Tales The Tombstones Tell - Republican Observer - November 29, 1956

 Located on highway 80, a scant half mile south of the Pleasant Hill school house in the town of Eagle, is the Dawson cemetery, a well kept burying ground.

 The cemetery was surveyed in September, 1881, by James Appleby. It is on the farm, at the time owned by Wm. H. Dawson; and the site was selected as a burying ground by Mrs. Dawson before she died the year previous, her death taking place, so the tombstone records, January 13, 1880. The monument reads:

  "Sacred to the memory of Sarah, wife of W. H. Dawson,
   who fell asleep in Jesus, January 13, 1880"

 Below this is engraved:

  "Think O ye, who fondly languish
   O'er the graves of those ye love,
   While your bosom throbs with anguish,
   They are warbling hymns above.
   While our silent steps are straying
   Lonely through night's deepest shade,
   Glory's brightest beams are playing
   Around this happy distant head."

 Mrs. Dawson was a daughter of William and Charlotte Miller, first white settlers of Hoosier Hollow. She was born in Kentucky, March 24, 1823. In the fall of 1849 she was married to Wm. H. Dawson and a week after the marriage they started for their new home in the wilds of Wisconsin, Hoosier Hollow, being their destination. They came from Indiana with horses and a wagon, camping out along the way and after their arrival at their new home they lived in their wagon until a cabin could be built. And thus it was that the bride of a week began pioneer life in the wilderness. Following her death in 1880, Mr. Dawson was again married to Sarah Rebecca Bobb, a daughter of Peter and Margaret Bobb, who resided on Indian Creek not far from the village of Orion.

 Mr. and Mrs. Dawson resided on the farm in Hoosier Hollow for some time, later moved to the village of Orion where he kept store and served as postmaster of the village. His store, he opened in 1865 and was appointed postmaster the following year and served for many years.

 Mr. Dawson died in November 1899, at the age of 74. His second wife lived upon the farm for quite some time following his death, rented the fields and carried on the management of the place, then moved to California where she resided until her death on February 4, 1939. Her body was brought back and buried on the same lot with Mr. Dawson and his first wife. Upon the same monument is an inscription which reads "Our Bertie, born 1879 and died in 1888." This lad was Bertie Cook, son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Cook, who lived for many years at Riverview, in the town of Orion. The second Mrs. Dawson was his aunt and the boy, a favorite of Mr. and Mrs. Dawson, spent most of his time at their home. His death was caused by drowning in Mill Creek not far from the Dawson home. The accident caused much gloom in the Dawson and Cook homes. He was buried on the Dawson lot.

 Much could be written in regard to Mr. William H. Dawson. He served in the Civil War, enlisting in July, 1861, as a second lieutenant, went south but after some nine months time became ill and was sent home and after a time recovered and resumed farming. Mr. Dawson, for some reason or other took a great dislike to Secret Societies, providing in his will that upon his death his farm would become the property of an anti-secret society in Chicago. His widow was to have the use of the farm as long as she lived. She rented the land but made no improvements except to the house in which she lived. The barn and sheds fell down from lack of care and the death of the second Mrs. Dawson in California, the estate was probated and the odd provisions of the will carried out, the land going into the hands of the anti-secret society officers, and they sold it to Richland county folks.

 It is now owned, we, believe, by Louie Zahalka. It is a fine farm a part of it back some 50 or 60 years was heavily wooded, giant trees grew therein and the site contained many Indian mounds of all shapes and sizes. Camp meetings were held there and the place was known far and wide as Dawson's Grove. It is located not far from Balmoral. Upon the monument for Mr. Dawson it says:

   W. H. Dawson
    1825 - 1899
   Aged 74 Years
  "Peaceful beauty, silent rest,
   Slumber sweetly, God knew best
   When to call thee home to rest.
   Thou has loved us long and well,
   How we miss thee none can tell,
   Jesus called thee, all is well.
   We have said our last farewell
   'Till we meet beyond the river,
   Hoping there with thee to dwell
    Farewell loved ones."

 And so the curtain was drawn upon the life and fortune of William H. Dawson.

