Jefferson Davis Memorial

Several years ago in the course of traveling across southern Kentucky on US Hwy 68/Hwy 80 from the Jackson Purchase area to Russellville, I suddenly noticed an obelisk that would look more at home in Egypt than in Kentucky. This definitely required turning around and going back to investigate.

As it turns out, the monument and surrounding park are a memorial to Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederacy. Jefferson Davis was born not far from this site on June 3, 1808 in what is now Fairview, Kentucky, located on the Todd and Christian County line.



The monument was conceived in 1907 at a reunion of the First Kentucky Brigade of the CSA, known as the "Orphan Brigade". The First Kentucky was formed primarily from residents of the western area of Kentucky. In 1917 construction began, then was suspended during World War I and the obelisk was finally completed in 1924. It is 351 feet tall and the fifth tallest monument in the United States. The walls are seven feet thick at the base, two feet thick at the top and it features an elevator to an observation room.

Since I recently became aware that the Civil War Sesquicentennial is being held 2011 to 2015 with numerous events taking place memorializing that period of our history, I thought it was a good time to post these photos.

A historical marker at the site is inscribed: "Here the only President of the Confederate States of America was born June 3, 1808, the son of Samuel and Jane Cook Davis. The family moved to Mississippi during his infancy."

Gemütlichkeit

Comfort, Texas was founded by German pioneers in 1854. Their choice of a name for their new town was "Gemütlichkeit," which has no exact translation into English. Google Translate defines it as "coziness" but it generally means peace, serenity, comfort and happiness. In the end, they decided that it was much easier to pronounce "Comfort", and therefore a few miles north of Boerne in the hill county is Comfort, Texas. It is just south of Kerrville and much of the original townsite is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. A road trip to Comfort is a lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon especially on a spring day when wild flowers are in full bloom along IH-10 West of San Antonio. And stopping at Popo's for lunch on the way is a must.

---

CARL F. KLEMSTEIN

GEB.
Feb. 7, 1834

GEST.
Jan. 17, 1891

Im Alter von
56 Jahren 11 Monaten
10 Tagen

---

Hier Ruht
KATHARINA GERTRUDE
HEINEN

GEBNE NAUEN

GEB
Dec. 25, 1807

GEST
May 13, 1899

Auf Wiedersehn

San Antonio's Historic City Cemeteries

Yesterday I made my first visit to the wonderful San Antonio Historic Cemeteries complex. There are a total of 31 cemeteries covering the 103 acres of the complex. The area is about one mile east of the Alamo and Hemisfair Plaza in an area of San Antonio that has seen better days. The complex began with Cemetery #1, which was started in 1853 as San Antonio's first cemetery, the current Milam Park, became too full for further burials. Subsequently most of those buried in Milam Park were reinterred in Cemetery #1. Now only Ben Milam, a hero of the Texas War of Independence, remains buried in Milam Park.

Erna H. Hugo


BORN
April 7, 1880

DIED
February 13, 1897

Lina Haseloff
1852 - 1879

Living in San Antonio for much of my life, it's hard to believe that I wasn't aware this complex existed. This little blog has suffered from a lack of interesting stones and neglect since I haven't ventured off on a genealogical road trip for the last year or so. After my visit to Cemetery #1 on Sunday, I think those days are now over. There are 103 wonderful acres of tombstones and monuments to explore right here at home.

Shell Graves of the Texas Hill Country

There seems to be no factual explanation for the shell graves found in various cemeteries primarily in the south Texas communities which were settled by German immigrants in the 19th century.

FRANZ & EMMA

Kindor von

GUSTAV & LOUISE
BIERMANN

Buried in the Comfort Cemetery,
Comfort, Texas

Hier Ruht in Gott Unsere Liebe Tochter (Here Rests in God Our Dear Daughter) IDA KUTZER GEB 28 Nov 1864 Gest 5 Sept 1885 Buried in the Boerne City Cemetery Boerne, Texas

Charlotte Henriette LEEDER GEB Mai 29, 1821 GEST Jan 12, 1898 RUHE SANFT (Rest Gently) Buried in the Comfort Cemetery Comfort, Texas

Wednesdays Child - Thomas Botters Dantzler

OUR BABE

THOMAS BOTTERS
Died January 29th
1855

For of such is the
kingdom of Heaven

A. F. and S. A. Dantzler

Thomas Botters Dantzler is buried in the Paulding Cemetery in Jasper County, Mississippi. The names of his parents are difficult to read due to the shadows and debris on the stone but appear to be A. F. and S. A. Dantzler.

Some research of the Dantzlers of Jasper County confirms that his parents were Absolum Fredrik Dantzler and Susanna Millsaps. He is listed as their son Thomas in the family bible of Uriah Millsaps, Susanna's father, but the bible lists no birth or death dates for him.

Thomas' father, Capt. Absolum F. Dantzler who served in Company K, 37th Mississippi Infantry of the CSA was killed at Corinth, Alcorn County, Mississippi on 3 Oct 1863 according to his gravestone in the Heidelberg City Cemetery in Jasper County.