This past Sunday, Joe and I took a quick day trip to see some friends in Winchester, Tennessee. While there, the four of us went on a long walk, and we strolled all around the neighborhood.
Curt and Dana had mentioned that there were some “old graves” back in the woods. So, of course, I made a beeline for the woods!
These graves were originally located by a church that stood in Winchester until the 1950s when Tims Ford Lake was developed. The graves were moved to higher ground before the area was flooded (in order to establish Tims Ford Lake).
We happened upon a various number of graves…
But one grave stone, in particular, drew my eye…
Julia A. Fanning
Born December 20, 1812
Died October 2, 1877
A little research yielded the following information…
Julia Ann Yarborough was born in Lincoln County, Tennessee in 1812. (She was a “Christmas baby.”) I could find no record of her father or mother. However, I do know she married. Julia wed Benjamin Franklin Fanning on April 22, 1856 when Julia was forty-four, and Benjamin was just one year shy of sixty. But Benjamin had been married once before.
Benjamin was born October 7, 1797 in Elbert County, Georgia, and his first marriage (when Benjamin was 16) was to Mahala White Fanning who bore him 15 (fifteen) children!
Their names…
James Fanning, Stephen Fanning, Samuel B. Fanning, Unknown Fanning, Elizabeth Fanning, Mirilda Fanning, William Carroll Fanning, John W. Fanning, Francis Marion Fanning, Martha Jane (Fanning) Holliday, America Fanning, Victoria Fanning, Mary Fanning, Unknown Fanning, Unknown Fanning
I love reading diary accounts and journals from the 19th century for the names alone.
So imagine what it was like when Benjamin and Julia married after Mahala’s passing. Talk about an instant family for Julia!
Benjamin and Julia did have one son together, Thomas, who was born to them in 1858 when Julia was 46 years old. Sadly, in 1870, twelve short years later, Benjamin passed on. And tragically, when Thomas was sixteen, he was killed by “an accidental gunshot wound.” Julia lived three more years and passed in 1877.
I know it may sound silly. . .
But as I walked that neighborhood Sunday afternoon—and even as we drove home—I thought of Julia. About what she looked like, what her voice sounded like, if her hands were small or large, her eyes blue or green or brown or hazel. What did her laughter sound like? Did she laugh often? Or was she more stoic? What was it like to live as a single woman until age forty-four, then get married to a man who had a passel of children!
I thought of Benjamin and Thomas, too. About what kind of relationship they shared. If they were close. If Thomas got along with all of his brothers and sisters.
Even now, I wonder if Julia and her family were believers in Christ (I have reason to believe they were due to the faint reference on the headstone which I haven’t quite deciphered all of it yet). But I sure hope they were because I’d love to meet Julia and her family someday and find out what their life in Winchester was like, what Julia learned and appreciated about her earthly journey, and her heavenly Father—who knows every person’s name, whether history records their stories or not.
So…if only graves could speak.
But maybe they can—especially with the help of today’s internet and all the online genealogies. I’m so grateful for those people among us who, like me, love tracing lineages and keeping track of births and deaths, sons and daughters, and all the marriages (and living) in between.
Are you a fellow cemetery lover? If yes, tell me about your latest cemetery tromp. What draws you to those places?
Blessings on this first Tuesday of March—and please, if you’re in a state that’s part of Super Tuesday, then get out there and VOTE today!
Tammy
It was Dana Corkern’s 49th birthday on Sunday, so Dana, Curt, Joe and I celebrated by going to Sunrise, a delicious breakfast/brunch/lunch place in Winchester, TN.
They brought Dana a birthday pancake! Did I mention breakfast was delicious!? : )
Which do you like better?
Biscuits or Pancakes?
(Me? I couldn’t decide so ate both!) ; }
Tamera Alexander
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I love, love, love this post! I also enjoy browsing around old cemeteries. In doing genealogy research, I discovered that my ggg-grandfather, a Civil War soldier, was buried near my home somewhere in the mountains. Through the help of Facebook, I tracked down directions to the exact location. My husband (a little unenthusiastically) went along on the journey and helped clear the grown up path. After climbing to nearly the top of the mountain, we gave up without finding the cemetery. A few weeks later, I tracked down the caretaker of the cemetery and he led us to the exact location on ATVs. It’s a beautiful place on the side of the Appalachian mountains where the sun barely peaks through the trees. We even saw a deer run off as we approached! I also discovered that my gg-grandmother is buried there, a lady I have long been intrigued by based on family history. As you can imagine, this has been my favorite cemetery tromp!
