. L. Jones. The parents of the two Hummels said to be buried here
also lived in the vicinity and were a neighbors to William Williams, also buried here.
Perhaps
the only connection for these last names is simply that they lived in the
vicinity and knew the Alexanders
and of their cemetery so that when the time came, they ask for and received a
place to lay there loved ones to rest.
For detailed information on individual Surname
connections click one of the following links
ALEXANDER
– MORGAN – ARNOLD - PEAK
