Lone Rock Cemetery TALES THE TOMBSTONES TELL

The Tales Tombstones Tell - Republican Observer - December 18, 1958

                  Lone Rock Cemetery

    Dead these many, many years is Johnathan Hopkins, whose tombstone in the Lone Rock cemetery states that he died December 1, 1856, at the age of 52 years, one month and 17 days, and he may have been the first to be buried in this village cemetery as we found no other marker with a date earlier than 1856. However the cemetery is dotted with rough stones from the hillsides and one of these may mark the last resting place of some person who preceded Mr. Hopkins down the long road.
    The village of Lone Rock first came into being in 1856, the railroad having been completed to that point in October of that year and only one building was on the spot at that time and it was two months later that Johnahan Hopkins breathed his last and indications are that his burial was the first in this cemetery.
    A number of Civil War veterans are here with World War soldiers. Among the World War I veterans we noted markers for Steven Bennett who was born in 1886 and died in 1929. This is all the information the gravestone gives. Vern E. Rose is another World War veteran. He was a Pfc. 19th Ord. corps, born August 27, 1915, and died March 7, 1949. Another is Melvin C. Olson of World War II, born January 19, 1912, and passed on September 27, 1951. A third is Henry J. Krause, a private in the engineering corps. The stone does not give the date of his birth but records that he died October 25, 1936.
    Of the Civil War, Boys in Blue, who sleep here are some who belonged to the 6th Wisconsin Battery which was made up for the most part by men from Lone Rock and that area and was organized at Lone Rock with Henry Dillon as captain. Captain Dillon is buried in the Button cemetery not so far away. Byron Babcock is a 6th Battery veteran buried here. He served from September 14, 1861, until July 3, 1865, residing for many years in Lone Rock following the close of the war. E. A. J. Burdick enlisted from Ithaca on Sept. 11, 1861, and was mustered out in October, 1864, his term having expired. Mr. Burdick in after years became an employee of the railroad. R. A. Hammond, another member of the battery, is buried near the gate of this prairie burying ground. On the lot with him is his wife Ida, and a son Carl, the latter was a barber by trade, born in 1874, and died in 1957. R. A. was born in 1848 and died in 1935, while his wife, born, in 1849, died in 1921. Mr. Hammond always went by the name of "Seal", being shortened no doubt from his given name, Rasselas. There may be other members of the 6th buried here but the stones do not indicate it.
    Other Civil War veterans in the cemetery are Gardner Godfrey, a member of Co. B, 30th Wisconsin; John L. Harrison, Co. C, 37th Regiment; William F. Green, Co. G, 12th Connecticut Infantry; Leonard Tracy, Co. H, 1st Vermont Cavalry; D. E. Johnson, Co. B, 25th Illinois; there is also a G.A.R. marker on the grave of Charles H. Mumford, but no indications of the regiment in which he served. Jas. Gilson, a member of Co. K, 32nd regiment; Wm. H. Bower, Co. I, 23rd Infantry; W. A. Bower, Co. M, 38th Regiment. These are among the folks who served in the Civil War along with John Betty, Co. D, of the 9th Iowa Regiment. Mr. Betty was the last Civil War veteran from the Lone Rock area to answer "taps". His wife, Emma, who was born in 1859 and died in 1928, is buried by his side.
    Well known names upon the stones are the names of Endicott, Gile, Price, Britts, Phetteplace, Raybuck, Chase, Hendricks and Fox.

    On the marker for William Ward, who died in September, 1884, at the age of 44, it reads:
            "We should not weep that he is gone,
            With us its night with him it's dawn."

    Ben J. Hobart was also a Civil War veteran, a member of Co. B, 12th Wisconsin Infantry. He was born in Ohio Feb. 12, 1820, and died April 2, 1905. Buried on the same lot are Polly, his first wife, born in 1825, and died in 1863; and Eliza, his second wife, who died in 1899, at the age of 72 years and six months.
     On the same lot with E. A. J. Burdick, G.A.R. veteran, mentioned above, are markers for three other members of the family. Sybil was born in 1846, and died in 1938; Frank, born in 1870, and died in 1899, Harry, 1877-1952, and Clayton, 1886-1956.

    The Preston family have several members buried here. James A. Preston, died in October, 1892, at the age of 72; his wife, Lucinda, was 75 when she passed on in 1900; Howard Preston died in 1902; Harley in 1900, and Lucinda, wife of James, Jr., died in 1885, at the age of 21.

    Alpheus Aldrich evidently liked to move about for it says upon his marker that he was "born in Rochester, New York, April 24, 1818. Married Helen Conable on January 27, 1839. At different times lived at Fabius, New York; Berlin, New Jersey; Smithport, Pa.; Deansville, Wis., and Lone Rock, where he died June 28,1885. His wife died November 12, 1882. On the same lot is a stone for Eber J. Aldrich, born December 11, 1851, married Ida Jenkins, on June 24, 1875, and died November 14 1884. His wife died in 1886 at the age of 31. A son, Alexander Alpha, died in 1883 at the age of two years, 11 months and 22 days. Mr. Aldrich was a blacksmith. He too, like his father, wanted to move about a bit so he built a boat, launched it in Wisconsin river and set sail, landing at New Orleans. He returned home from there, no doubt with many tales of his adventures down the big river which he told and re-told to those who gathered at his blacksmith shop.

