Tales the Tombstones Tell - Republican Observer -  June 30, 1955

 The same story of life and death, only told in a longer and more gloomy way, appears upon a stone in a rural cemetery in this county. The stone is on the grave of a young lady who died after an illness of a year. She liked the verses and they were read at her graveside and they were carved upon her monument. They read:

 My youthful friends both small and great
 Stand here and you shall see
 A woeful sight which is a type
 Of what you soon must be.

 I once appeared so fresh and fair
 Among the youthful crowd
 But now behold me dead and cold
 Wrapped in a sable shroud.

 My cheeks once red like roses spread
 My sparkling eyes so gay
 But now you see how 'tis with me
 A lifeless lump of clay.

 When you are dressed all in your best
 In fashion so complete;
 You soon must be as you see me
 Wrapped in a winding sheet.

 When you unto your follies go,
 Remember what I say;
 In a short time, though in your prime,
 You may be called away.

 When unto my grave you go
 That gloomy place to see
 I say to you who stand in view
 Prepare to follow me.

 Now I am gone, I can't return;
 No more of me you'll see,
 But it is true that all of you
 Must shortly follow me.

 We doubt that there is another tombstone in the world with that inscription upon it. This one is located in the Coumbe cemetery in the town of Richwood.
 The Coumbe cemetery was laid out on land donated by John Coumbe. The first burial there as that of James Carson, whose death took place in 1851. The coffin was made by James Jones, or, as he was usually called, English Jones.
 We will have more of these "Tales the Tombstones Tell" later on. They are, we think of interest, some are odd and some with much historical back ground.

 ** This is carved on the tombstone of Lizzie Whitcomb; Mrs. George Kendrick died on April 13, 1871; age 21 years, 3 months, 22 days. Obituary published in April 27, 1871 paper.

S.F.

 Tales The Tombstone Tell  Republican Observer  July 21, 1955

   "Killed by a Whale"

 So reads the inscription upon the tombstone in the Sextonville cemetery. The inscription is for James McCorkle and were he alive today he would be 132 years old. James is not buried beneath the stone but was left where he went down to his death far, far away. The stone read:

 Charles M., son of J. and L.A. McCorkle, Died Jan. 25, 1854, aged 26 years.

 James, born January 1, 1823, Killed by a whale in the Sea of Japan May 25, 1848, aged 25 years and five months.

 From a history of the McCorkle family, we learned that some of the family were seafaring men. Two of them, William and Samuel were captains of whaling vessels and Joseph was First Mate upon the ship of Captain Samuel, and that James was killed by charging whale which upset a small boat and the occupants were drowned.

 James put out to sea as a member of the crew on a hunt for whales. He was a young man when he first went to sea and when the ship upon which he sailed slipped out of port on a long journey, James, filled with the love of adventure, was no doubt in high glee. Adventure upon the high seas, strange ports of call, new lands, were all ahead. It was spring time back home as the whaling ship with full sail, entered the Sea of Japan. Whales had been sighted and two or three killed. The crew, in high spirit looked ahead for a record kill. May 25, 1848, dawned and the rolling waves tossed the ship about. "There it spouts" rang out from the watch, a small boat was lowered and some eight or ten members of the crew took after the whale; a harpoon was thrown which hit the mark and the wounded whale charged the small boat, upsetting it and throwing the occupants into the restless sea and the crew of the small boat sank beneath the waves to be seen no more.

 James' body was never recovered and for all we know is still over in the Sea of Japan, yet a stone in his memory is in the Sextonville cemetery.

 In looking up the story of James McCorkle we found interesting facts about other members of the McCorkle family. For instance:

 William McCorkle, one of the whale hunters mentioned above, was born in New York City January 1, 1819, and remained with his parents until he was 15 when he worked in stores for some six years. Liking the life of the sea he made whale hunting his calling until 1855. During that time he sailed around the world six times and was once wrecked on the coast of South America. Meanwhile his brother Andrew had come to Wisconsin and to Richland county in 1851. William, accompanied by three other brothers Samuel, Robert and Charles, came to Sextonville to visit Andrew. William took up his home in Sexonville in 1857 and engaged in the mercantile trade. Andrew remained in the county for a time and was married to Rebecca daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E.M. Sexton.

 Joseph C. McCorkle, mate on a whaling vessel in his younger days, came to Richland county in 1862. He made two sea voyages and was absent from home 35 months each trip. Joseph was married May 14 1862, to Letitia daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth (McCloud) Krouskop. They were the parents of five children, Carrie Belle, William S., later county judge; Jacob, Samuel and George, the last named is now a reside of Richland Center.
 
 Charles M. McCorkle, upon whose tombstone the lines in memory of James appears, an unmarried man, settled with other members of the family at Sextonville. He was elected as register of deeds for Richland county in November, 1852. Being of delicate health he passed on before his term of office expired, consumption being the cause of his death. Before he passed away he expressed a wish to be buried on the crest of Nourse's Bluff, a tall hill near his home. He was so buried but later his body was removed to the Sextonville cemetery, where the stone, mentioned at the beginning of this article, marks the spot and also keeps in memory the death of James McCorkle who, killed by a whale in the Sea of Japan.

 Samuel, another brother and a hunter of whales, also came to Richland county and settled near Sextonville. Later on he moved to Loyd where he opened a store and conducted a hotel. He was a captain on a whale hunting ship and it must have been strange to he and his brothers to come to Richland county and settle down to a quiet life far away from the ocean.

