Greenwood Cemetery TALES THE TOMBSTONES TELL

Tales The Tombstones Tell - Republican Observer - December 13, 1956

             The Greenwood Cemetery

    On county trunk X north of the Blue River bridge is the Greenwood cemetery, a well kept burying ground. It was first known, back in the early days, as the Shore's cemetery, it's name being changed to "Greenwood." Many members of the Shore family been laid to their long rest in the burying grounds. One of these was William Shore, who was born July 21, 1845; and died June 16, 1923.

    An inscription says:
        "Eternal rest granted to him
        O Lord, and let perpetual light shine on him."

   On the same marker is this:

        "Nancy Jane Shore, born October 7, 1824,
        died March 5, 1893."
        "She has fallen asleep, she is resting at last;
        The pulse has grown still, that fever is past.
        She suffers no longer in heart or in brain
        And the pain that so racked her shall not come again."

    David Shore, born March, 1816, and died on November 25, 1883, has as this inscription on his marker:

        "'Tis hard to break the tender cord,
        When love has bound the heart,
        'Tis hard, so hard to speak the words,
        Must we forever part."

    One of the pioneers buried in the Greenwood cemetery is Peter Kinder. He was a native of Kentucky, born February 7, 1799. Coming to Richland county in 1845 with his family and two children he settled in Richwood and engaged in farming until the time of his death in 1873. It is related that while hunting he saw a bear on a hillside which he tracked into a den. Upon investigation he found the den to be a cave and is now known far and wide as Eagle Cave, said to be the largest in the state of Wisconsin.

    His first wife died, so the tombstone says, January 1, 1875, at the age of 75.

    A stone for a son of Peter, Solomon Kinder and his wife, marks their resting place. He was born in 1844, died in 1919. His wife Mary, born January 9, 1848, died October 10, 1926.

    Many well known names of the early settlers appear upon the stones, Dunston, Kent, Hamilton, Moon, Adams, Hillberry, Crye, Wade, Garner, Tisdale, Givens, Hubanks, McVay, Morgan and Whitesel are a few. On one it reads:

        "My dearest friends that dwell above
        I now have gone to see,
        And all my friends in Christ below
        Will soon come after me."

    Among two of the pioneers in the Greenwood cemetery are Samuel Ferebee and his wife Elizabeth Ann Chitwood Ferebee. He was born in North Carolina, in 1816 moved to Indiana and was married to Elizabeth Ann Chitwood in 1844. Lived on the Miami reservation and in 1855 came to Richland county where he died October 21, 1889. His wife was born on April 14, 1827, in Indiana and died May 13, 1907. On her stone it says: "She was an exemplary woman, a devoted mother." One of her sons was James M. Ferebee, at one time superintendent of schools for Richland county and later a successful and well known dentist in Richland Center. Another son, Matt, became an successful farmer. On the marker for William J. Ferebee, who was born in 1854, and died in 1922, it says: "He was a good citizen, a kind neighbor and constant friend."

    Another pioneer was C. W. Elliott who was born in 1849 and died in 1927; he and his wife are buried in this cemetery. Stephen B. Marsh, a native of Indiana, was born Dec. 8, 1830 and died in August, 1902. In 1855, he married Rebecca Miller, who passed away in 1920. Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Jones are counted as early pioneers. He was born in November, 1836, and she in 1838. They were the parents of Lee Jones, who passed away in 1950 at his farm at Byrds Creek.

     A number of veterans of the Civil War are in this cemetery. One, we noted was, was David Craigo. He was a member of Co. K, 92nd Ohio Volunteers. Edward Smith, a member of Co. F, 33rd Wis. Volunteers; is another who rests there. We note by the army record that he enlisted at Lake Mills, January 20, 1864; transferred to Co. F. 11th Wis. Infantry on July 17, 1865, and was mustered out July 22, 1865.

    On the stone of Wm. R. Garner, born in 1842 and died in 1920, it states that he was buried at Imboden, Ark.

    Theodore Wheaton, while not an early comer to Richland county, became prominent in the affairs of the town of Eagle as well as the county. He was born in Ohio, on Dec. 11, 1846. He served in the Civil War with an Ohio regiment. During the war his parents had moved to Richland county where he joined them after his discharge in 1865. His wife, whom he married in 1869, was Abigail, daughter of the Rev. John and Rhoda Crandall. She died in 1911.

    A stone in the cemetery marks the grave of R. L Carver who was at one, time postmaster at Port Andrews. He kept store and postoffice for over 20 years. His death was caused by heart disease and was sudden. His body was found on the river bank, by a son.

    There are many monuments for members of the Hillberry family and for the Jones family. Flowers were still fresh upon the grave of Emmett F. Dingman, when we visited the cemetery. He passed away on August 20, 1956, at the age of 84 years, 6 months and 18 days. He was born at Port Andrew on February 2, 1872.

    On the monument of Francis J. Crower it says:

        "Born in New York, Sept. 7, 1830, married in Canada to
        Lucinda Bradley, December 15, 1852, moved to Wisconsin in
        1854; began preaching when 22 years old and continued until
        his death at Byrds Creek February 25, 1903."

S. F.

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