    Michael Schlough was a harness maker by trade, and from what we learn, a good one. He plied his trade at Lone Rock for many years. He was born in 1845, and died in 1921; his wife, Mary, came into this world in 1848, and died in 1928. On the same marker are the names of their children. A son Vernie, died March 27th, at the age of a bit past one year; a daughter, Stella, was 17 when she passed on April 12, 1899; Carrie was three when her death took place on December 18, 1885, and Adda, whose death was December 19, 1885, was one year, one month, and seven days old.
    Two of the early born folks were Philip Creasy, born in 1818, and his wife, born in 1821. He died in 1889 and she in 1875. On the stone for Mary Whipple, who was born in 1809 and died in 1900, is a line which reads:
            "Weep not, she is at rest."
    Dr. J. E. Peebles and his wife Elizabeth, are buried here. He was born in 1847 and died in 1914; his wife was born in 1847 and passed away in 1925. On the back of the tombstone for Dr. and Mrs. Peebles are two inscriptions which read:
            "P. N. Gray, aged 82"
            J. B. Gray, aged 82"

    George Schnee was 86 years, 8 months and 11 days of age when he passed away in 1886. On the same lot is his wife Cora Bell Woodbury. Also in this cemetery is R. H. Layton, born in 1831, and died in 1904. A stone for Elmer, ten year old son of Mr. and Mrs. A. W. Towsley is here. Mr. Towsley was for years station agent for the railroad. A marker for Mary, wife of H. W. Haskell, who died October 12, 1897, at the age of 64. A daughter, Clara, who died January 22, 1876, at the age of 15, sleeps beside her mother.
    Mr. Haskell was a hotel operator in Lone Rock for a number of years. His hotel was known far and wide as the "Haskell House."

    One of the widely known persons to be buried here is John Fletcher Beardsley. "Fletch" as he was called by his friends, was, according to his tombstone, "born in Herkimer county, New York, March 29, 1849, moved to Wisconsin in 1856, settled at Lone Rock in 1870, where he died March 2, 1923." When Mr. Beardsley came to Lone Rock in 1870 he began the business of selling sewing machines and musical instruments, later he branched out into selling farm machinery of all kinds, implements, threshing machines, etc.; also sold lumber and building material. His
first wife was Miss Lucy Schellinger, and following her death he married Miss Jane Mumford, who was born in 1855 and died in 1918, and is buried on the Mumford lot in the Lone Rock cemetery. Mr. Beardsley's parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. S. Beardsley, are also buried in the Lone Rock cemetery on the lot with their son J. F. The father was born in 1823 and died in 1900, and his wife, born in 1824, died in 1884. They were also natives of Herkimer county.

    The Mumford family are on a lot near the Beardsley plot. Charles Mumford, a Civil War veteran, served in a cavalry regiment. He was, according to the tombstone, born in 1816 and died in 1899. His wife, Clarissa, was born in 1814 and died in 1906. The children became scattered, some members finding resting places other than the Lone Rock cemetery, but their names and the dates are on the stone which marks the graves of their parents. The inscriptions for a son and two daughters reads:
        "Edward Mumford, Died June 12, 1872.
        Buried at Wauzeka, Wis."

        "Cordelia Mumford Foster, Died April, 1886,
        buried at Graves, Cemetery, Rush, Illinois."

        "Mary Mumford Kendall, died April 4, 1905,
        buried at Wichita, Kansas."

    A stone marks the grave of Elizabeth Hurst, wife of W. C. Hurst, and her son Raymond. She was born in 1845 and died in 1878. The son died in 1875. W. C. Hurst operated a ferry at Lone Rock at one time.

    Ten markers all in a row, stand upon the graves of members of the Ball family. One of these is for William A. Garrison, and one for his wife, Flora Ball Garrison. Mr. and Mrs. Garrison are the parents of Mrs. P. L. Lincoln of Richland Center. He was a Civil War veteran, a member of Co. K, 1st Cavalry, and should have been listed with the G.A.R. veterans at the beginning of this article. Mrs. Lincoln has two great grandmothers also buried here in this row of graves. The stones read: Wm. A. Garrison, Flora Ball Garrison, 1849-1931; Alice Ball Loomis, 1859-1921; Mary Ball Ryan, 1853-1906; Caroline A. Ball, 1862-1936; George Ogden Ball, 1817-1897; Jane Heydon Ball. 1826-1921; Betsey Heydon, 1794-1882; Pheobe Ogden Ball, 1787-1878; Jane Ball Bancroft, 1809-1892." Jane Ball Bancroft was the grandmother of Levi H. Bancroft, who became prominent in the affairs of Richland county.

    The Lone Rock cemetery is not often used now a days as burials are few and far between and it has become neglected over the years.

S. F.

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