 "Capt. Samuel," so his tombstone up in the Richland Center cemetery reads, "was born Sept. 18, 1825, and died May 16, 1898." He was married to Mary H. Rogers, she, also with their son Edwin R., are buried on the lot with Captain Samuel.  A daughter is also buried close by, she became the wife of Dr. E.P. Kermott, a well known Richland Center physician who at one time practiced at Loyd.

 Quite a bit of history is brought to light by the tales that the tombstones tell.

 The Sexonville cemetery was surveyed in 1852 by Joseph Irish. The land was donated by Charles DeVoe and the first burial to be made therein was the remains of Mrs. George Reed.

SF

 Charles M. McCorkle, upon whose tombstone the lines in memory of James appears, an unmarried man, settled with other members of the family at Sextonville. He was elected as register of deeds for Richland county in November, 1852. Being of delicate health he passed on before his term of office expired, consumption being the cause of his death. Before he passed away he expressed a wish to be buried on the crest of Nourse's Bluff, a tall hill near his home. He was so buried but later his body was removed to the Sextonville cemetery, where the stone, mentioned at the beginning of this article, marks the spot and also keeps in memory the death of James McCorkle who, killed by a whale in the Sea of Japan.

 Samuel, another brother and a hunter of whales, also came to Richland county and settled near Sextonville. Later on he moved to Loyd where he opened a store and conducted a hotel. He was a captain on a whale hunting ship and it must have been strange to he and his brothers to come to Richland county and settle down to a quiet life far away from the ocean.

 "Capt. Samuel," so his tombstone up in the Richland Center cemetery reads, "was born Sept. 18, 1825, and died May 16, 1898." He was married to Mary H. Rogers, she, also with their son Edwin R., are buried on the lot with Captain Samuel.  A daughter is also buried close by, she became the wife of Dr. E.P. Kermott, a well known Richland Center physician who at one time practiced at Loyd.

 Quite a bit of history is brought to light by the tales that the tombstones tell.

 The Sexonville cemetery was surveyed in 1852 by Joseph Irish. The land was donated by Charles DeVoe and the first burial to be made therein was the remains of Mrs. George Reed.

SF

 Tales The Tombstones Tell   Republican Observer August 4, 1955

   Just a Few Notes

 There is nothing quit so dilapidated looking as a neglected cemetery. Weeds, berry bushes and poison ivy run riot in most of them and no care whatever is given to the plat.

 In one cemetery in the county which is now in the woods off the main highway we noticed a stone of a veteran of the Civil War together with others. Cows had been using the gravesite as a pasture,  the tombstones were knocked down, the place had been given over to weeds. Inquiring of a person who bore the same name as the Civil War veteran, we learned from him that the person buried there was his father. He was  told of the condition of the grave site and he said, "Yes, I know It, we had a fence around dad's grave but my brother tore it down to make a hog pen."
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 Out in a somewhat neglected burying ground one day some years ago we were joined by a man who wanted to know if we were looking for the grave of a relative or friend. "I have been taking care of this cemetery for 20 years and if there is anything you want to know about it I can give you the information."  Not knowing what to ask the caretaker about any of the folks therein, I did inquire the name of the cemetery. The caretaker for over 20 years scratched his head, sort of smiled and said he did not know. I learned later from an old timer that it was the Newburn cemetery. It is located due south of Eagle Corners.
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 Then there is the story of the Burdick cemetery over in the town of Willow north of Loyd. I do not vouch for this tale but tell it to you as it was told to me. The story runs something like this. Someone had been buried in the cemetery, that day and when darkness fell a young man had to pass the burying ground. He was afraid of ghosts and the like. When he started out from home he put on an overcoat and slipped a revolver in his pocket When in front of the cemetery he saw, so he said, the person they had buried there that day, raise out of his grave and start toward the road, whereupon the young man became greatly excited, pulled the trigger on the revolver and shot himself in the leg.
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 Back to neglected cemeteries. We believe the blue ribbon award can be presented to the Lone Rock cemetery, a disgrace to the village to say the least.  Weeds, tall glass and sand burs grow rank in the "city of the dead" and some tombstones therein bear in bold letters the words "Gone But Not Forgotten."  Lone Rock should be ashamed of its cemetery.
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 Folks interested in a little county cemetery near Richland Center, who  were making every effort to make the spot one not to be ashamed of, had been doing a good job. They were greatly heartened a few years ago when a man, who said he was interested in the cemetery came into town about Memorial Day. He wore fine clothes, drove an expensive car and appeared to be the advance agent of the government mint. He lauded the work being done and said when he got back home he would send a "very liberal amount" for fixing up the cemetery and help provide for perpetual care. Later on the check of a "very liberal amount" was received. It was for $2.50.
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 A rather odd inscription is upon a stone in the Boscobel cemetery. It reads:
  "P.H. Kenny is my name,
  Ireland is my nation;
  Boscobel is my dwelling place,
  And Heaven is my station."

 If you know of any odd inscription, interesting or historical notes upon tombstones in Richland county cemeteries, let us know and we will check up on them. We hear of odd inscriptions now and then but a check shows "they were not as represented." We were told of one in a little cemetery in the northern part of the county but a visit to the place and a check of every tombstone in the cemetery, failed to show any such inscription. We were told it read-

  "Here lies the man who saved his all,
  Against the time that snow should fall;
  He had no pleasure, played no game,
  And died before the blizzard came."

 Noticed an advertisement for monuments not long ago. It had a picture of a little girl hands clasped, and before her a few wild flowers. She was sort of kneeling by a monument and the words in the advertisement reflected the neglected, forgotten graves; they read, "Those who have passed from this world die only when we whom they loved, forget them."

S. F.