What a treasure, Julie! I’d’ve tromped up there with you, woman! What an adventure, and such a special one since it involved your ancestors. Thanks so much for sharing and if you have pictures, I’d love to see them. You can send them to me at MyFIRSTNAMELASTNAME@gmail.com. Thanks so much for sharing!
I love cemeteries. The headstones fascinate me. I found a “hidden” cemetery behind a gate in York, England. I pushed the gate open and went inside much to my husband’s dismay. But the owners welcomed us. Their land had been part of a larger estate years past. The family chapel was on their land, so they kept it from decay. Inside, the old family members had been interred in the floor. The graves went back to the 1200s! I took a lot of pictures and still look at them now and again
Love that, Ane. And bless our husbands for putting up with our somewhat weird fascinations. There’s something about having that connection to the past that is enduring, and that stirs the soul. Thanks for sharing! Have you posted those pics online? If yes, please point me to them! ; )
My daughter is really into the cemetery hunting and researching family history! She has went back for 8 generations and has pictures of a lot that has passed away
Wonderful, Sheila! A treasure!
Loved hearing about your trip to Winchester. I too love visiting grave sites and wondering about the people on the stones. My hobby is family research and one of the best parts is visiting the old gravesites. In Tennessee they are still scattered on old farms and sometimes in the woods. My husband Darold isn’t into the achieve searches but when I get out a map and mention visiting grave yards he is ready to join me.
One of our best times was visiting the homestead site of Darold’s great-great grandfather in KY. We found the old house which was barely standing in 1980 and there was nothing but brush and trees around it. We had no idea where the graves were, but Darold stood on that old front porch and said, “Where would I want to be buried if I lived here?” He saw a big old oak tree several yards out and tramped through the brush and when he got to the tree there he found the family headstones. Although they were barely legible we could tell we had found the grave we were searching for and made a great memory at the same time.
Elyce
How cool, Elyce. Love how your husband thought that, and then how you found those graves. What a great moment. Thanks for sharing!
I love walking through cemeteries, although I don’t ever do the research like you did. I especially love the old churchyard cemeteries in the South – and it always makes me sad to see how many tombstones there are of babies/children and young women. Such a tough time to live.
I loved reading this, as with all your post. And of course, you managed to include food in it! That looks delicious! 🙂
So true, Linda. Very sad. They lost so much in that regard compared to us today. And um, yes, on the food. Always. : )
I enjoy reading tombstones. The local cemetery has a 19-century woman described as a fine dentist. She would have been a good friend of Dr. Quinn. And there are the two young wives of Elias Wood. He’s not buried with them. Did they die of childbirth or disease? Or should I be checking the courthouse?
Cool about your local cemetery, Terri. And hmmm on old Elias. I’d be asking some questions. Especially if I’d been his third wife!!?
I am an avid genealogist and seeing old graves like this breaks my heart because someone is out there looking for that person and has no idea what has happened. It would be great if the local genealogy/family history/town historian could write down the information off the stones that are readable and put a transcript online. We had a similar thing happen close to where I used to live in Texas. Some of the graves were from Civil War veterans. The local DAR adopted the area, the local Boy Scout troop helped clean it up, a local developer paid to fence it. Then they had a dedication by the local American Legion group.
What a fabulous idea, Loraine. And yes, it made me sad to see these graves “out in the woods.” But rest assured they are on protected property. The development laid aside that land for those graves specifically. But like you, I’d like to see those graves maintained. Might have to speak with some local folks on my next visit to see if we can spark interest in that regard! Bless you!
Love going to cemeteries and trying to find the oldest head stone. My favorite one was at the Frederica Christ Church St. Simons Island, GA. That had graves from some of Eugenia Prices book there.
How cool, Lisa. Would love to see those too!
I would like to but in the Netherlands there are few old grave stones, because after 30 years most stones and graves have to be removed.
But those pictures of stones from people who died 140 years ago are really impressive.
