Where Deers had been sleeping in the thicket at Dickerson Cemetery

Hugh M. Funkhouser

Walking in Howard Cemetery you will come across a dark grey tombstone a very unremarkable and unadorned marker.  The Inscription reads Son of L.G. and M. E. Funkhouser born 14 Aug 1907 died 4 Aug 1909.  Nothing else identifies this little guy.  He did not live long enough to be counted on a census record, and to most genealogist or even cemetery preservationist he would have been lost to time.  But, we at the Howard Project are not most, and we are like a dog with a bone; we don't give up and care deeply for those in Howard's.   These are not stones, they are the LAST monument, or in some cases the only monument to a persons life;  especially those little ones.  We take it for granted now that there are picture of our kids throughout every stage of their precious lives.  That was not the case, prior to the invention of the portable affordable camera.  So pictures usually did not exist until a child became school aged.  So the only marker left to prove that they lived on this earth is their cemetery marker, and unfortunately many have identified the child as son or daughter of whomever.  Their stone does not give them their proper name, and with time who they were has been lost.  I honestly don't believe that this was done maliciously, people thought their would be family around to always pass down the knowledge.  But, in researching Lucian Funkhouser's line nothing is mentioned, about the two children that passed.  In a History of Hendricks county it is mentioned that there were two children that passed, but does not name them.  So after coming home from the cemetery, Ray and I were both tired, but I was proud about the amount of walking I have been doing and being able to withstand the pain longer.  We put in five hours and Luke Everett, Ray's cousin and fellow 4-Her came to help for an hour and a half.  He wanted to make sure that we would not get mad at him when he left,  mad we were just thrilled for the help. So Ray and I quit at three, he packed all our junk up and we were off. I had planned to attend the Boone County Genealogical Society in a few hours, but my husband is working a different shift and it was nice to have the entire family all together for some quality time.  But my plans were made as I wanted to met Kim Hancock another preservationist who would be giving the program on graveyard restoration.  After spending sometime together, the guys started to do outside stuff, and I started to check the blog and do some genealogy work.  Wanted to get the day's tombstone pictures up loaded. 
It bothers me to know end not to have a person identified with a family.  Every one in Howard, I believe is connected in someway, and having a small little boy nameless in Howard Cemetery bothered me.  I knew by the L.G. and M.E. Funkhouser, who's son he is supposed to be, but I of coarse had done the Funkhouser tree and contacted other genealogist who researched the Funkhouser, but no one mentioned the son's name.  From the 1910 Census I knew that two children were passed, but I needed a name.  So as my guys tended horses and did yard work, I started hunting for a name.  I kept hunting and hunting, and I was able to find, that a son was born to Lucian Funkhouser and his wife on 14 Aug 1907, and I even remember finding that record earlier  and saving it.  I should have looked in my saved material before I started hunting again, but oh well.  The only information was that he was male.  So the birth record did not help.  So then I hunted up death records and their he was Hugh M. Funkhouser, passing away on 4 Apr 1909.  So now I know who he was, and have named him.   But just after my joy of finding him, my husband comes in dragging a saddle and asked "Didn't you have a genealogy meeting you really wanted to go to".  Despite my laptop having a clock in the corner I had totally lost track of time.  The few times I did look, it was too early to give up the hunt.  So the moral of the story is first never schedule a cemetery workday on the same day you have a workshop you want to attend; check you fancy gadget calendars; and don't start researching if you have somewhere you want to be.   Because my one hour, turned into three, and I missed out on meeting Kim. 
On a side line, I hate daylight saving time.  I used to be able to tell the time by the amount of light outside.  Maybe someday I will get used to daylight savings time but I doubt it.  I have lived predominatley in two states in the Union, Arizona and Indiana, and NO DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME, until Mr. Daniels.  I could have sworn I voted to not go with Daylight Savings, but of coarse what we the people want does not go over with big business.  Okay done with my rant, and the sun really did not play a role; as I would have had to look up from the screen as I was hunting.   I hate I missed Kim as she is related to the Carter's in Howard Cemetery. 

