Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1931-01-29
STORY THE TOMBSTONES
TELL IN MEIGS CEMETERY
c.. B. RAY
by "
c.. B. R AY

Readers of our section in the
Democrat will remember a few
years ago of our telling of the visit
of C. E. Ernhart and wife of Okla.
homa City, Okla, to the cemetery
here Mrs. Ernhart is daughter of
Ezra Osborne who was a son of the
would be the same relation to the
j patriot Hugh Osborne that Mrs.
Hooper is. We have told you the
Osbornes were natives of Maine. 1t
is told that Zuba would put on her
linsey woolsey dress and go alone to
visit relatives at her old home in
Maine.
The Osbornes sold their farm to
c. H. Whitney in 1874 or rs, and
loaded their goods they wanted to
take with them to their new home,
in a covered wagon, and started up
Mouse run and onto the Marietta
GAINESVILLE road. We believe Bob
Martin and family went west at the
same time. That reminds us of a
story Mrs John Bozman used to tell
of an aunt of hers who was an aged
lady at the time and came back to
visit the Sengs, Osbornes, and 9TH
er relatives and friends. Nan said
why aunt, did you come all the
way by yourself?" When she re-
piled "Oh no, there We're lots of
folks on the train.
Since we started the writing OF
this story, we have had many new
thoughts in regard to this Silent
/ City" While there are others in
! the neighborhood who have kept in
/ touch with locations of unmarked
graves, and many who remember
events pertaining to the life and
death of these who have gone on,
we find that some are waiting until
we have section in print before
they tell us about their kin folks, in
stead of telling us before we write
the copy. While we came near say
ing in a previous section that there
were no Scotch buried here, we
knew better. if the old rule of dis
tinguishing nationalities be correct.
Our late friend VIM. Ellis OF whom
we have told you, explained to rs
IA, ,;o.1, h.zp
with him in his last sickness. II
Nc is not Scotch. his rule is
wrong. And we find several stones
that bear names Of that kind.
Ralph Mcconnell. a veteran OF
the Civil war, was one OF the first
men we remember who worked for
our father as farm hand. We know
nothing of his parents. He was
born in Lawrence county. He was
married 10 Matilda Shook who was
a sister Of Billie Of whom we have
written Their mother was Cyrena
andrews and their father Jacob
Shook whom We Will tell you about
later "Ralphie" as he was known
TO many. and lot, OF folks called
him Mack, was hard worker
They were the parents OF FIVE chill
dren: :. 3. OF Meigs, Will OF Co
lumbus: Mrs. Effie Smith of South
GAINESVILLE; Mrs. Ida Henderson. and
Mrs. Annie Brill. deceased. While
many times this man had hard
time TO make ends meet, we have
often heard our father say he was
honest. He would buy from father
and then work ii out.
While the graves of these folks
have no costly stone. we want to
write the following dates in our
record: Ralph Mcconnell, born
1885: died 1908. Matilda Shook
Mcconnell, born 1912; died 1915.
Annie Mcconnell Brill, born Nov.
25, 1875; died oct 25, 1897. Ida.
Wife of Wilson Henderson, has a
monument. she was born 1869;
died February, 1907. Their son Ev-
erett died March i 1917, aged 20
years, II months and 25 days. His
death was due to spinal meningitis. (
He was an exemplary young man;
had taught school. He lies beside
his mother, and his tomb is marked.
In former installment we said
4 hrip wa
meant Brill Annie was the wife Of
Scott Brill of Reinersyille. From
her brother S b. Mcconnell we !
learn she was born, died. I
Frank Bailey and his brother .
Hiram lie in unmarked graves, eX-
cept the former has flag staff, as !
we have told you he being a Span
ish American soldier Their par
ents, Robert W. Bailey, a former .
blacksmith of this place, and his \
wife. reside in GAINESVILLE
Jas. Phillips, son Of William and I
Elizabeth Brothers Phillips. was
born in East Windsor, 1850; died .
1927. His wife. who was Belle .
Chambers, now lives at Stockport. /
They were the parents Of four
daughters s-Lillie and Maggie who ,
are buried here: Ella Lee Hosom
who is buried at Fairview, and Mrs. |
Launa Mummey who resides near
Utica, Licking county. On the stone
at the grave of Lille we read died |
Sept. Z, 1878, aged two months, /
three days" and on the one erected |