 Near the front gate of the Dawson burying ground is a monument for a girl. An angel carved out of marble stands watch for the little miss. She was Lucile, a daughter of Everette and Ida Miller, born November 23rd 1910, and died July 25, 1912.

 A monument for William McCoy and his wife Ruth, stands not far away. He was born in 1829; and died in 1900; his wife was born in 1833 and passed away in 1925. On the stone it says:

  "In labor and in love allied,
   In death they sleep side by side,
   Resting in peace the aged twain,
   'Till Christ shall rise them up again."

 Clement Stanczhjk, a soldier, served in World War II; born on June 30, 1908, and died June 5, 1951.

 In this cemetery are buried relatives of those buried at Pleasant Hill and Lycurgus Recob is one of them. His father is buried at Pleasant Hill. Mr. Recob was born in 1856 and died in 1905. His death was a tragic one, he being killed by a vicious hog.  His wife was Carrie Ward, born in 1857, and passed on in 1920. Her parents Mr. and Mrs. Frank Ward also sleep here.

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 Member of the Royal Wright family, among the early settlers of Hoosier Hollow, are at rest in this burying ground. Mr. Wright was born May 2, 1812, and died February 28, 1898. On one of the markers it reads:

 J. A. Sharp has a marker on his grave. He was one of the early comers to Hoosier Hollow.

 Another well known pioneer, Charles Miles, is buried in the Dawson cemetery, as was his Mary. Charles was born in October, 1802, and died February 16, 1898. His wife a native of Shenandoah county, Virginia was born October 15, 1800, and passed on January 5, 1886.

 James McClintock, born in 1827, died in 1915, and is buried by his wife, Patsy, who was born in 1830 and died in 1921.

 Another aged couple buried in this cemetery are James Lewis and his wife Anna.

 John Wilson, a member of Co. C, 8th Tennessee Cavalry, has a marker on his grave.

 Members of the Comar, family are among those resting in the Dawson burying ground. Lida Comar is one of these. She was born in Windson, Vt., June 21, 1826, and passed from this earth, August 26, 1908. A verse reads:
  "Dear Mother in earth's thorny paths,
   how long thy feet have trod,
   To find at last this peaceful rest,
   Safe in the arms of God."

 Some of the familiar names that appear upon the headstones are Fry, Collins, Case, Fay, Elder, Smelcer, and Hessler.

 On a marker is a pretty verse:

  "Yet again we hope to meet thee
   When the days of life are fled,
   And in heaven we hope to meet Thee
   Where no farewell tears are shed."

 As we said before the Dawson cemetery is well kept and continues to be used though burials there are not frequent. From this spot one can look across the valley to the south and on the ridge dividing the Mill Creek and Wisconsin river valleys. There can be easily noted in bold relief numerous mounds made hundreds of years ago by the Mound Builders who roamed this region.

 The Dawson cemetery basks in the sunshine of summer and lays white and cold in winter. Autos speed by its gate and trucks rumble as they pass this sacred a spot.

Page 59

Tales The Tombstones Tell - Republican Observer -  December 6, 1956

 The Felton cemetery in the town of Akan, is located in the north portion of that township, in fact right on the town line in section four.  A town road is between the towns of Akan and Sylvan. It is quite an old burying ground and contains many of the old settlers of that area. Many of the Chitwood clan are there and other names appearing on the stones are Dobbs, Wallace, Coppernoll, Helm, Burns, Popp, Dahl, Cook, Eaton, Clanin, Alderman, Beeman, Dobson, Sheffield, Felton, Armstrong. These together with others appear upon the old and newer monuments in this cemetery. John Chitwood, who died February 14, 1875, aged 78 years, and Stephen Marsh, who died February 3, 1874, aged 81 are two who were born before 1700. On the monument of John Chitwood is this inscription:

  "My dear children, prepare to meet me in heaven."

 Mr. Chitwood was a native of Tennessee and came to Richland county in 1855. He raised a large family.

 Benjamine Adams is another aged citizen buried in the Felton cemetery. He was born in 1820 and died in 1902 at the age of 82. On this monument is says:

  "Rest father, rest in quiet sleep,
   While friends in sorrow o'er thee weep."