Funkhouser grave 7-6

James Funkhouser

Son of Lucian Funkhouser

After hours of research, and missing a Boone County Genealogy Meeting, I really wanted to attend, but I could not give up this trail.  I was afraid I might not get back to it if a left off to attend the meeting. 
So Drum Roll Please, his name is Hugh M. Funkhouser

Lydia McDaniels

Cleaned by Luke Everett and Ray Everett

Elias and Susana Larsh stone

Cleaned by Luke Everett

H.E. Larsh

Luke Everett and the stone of Elias and Susanna Larah

Bertie Larsh

Leota J. Funkhouser

Luke Everett cleaning Bertie Larsh's stone

Samuel Howard

John W. Doyal

Matilda Doyal stone before cleaning

Ray cleaning Joseph D. Todd stone

Sarah J. Riner

We have a Sarah J. Riner buried in Howard Cemetery she was born in 1888 and dies in 1930.  Her stone is grey granite and has dogwood flowers that are carved on the four corners.  Her stone is set just north of that of David Doyal and Margaret Rader.  Now to who Sarah J. Riner could have been. 

In the 1920 Census in Indiana a S. Riner Female born in 1888 is a patient in the Central Indiana Hospital for the Insane.

In Florida in 1930 a Sarah Smith Riner dies in Jackson Florida.  

There are Riner families in Boone in Census records for the time period.  Also Riner infants in Birth Index for Hendricks county.  I anyone out in cyberspace knows who Sarah J. Riner is we would greatly appreciate your help.   

I think that she may be the daughter of David Doyal because they did have a daughter born in in 1888 who disappears after the 1900 Census.  Do not know if she died or got married as so far we can not find any documentation.

Boone County Master Gardener's

We have contacted the Boone County Master Gardener's to help with the landscape at the cemetery.  We need to preserve the Yucca, Lillies and Peony in the planned landscaping, they are going to have to be moved as they are impacting the stones;  these families did not foresee their plantings toppling their loved ones markers.  All three of these plants mentioned are not native to Indiana, neither is the state flower Peony; but in doing research even in the 1800' non native plants were already being used in garden and cemetery settings in central Indiana.  Just like a pioneer would bring items with them that reminded them of home, they also wanted plants that were familiar to them in this new untamed wilderness.  It is our need to settle and civilize an area that changes it and mold it to it's new inhabitants.

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How to Clean a Cemetery Stone 101

The first step in cleaning a cemetery stone is to identify what type of stone you are about to clean.  Granite is a stone that is almost indestructible, and only really needs a scrub brush and water, as biological's do not readily like to live on it. Do research and never never use dishsoap, bleach, or phosphate cleaners, on any stone even if a monument company tells you to. 

When cleaning both Limestone and Marble stone we again recommend just water.  Most grave yards do not have a water source, so you will need to bring plenty of water with you.  We like to use a brand new never used weed sprayer to apply our water.  We usually start from the bottom of the base and work up.  We use  nylon bristle scrub brushes.  We never use metal!!! We prefer white bristles,  which are getting harder and harder to find.  Wet the area to be scrubbed with water, scrub the area and rinse,  rinse and scrub.  Do Not walk away in the middle of a scrubbing without rinsing, the lichen can leave a green residue if not rinsed straight away.  Clean a small area, then more on to the next area.  We recommend using a plastic butter knife to remove any large or heavy lichen areas.  Because in the pressure that is used in scrubbing you don't want to damage the stone.    For stubborn stains we recommend Ammonia in a one to four mixture.  One part Ammonia four part water.  If you can smell strong ammonia in your spray bottle, it is too strong.   Wet stone with plan water, spray ammonia mixture, scrub and rinse, rinse and rinse, with plain water.    We also have had luck will Orvus paste in a five gallon bucket on the final cleaning. With Orvus you only need a little on a bucket, a little Orvus goes along way.   Rinse and Rinse and Rinse some more.  Do you see a trend, water is the stone cleaners friend.   

