Rockbridge Cemetery TALES THE TOMBSTONES TELL

                                             Tales The Tombstones Tell

Tales the Tombstones Tell - Republican Observer November 10, 1955

                                               About Cemeteries Here and There

    In the Rockbridge cemetery, located on a hill which overlooks the little village, many of the pioneers of that area have found a last resting place.

    There are many familiar names upon the monuments which brings back memories of other days. The cemetery is well kept, a credit to the community.

    In a visit to the cemetery not too long ago, we were accompanied by Charles Ray and P. L. Lincoln of this city and were joined at Rockbridge by Joseph Beran and Edward Huffman of the village. They knew the majority of those sleeping away the years there.

    In the silent city stands a stone for M. H. B. Cunningham, who was one of the best known residents of the little hamlet. Mike, as he was known far and wide, was born in Huntingtown county, Penn., April 11, 1842, moved with his parents to Illinois, then to Iowa county, Wisconsin, and when 19 years of age enlisted in the 18th Wisconsin Infantry. At the battle of Shiloh he was taken prisoner and after over six months was paroled from Libby prison. He rejoined his regiment in April 1863, and served until mustered out In March, 1865. In 1867 he came to Rockbridge where he conducted a store, later operated a saw mill, engaging in the lumber business and then moved to Richland Center where he made his home for a number of years until his death which took place in 1918. On his monument is a line which reads "I tried to do my duty." A son Kenneth with the U. S. Navy in World War I, died in 1918,    the same year as his father and the two now sleep away the years side by side.

    Also upon the stone a note of sadness creeps in for inscribed thereon is this "Myra E., daughter of Mr. and Mrs. M. H. B. Cunningham, Died December 25, 1877, aged 3 years, 11 months, 25 days."

    Note the date, December 25th, Christmas day and the date of death was just five days before her fourth birthday. No doubt but that she was looking for the coming of Santa and her birthday. Her mother died in October of the same year.

    On another stone in the cemetery is engraved this "Dying is but going home." That surely is a cheering way to look upon death.

    Alden Haseltine, we were told, donated the land upon which the cemetery is located but he overlooked one important thing: he did not provide a road leading to it and this oversight has been more or less of a bother. However now a nice road leads to the sacred plot of land.

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