 Mrs. Adams died in June 1874, at the age of 55.

 There is a stone for D. E. Felton and his wife Nancy. Also for their children Agnes E. who died in 1878; and Rhoda A, who passed on in 1879.

 Mary McMillin, 23 years of age, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James McMillin, died in 1888. On her gravestone is this:

  "Yet again we hope to meet you
   In that land so bright and fair.
   Stand by the pearly gates dear
   Mary and be the first to meet us there."

 Wilson Slayback, born in 1849, died in 1925; and his wife Lucy, born in 1854 and died in 1933 found final rest in this cemetery close to relatives and friends.

 Solomon Hall, who passed on April 8, 1880, has this on his monument:
  "Dearest father you have left us,
   We shall never see thee more,
   Till God call us home to that ever green shore."

 Mr. Hall's wife Ellen, who died in 1893, has this upon the stone:
  "Rest in heaven, O what pleasure
   Those blissful words afford.
   There again we'll clasp our treasure,
   Safe forever with the Lord."

 Page 60

 Four early settlers, James Bachtenkircher and his wife Sarah, Mr. and Mrs. Levi Slayback are in adjoining lots. Mr. Slayback was born in 1847, according to his tombstone Mr. Bachtenkircher was born in 1835 and died in 1923, his wife Sarah was born in 1838 and passed on in 1902. Sarah was a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Hezekiah Slaback, early settlers of the town of Sylvan. They were married in 1861. Mr. Bachtenkircher first came to Richland county in 1855 but did not remain but returned to Indiana. In 1860 he and a companion started for Pike's Peak in a wagon drawn by oxen. They reached Central City, Colorado, where Mr. Bachtenkircher remained until November when he started back toward the east and in 1862 he  bought  land in Sylvan. The western fever hit him again, so he sold his land and moved to Kansas, where he and his wife remained a few years and then returned to Richland county where they spent the remaining days of their lives.

 There is a World War veteran, John Coppernoll, buried in the Felton cemetery. His marker states that he was a Pfc. in Co. G, 505 Abn. Inft. He was on January 12, 1932 and died July 29, 1955.

 A few Civil War veterans are buried there. One of these is Geo. Armstrong, born February 8, 1834, and died January 5, 1910. He enlisted in the 1st Wisconsin Battery, September 10, 1961, and served until October 11, 1864.  Wm. Helm is another Civil War veteran in this cemetery. He was a member of Co. E., 101 Regt., Indiana Volunteer Infantry. Mr. Helm was born in 1842 and died in 1909. His wife, Lustisha, was born in 1855 and died in 1907. George Thomas, Indiana Vol., born in 1839 and died in 1907, rests in this cemetery.

 There are a number of the Beeman clan in the cemetery. John Beeman is one of them, and his wife Mary, is another. He was born in 1830 and died in 1895; she was born in 1832 and passed to the Great Beyond in 1907.

 The cemetery is well kept and burials therein, while not numerous these days, are still being made.

 The little known burying ground, located, so the official records show, in the NE corner of NW 1/4 of NW 1/4 section 9 bearing 10 rds. range 1 W., which in other words E and W 2 rds N and S, town 11 N is a bit of land 10 rods long and 2 rods wide in the town of Marshall. It is on the Glen Patch farm, quite some distance from any road or highway. It stands neglected on the line between the Patch farm and the one owned by Charles Wilson.

 In this old time cemetery there are two tombstones; one small one, might have been a footstone, and the other bears two inscriptions. Both are dated 1855. We learn from Mrs. Glen Patch that there are probably seven persons buried there and sunken spots indicate at least four.

 According to the abstract of title shown to us by Mr. and Mrs. Patch, the land came into the ownership of Martin Copenhefer, father of "Bob", on November 15, 1854, by a land patent granted by the United States government.

 Martin Copenhefer was a native of Ohio and he came to Richland county from Indiana in 1854, entered land and remained there until 1880 when he sold the land and moved to Bloom City. He and his first wife, Cassa B., are buried in this cemetery, we are told.