Mabel Funkhouser stone 3-12

Daughter of Iverson and Lula Funkhouser   Mabel was only 3months and 23day old when she passed

Mabel Funkhouser before cleaning 3-12

Obsessed

We must be obsessed with our project, as we kept cleaning the stone of Mable Funkhouser despite the pop up rain storm.  But, when it started raining too hard, which was for us buckets coming down, Rayke and I finally gave up.  Our hair was so wet all we need was some shampoo and we could have washed it.  We kept scrubbing and laughing.  Good Day!!!!

Gladys Carter

Was contacted by  the great granddaughter of Ora Carter.  She advised me that Gladys Carter born 1894 daughter of Ora Carter and Laura E. Tout Carter may be buried in Howard Cemetery.  Gladys was a twin and she died around the age of 6.  She is counted in the 1900 Census with her parents and twin sister Dallas Ruth Carter, living in Hamilton County, Washington Township.  She would have passed after the census.

Portland White Cement

We never thought that finding a certain type of cement in a metropolitan city like Indianapolis would be so hard. After numerous phone calls we finally found portland white cement  locally at a concrete supply company. The location should be amended, as locally for being south of downtown Indianapolis, and not for where we live.   Plus it is at a reasonable price, we had found it earlier but 29.00 for 50# we thought was steep.  Found it for the same price, but for 94#, so makes us feel more thrifty. 
The setting compound is another matter, so far can not find it locally and will have to buy it online; which the price isn't bad, but the shipping cost is what we wish we could avoid. We are still hunting for the compound locally and will continue; until next week and then we will have to pay shipping. 

Father's Day 2011

It has been a humid rainy Father's Day weekend in Boone County Indiana.  A day established to celebrate the joy of fatherhood, it is one of those holidays that most of the fathers who are buried in Howard Cemetery would not have had a chance to celebrate.  The holiday is a 20th century invention to compliment the Mother's Day observance;  a way to celebrate the father contribution to the raising of the children, that at it's time of first usage, in the early 1900's was a very specific niche in the family.  A father was the person who went to work, and provided for his family and children.  He would teach the boys the things they would need to know to be successful men.  The girls would see what a successful spouse was like in looking to their father. The role of father has evolved greatly throughout the 20th century and into the 21st century.  If one could go back and spy on a late 19th or early 20th century father; could we find one that knew how to prepare a meal, change a diaper, or see to the emotional needs of children.  I am not trying to make fathers of that era sound barbaric, but they had a specific needed role to play, and most of the populace did not have  leisure time; especially in a rural farming community.  The mores of the time had specific rules for both the parents in a family.  A father of today, more likely than not, can feed a child, change a diaper and is very involved in the day to day rearing of the children, this was not the case in the past.  The majority of children after the death of a mother in the 19th century and early 20th century were fostered out to friends and family.  Fathers were seen as incapable of taking care of a small child; only females were prepared for that.  Fathers have evolved grown and changed the world around us, so today no matter old or new we Thank You our fathers for the job that you have done. 

Thank YOU!!!!

Rayke and I want to extend a GREAT BIG THANK YOU to the FABULOUS Everett Duo of Nanette and Luke,  we appreciate the hard back breaking work that you did today at the Cemetery.  If it wasn't for Luke, Rayke and I would still be raising and leveling the first HEAVY Stone, as he needed another strong guy.   You both ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dewey Funkhouser after cleaning

Stone 3-10

Dewey Funkhouser before cleaning

Dewey Funkhouser's Stone 3-10

Back of the stone before cleaning

Everett Stone 1-1 completed

Nanette Everett cleaning Nora Black stone

Hard labor

Luke Everett

Zella Edith Funkhouser stone before being raised

Luke Everett raising the base of Zella Funkhouser

Frazee stone not as ornately carved as brothers

The Everett stone Leveled and raised

Two very strong men, Luke and Ray Everett. Two cousins raising the stone of two great great cousins.