I think my Dutch publisher told me that (about the 30 years) when I was there, Annette. I enjoy learning about how different countries handle these details differently. I just goggled and found this (under 10 things about death in The Netherlands) about how graveyards are “rented” (as you alluded to above):
6. Graveyards
Still, getting buried in the Netherlands will cost you a whole lot more. The shortage of space means graveyards are scarce – so most people tend to ‘rent’ a grave for 10 or 20 years. After that, unless your family coughs up to keep you in place, your remains will be cleared out and placed in a mass grave.
The most expensive place council-run graveyard in the country is the Esserveld cemetery in Groningen, where a 30-year lease on a grave costs nearly €7,000, according to research by Dela.
The cheapest council graveyard is in Littenseradiel, a group of hamlets in Friesland, where a 20-year plot costs just €456.
So… Tammy here again: VERY interesting. Thanks for sharing this, Annette!
I am a cemetery lover, too, and your story touched my heart. I often see names or dates or epitaphs that catch my attention and kick my imagination in gear.
My most recent cemetery discovery was last year when my son-in-law stumbled upon a very old and small cemetery in the heart of Columbus, Ohio, just a couple miles from the capitol building. Many of the headstones (that we could read) were revolutionary war veterans and pioneers who were traveling west in the late 1700’s. Very cool!
Very cool, indeed, Kandy. I tell ya, I still visit Adelicia Acklen’s gravesite from time to time. She’s a character in the Belmont Mansion books and the woman who built the mansion (along with her husband, Joseph) in 1853. They’re buried in the Acklen mausoleum in Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Nashville and one her most treasured statues is there (that’s also in the book). I go to see it—and to honor Adelicia in some small way, I guess, for all she’s ‘given’ me for these novels—from time to time. Thanks for sharing!
Loved this post, Tammy, and YES—older cemeteries are so fascinating. This past weekend my husband and I took a brief–but delightful–trip to Charleston, SC, and we passed an area on the outskirts of town that had a very small cemetery in a grove of trees. It was surrounded by businesses, etc. and because of the traffic we weren’t able to stop, although it would’ve been so interesting to read those stones, I’m sure.
Oh my – – that food looks YUMMY!! And pancakes or biscuits?? I’d have to say BOTH! 😉
And amen to your voting comment! I went this morning and as always was so tickled to get my sticker with the peach that says I’m a Georgia Voter. 🙂
Hugs, Patti Jo
P.S. You’ll notice I spared you one of my cheesy puns – – you know, like “I was DYING to read your post” or “Your visit could’ve been a GRAVE situation” LOL. 😉
LOL at your puns, Patti Jo. You never disappoint! 🙂 Fabulous on that trip to Charleston. What a gorgeous town. Love, love, love it. Glad you guys had fun! Hugs, friend.
I grew up not far from Winchester. There are lots of cemeteries scattered over the countryside. I’m from Hillsboro. There is a little family cemetery in the corner of a neighbors cow pasture. I never did make it out to check the headstones. I wanted to every time I passed it, just never made it. Now I’m married and living in Arizona and don’t make it back very often. Maybe I’ll take the time next time I’m there.
Thank you for your great post, Tammy! This cemetery visit is so ironic since this past Saturday our friends came for a visit and we ended up visiting a cemetery in Hugo, Oklahoma where circus performers are buried. The Carson and Barnes Circus headquarters were in Hugo so a portion of the cemetery has beautiful headstones with a tight rope walker or elephants for that trainer and many more interesting stones. One was even shaped like a small circus tent. I encourage anyone traveling in that area to pay the cemetery a visit. One stone had this saying on it, ” There’s nothing left but empty popcorn sacks and wagon tracks, the circus is gone.”
I really enjoyed your post, Tamera. Just yesterday, after I voted, I took a trip to a local church I wanted to use in my wip. Ketoctin Baptist Church was established in 1751. I walked through the cemetery and found the graves of many of town’s founders including the namesakes, the Purcells. I saw revolutionary war soldier graves and even a few graves of slaves in a separate part of the cemetery. The saddest thing I saw was the graves of four siblings who all died within 10 days of each other and all under 8 years old. Some kind of disease or illness I suppose. I can’t even imagine the heartbreak those parents endured.