Tombstone Tuesday - Mystery Solved!

Countless times through the years, people have asked why a particular grave in the Monmouth Cemetery has an ornate iron fence surrounding it. Stories have been told that the lady that was buried there was a
wealthy widow woman. Others say that she was someone famous. Kids like to tell that she was a witch and the fence was put there to keep her in the grave. Actually my great, great, grandfather put the fence
around the grave because as he liked to tell it - she was so mean, he was afraid that she would come out and get him while he was sleeping. (Side note: They were divorced in the late 1800's).....

The truth, while rather amusing, isn't nearly as exciting as the stories. My uncle, Lawrence A. Baker, great-great grandson of the lady buried inside the iron fence, told the true story as follows:

When great-great grandma Sabrina was dying, she told her family, "I want you to put up a fence around my grave so the cows can't stomp all over me!" Now, you might ask, "Why would cows be in a cemetery, stomping on graves?" Well, in 1887, when Sabrina died, many residents of Monmouth, Indiana, Adams Co., IN, owned a family milk cow. These animals would often be staked out in vacant lots, small fields, or the cemetery. The cemetery was free pasture and the cows helped keep the weeds and grass mowed down. The downside of this was that the animals often knocked over the tombstones.

I hope that great-great-great grandma has slep well in her grave for over 117 years, knowing that no cows ever stomped on her grave.

Sabrina Benson Lord McChan

12-29-1812, New York State
3-9-1887, Root Township, Adams County, Indiana
 
**Headstone photo's by co-contributor Jim Cox.

Tombstone Tuesday - Ziba Dorwin

21 JAN 1793 - 3 FEB 1864

 Monmouth Cemetery, Root Township, Adams Co., Indiana

**Headstone photo courtesy of Jim Cox, Ft. Wayne, Indiana, 2011

**Will images courtesy of Jim Cox, Adams County, Indiana Probate Court, 2011, Adams County Will Book A

Numbers, Numbers, Numbers

12 MAY 1825 - 18 NOV 1854

**JOHN NUMBERS, deceased, formerly of Root Township, was born in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, in 1825, and when a boy was taken by his parents to Fulton County, Ohio, thence to Wayne County, where he grew to manhood and where he was married January 31, 1848, to Miss Mary Jane Yocum, who was born in Wayne County July 4, 1827, where she was reared, educated and married. In 1851 they removed to Decatur, this State, where they lived two months. The family consisted of parents and one child, Myrtilla Jane, who was born in Wayne County June 12,1850, and is now a teacher. Elmore L. was born January 10, 1853, in Monmouth, in the house where the father first settled, and where the widowed mother is now 1iving. The father was a mason by trade, which he followed during the summer, and worked at shoemaking during the winter. His parents were John and Nancy (Linton) Numbers, both of whom died in Wayne County, Ohio. The mother died in the summer of 1886, aged ninety years.

John Numbers, our subject, died November 18, 1854, of typhoid fever, and is buried in Monmouth cemetery. Mrs. Numbers' parents were Abraham and Mary (Hoffman) Yocum. The father was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania,, December 15, 1790, and died March 8, 1872, at the house of Mrs. Numbers. The mother was also born in Lancaster County, July 4, 1796. At the death of her husband she made her home with Mrs. Numbers, and died June 20, 1881. The parents were reared and married in Pennsylvania, removed to Wayne County, Ohio, thence to this county in 1851. They had six children - John, Rebecca (deceased), Mary Jane, Martha, who lives in Ashland County, Ohio, Anes, living in Chicago, and Elizabeth. Both Mr. and Mrs. Yocum were of German descent. Mrs. Numbers' grandparents, Henry and Martha Hoffman, were born in Germany. Elmore L. Numbers was reared and educated in the schools of Monmouth, and commenced teaching at the age of eighteen years. He has since followed that occupation during the winter seasons. He was married March 28, 1876, to Mary S. Vaughan, who was born in Allen County, this State, May 24, 1858, daughter of Joel and Nancy (Coverdale) Vaughan, natives of Ohio. The father died in July, 1876, aged forty-eight years; the mother is living in Blue Creek Township. They have four children - W. Roy, Nancy J, Linton V. and Ethel B.

**Biographical and Historical Record - Adams and Wells Co. Indiana Lewis Publishing Co. Chicago, IL 1887, No page listed.
**Headstone destroyed by vandals.