Nanette Everett after cleaning of Frazee Stone

Charles Frazee stone before cleaning

Luke Everett and Ray Everett raising stone

Everett stone

Ray Everett starting to Raise Stone

Everett Stone Before Raising

Work to be done on Tuesday the 14th

On Tuesday June 14 we are going to raise and level the Obelisk of Zella Edith Funkhouser,   We will also straighten the last Marsh infant stone that can be done, with out destroying the existing vegetation.  Violet Furn Marsh's stone will be fixed this fall after the peony has died back.  The peony will then be replanted, into the landscape of the cemetery.   The stone of William and Geoffrey Everett will also be leveled on Tuesday. 

Tablet resetting

A tablet is a tombstone that looks like a slab of stone, think Ten Commandments in Moses; slabs of stone that vary in size with an inscription carved onto them.  Material used for tablets included, wood( usually only seen museums), slate, limestone, marble, and sandstone. Slate tablets in Indiana are rarer than it's contemporary counterparts.  Limestone was readily available in central Indiana.  Sandstone usage here in central Indiana is rarer than limestone and marble usage.   Marble is the most widely used tablet stone used here in central Indiana.  You find white marble and the veined marble varieties.  Tablets were first used as a marker that was just stuck in the ground.  These are usually rough hewed under the soil line, but not always, as our project has discovered.  The ones that are set in ground can be very long with only the inscription area showing above the soil line.  You then find that some of the white marble type tablets begin to be mounted in  limestone bases.  These tablets were mortared into the slot, so if something happened to loosen the stone the tablet would pop out of the base.  During the Great Depression the WPA was hired to do a number of infrastructure projects; one of these being cemetery maintenance.  During this time period, fallen tablets started to be reset directly in concrete.  At the time people thought that this would be a permanent fix, but concrete and stone do not mix. Being that concrete is harder than stone; the result of this is that the stone is what suffers; cooling, heating, stress can all make the stones fracture off the concrete base.  Since concrete is harder; it is the stone that breaks, typically at the bottom where it was set into the concrete.  So what will our project do in resetting tablets.  Tablets that go directly into the ground and they are still intact will be straighten only.  Those that are down and need to be reset, because of a concrete base fracture, a new base will be poured.  It will contain a slot for the marble stone.  Then the tombstone will be reset into the slot with a mortar mix. If something does every happen; then the stone will be able  to come out of the base without any more damage to the stone.

Straight Lines

We understand that in a perfect world all the rows and stones in Howard Cemetery would be perfectly straight, but they are not.  Yes when we reset the Marsh Infant stones we could have placed them in a completely straight line, but they weren't originally set that way.  Each stone was set separately and not in straight rows, so our judgment call was to set them the way they were, as close to original site as possible.   We have also decided that we will use the existing row on either side of down stones to set them.  If you have any question or comments about this procedure please post them!

J.A. Rouse

Well we have been hunting up who J.A. Rouse could be; we know from his stone that he or she is born 9 Jun 1876 and dies 1 Jan 1898.  He or She would have been 21 when he passed away.  So the hunt was on for anyone that fit the profile, slim as it was, a person first name started with J and last name Rouse who would have been in central Indiana during his or her death.  We tried to find a connection to a family buried in Howard to the surname Rouse, but have not found one.  Next we started a blind search for anyone born in or about 1876 and the last name Rouse, and the varied spelling of the name.  Thankfully Rouse is not Smith or Brown or any other of the more common names.  We have found a Joseph Rouse born in 1876 and living in Sugar Creek, Shelby, Indiana.  He is the only Rouse in the United States that fits the slim profile.   So we researched his family ties, and we have discovered the Robert Rouse and his wife Permelia are living in Perry township, Boone County in the 1900. But Permelia according to the 1900 and 1910 Census has had no children; so may not be Roberts only spouse, or we have the wrong Rouse. But J.A. is still  a very good suspect to be the J. A. Rouse buried in Howard Cemetery.  Hopefully we can find a death index or certificate to verify his parentage.  More to come

