Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1942-07-23


Back in the early days of the Dye
settlement, death occurred, and
burial was made on the side of this
mound Ca large oak tree stood in
the center.) Doubtless this death
awakened the sympathy and cast a
gloom over the little community,
and may it not have suggested to
the mind Of Ezekiel Dye, and his
family, the need of public bury
ing ground. The body that was con-
signed to the solitary grave on the
mound was most certainly borne
over this very spot, which later be-
came the Dye cemetery. We are
very much in doubt if there had
been any burials in the settlement
previous to this time. 1t was a Gus
tom in the early days with some
families to set aside plot of ground
on their own lands to bury their
dead We have no knowledge of any
private graves in this vicinity, none
nearer than mile, anG they are
not Dyes. The Story the Tomb
stones Tell" can no longer be read,
giving a clue to the first burial in
the Dye cemetery, as time has eff
faced the lettering on many of the
old crunbling sandstones
Back when the state of Kansas
was called wild and Woolly,"
certain town facetiCusly boasted of
everything needful except ceme-
terry, SO they killed man and start
ed one However. this was not the
case in the start of the Dye grave
yard but it might have been
Doubtless there were a few inter
ments before Ezekiel Dye passed
away, which was in 1880. He was
full Of years. at the time of his
timely. Did the attending ply
sican, whose name has already
been mentioned, make a mistake
and administer too powerful drug
We wonder. Mr.. Dye was buried on
his own ground, and doubtless he
had previously chosen this spot for
burial ground Inconvenien to reach
yet it holds the dust Of many of the
settlements earliest and most high
ly respected citizens. But what
about that lonely grave on the
side of the mound, marked only
with rough stones picked from the
field, probably at that time in
woods?
We have no record of the story,
only as handed down by tradition,
and that very meager.
A man and a woman, strangers,
came along and begged a nights
lodging at the Ezekiel Dye home,
the first house, except rude cabin,
in the settlement They were kindly
and while under the
friendly roof, the woman took sick
and gave birth to a baby. and both
died AS the burial was made on the
mound we naturally conclude that
at this time the plot Of ground we
have been talking about had not
as yet been set aside for a burial
purpose. After the funeral was over,
whatever rites there may have been,
the lonely man took his departure
and who the couple were or from
whence they came, or whittier
going, was very likely known at
the time but is now a closed book,
forgotten, lost in oblivion. We can
only guess as to how the funeral
was conducted and burial made in
that far away day
The extra trimmings and fine
embroidery, fitting and appropri
ate for these times, was not dream
I'd OF in those pioneer days. Had
our forefathers got sight of a burial
casket, such as are common now,
they wouldn't have known it's pur-
pose. They would have guessed it
crown and jewel case for the
King and Queen of England
Boards split out or whipsawed
from poplar log, and a carpenter
who could make a batten door was
sufficiently skilled to make a coffin,
putting it together with wooden
pins sufficed for those pioneers
who followed the trail and made
their homes in the wilderness.
However, the coffin that held the
remains of the unfortunate mother
and her babe was put together with
nails forged out in blacksmith
shop. AS to the age and personal ap-
pearance of this woman, we know
nothing except she had a beautiful
and even set of teeth with one miss
ing in the upper jaw. How do we
know? That is another story and we
leave you wondering.
P. S.-Perhaps before this ap-
pears in cold type a granite block
will take the place of the old sand
stone that marks the grave of EZe-
kiel Dye, the first settler of Meigs
Greek valley, and soldier of the