Emma R. Smith Portrait

I have found out that the Sullivan Munce Museum in Zionsville Indiana has the portrait that was painted of Emma R. Smith, which was commissioned by her former students; who  paid Indiana artist Randolph LaSalle Coats $600 dollars to paint a life size portrait of Miss Smith.  The portrait was dedicated on 30 Sep 1927 with a large number of Zionsville graduates attending the ceremony.  The portrait hung in the hall of the Zionsville School, until the school building was closed. 

Life and Marriage in 1800 Indiana

Emory T. Green was born Sep 1873 the son of Charles Green born 11 Oct  1814 and Angelina Louisa Wilson born 20 Nov 1844.  Louisa was 34 years her husbands junior.  They were married in 1860 when Louisa would have been 15 years of age.  Charles would have been 46, our social mores have changed since the 1800, but even for that period of time the age difference would have been unusual.  Our collective consciousness has the false impression that people in the 1800's got married at a extemely young age; but this is usually not historical the case.  Records indicate that people during this people did get married in their late teens and early twenties; this trend continued up until the 1960's as the predominate age period for people to join in marriage contracts.   The Census records for 1900 confirm the age difference of the couple, as does their tombstone in Pleasant Hill Cemetery.  The Green union is the exception to the marriage age of the day, not the norm.  The Union lasted for over 40 years so they had a successful marriage.
Another myth is that divorce did not happen in 1800's.  First off to be historically honest, mortality was an issue in people wanting to remarry. As spouses did pass and there were quick remarriages; especially if there were infant or young children to be looked after; but divorces did take place, but they were rare.
Marriage because of death was more common depending on the financial and emotional needs of the surviving spouse.  One case in point is Amanda Doyal, one of the interned in Howard Cemetery, the widow of Aaron Frazee; financially Amanda did not need to remarry, even though she had three boys in the household that were young; therefore she never does. Having male children was a boon for Amanda as it provided a need farm work force. Now a female in a similar situation that did not have the financial means; would have more likely than not, remarried to provide for her children.  Similar to a man in a situation like Oscar Cook the husband of Mary Wiley Cook one of the interned in Howard Cemetery.  Oscar is left with two small children when Mary dies in 1858, what does he do; he does what most men do during this time, he remarries.  Who does he marry; he marries Charity Wiley the sister of Mary.  Some spouses would plead on their death bed that their unmarried sister looked after the husband and children.  The dying female would feel an obligation to her spouse and children to find a solution, while they are also dying.  I know in present day this may sound absurd, but in the obituary of Nellie Stoker Smith(see Sketch under that name) it even states this being the case. These are not typically long drawn out deaths, but these woman had to forethought to make arrangements for their households even after there deaths. Woman knew the household and children were their obligation, even after death; and if they could they would prepare for the transition to life without them.  If a new spouse was not suggested, it would have been encouraged.  Children would have been fostered out to family member, until a new spouse was attained.  Sometimes these children remained with the foster families their entire lives, usually the foster family had a familiar tie to the children; but not always. Couples with no children could greatly benefit from extra labor around the farm.  Yes children were used as family farm labor, and accomplished work that we would not even think of letting a child do in today's "me" generation.  This is not to disparage the society of today, but we do in general have a more individual ideal of the collective in the family, instead of the group dynamic that was found in the families of the 1800.  We don't have to work as hard to just provide a life for the family.  Families in the 1800 were more driven by the obligation to not only the nuclear family, but also the extended family and community in general.   How society worked in the 1800's even in the microcosm of Perry Township is very valuable to getting to know the people of historical community, and what impacted on their lives. 

Summer in Indiana

Summer has come as a furnace blast, along with more work than we have time for.   Rayke has been doing farm work at his grandmothers farm, and has been needed in keeping ahead of the noxious weeds that  have flourished with the rainy, now hot weather.  Luckily no weeds in Howard's Yeah.  We are in the process of scheduling the ground penetrating radar for this month.  Rayke has found three numbered discs in the ground in the green space between the road and the known stones.  I know that the green space was traditionally part of the school property and supposedly does not have burials in it.  This has raised questions and pushed back our planting of the landscaping, until after we have the radar is completed; as we do not want to run into any obstacles.  If we don't find any surprises we should have everything in the ground by the end of the month.   This fall the Yucca and Peony's that are on the graves will be dug up and placed in our landscaping.  They have a historic value in cemetery landscapes, but they are destroying the stones they are planted by.   So Rayke is going to be very busy digging holes, and planting vegetation; glad he is very committed to the project.  He really enjoys doing the labor, and though it is hard work he finds it rewarding. 
Madeline Frasure who's family mowed the cemetery last week also notice several bases around the Carter Family stones that have no tombstone in them;  Rayke had pointed these out to me also.  So another mystery.  I wonder if there is a honey hole in the cemetery somewhere, but this just gets filed away for later in this project.   A project like this can have more questions than answers, and if we were impatient it might seem overwhelming; but in reality you take one stone at a time. 

A Friday Well Spent

What more could you ask for in life than caring for history.  Maybe we never take the time to live in the moment; because we are always going perpetually forward, trying to race to the end.  We seem to be always busy with this or that, living in our own little spheres in which we orbit; not taking the time to enjoy who we are at any particular time.  You may accomplish many material things, but what will be left of you after you are gone.  Guess Yet?? A Tombstone, except for the DNA that we pass down to our lineage, most all your "stuff" your most loved possessions, within less than a hundred years after you are gone will be scattered to the winds and in landfills.  The monument to your life, a piece of granite will be raised; and after a generation or two forgotten in time.  Yes we will all be forgotten or misplaced into the annuals of history.  Then some 18 year old kid and his mother may come along and find out who you were, where your earthly remain are buried; they of coarse will try to drag some people along on this journey.  Even if they don't succeed in pulling others into their journey; they will have learned so much, not only about the stones, the people of that time and even about themselves, that they will become enriched by the time spent scrubbing stones, GPSing the coordinates, repairing cracks and straightening stones; that they too will find a sunny Friday in the first part of June well spent in their life moment of history.

Infant Marsh stones

Since this is a preservation project, we used the existing stone position in the reset. We thought long and hard about this as of coarse in a perfect situation the rows would be straight but we wanted to honor where these stones were originally set. We hope it is understood the preserving this cemetery is what is our foremost concern. We have made sure the stones are level on all sides.  We understand that ascetically straight lines would be ideal, but preserving where these stones were placed really seemed like the correct placement; since these were known not unknown burials.

Reset the stone with the cement at the soil line

1-13

After cement has been poured onto a stone nothing can be done to remove it that will not damage the stone

Had to remove entire stone to get it level

These stone weigh a good amount. 

What should not be done to a stone cement

Stone 1-13 before straightening

It is Level and plum Stone 1-14

1-14 after straightening

1-14 Infant Marsh

Stone of Infant Marsh 1-14 before straightening

Stone 1-15 after straightening

Stone1-15 Infant Marsh

Prior to me straightening

Emma Howard and three Infant Marsh stones

Well Emma Howard base and stone has been scrubbed and three infant Marsh stones 1-13, 1-14, and 1-15 reset. Ray did a fabulous job at resetting.

North side of stone 6-6 Emma Howard

Stone 6-6 before Cleaning

Emma Howard Stone 6-6

Work Schedule and Updates

The work schedule for the project will be posted on the blog and also on Facebook at  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Howards-Cemetery-Restoration-and-Preservation-Project. 

Aaron Frazee

Masonic Symbol on Aaron Frazee Grave

Close Up of Aaron Frazee stone