Trotter Cemetery 2008 Clean Up
This Cemetery is located just about a half mile North of Exit #100, I-64. Crossroads are Route 242 and CR 100 N. (pictures load slowly!)
Yep we did it again!
Starting on Friday Oct 31st Michael Von Gebel from Missouri, Marylea Gazette, from Arkansas, Heather and Laurie Selpien from Lake in the Hills, Illinois, cut a path into the cemetery, and started dragging out the brush clearing the way to help the main cleaning crew coming the next day.
Marylea, found a local resident, a large black snake sunning itself on a branch, other than that the day past without incident.
Saturday with an even larger crew which included Ralph and Sue Hughes who drove 1400 miles from Utah and Bettie Wheat from Fairfield and Betty Beeson from Geff, we continued the clean up and looked for fallen stones under the ground.
Left to right,
Bettie Wheat, Laurie Selpien, Sue Hughes, Marylea Gazette, Betty Beeson
and Heather Selpien standing in front of the stone of Harriet
MILLER Hansbrough.
Harriet was daughter of William and Nancy ROLLISON Miller. She was a founding member of the Olive Branch Baptist Church in Wayne County. Harriet was married by James S. Austin on Mar 26, 1859 to John H. Hansbrough and was the mother of eight children.
Harriet J. Hansbrough “obit”
(Wayne County Press Apr 17, 1924).
Harriet J. Miller, daughter of William and Nancy Miller was born in Saint Blair County, Illinois Feb 7, 1830; departed this life Apr 9th 1924 aged 94 years 3 months and 2 days. She came to Wayne County with her parents when about 12 years old. She unified in marriage to John S. Hansbrough in 1850. to this union were born eight children, five girls and three boys, Drucilla, Henderson, Edith, Darkison, (Parkinson) Perry Jannie and Olive Lucinda. Her husband and 5 children Dricilla, Henderson, Perry Janey and Olive have all preceded her in death. Those surviving are Edith Shelton of Decain? Il., Parkinson Hansbrough Wayne City, Il. Mrs. Lucinda Lane of Dahlgren, Il. R 2 her companion died Jan 31, 1852 (1872) and she made her home with her youngest daughter, Mrs. Lucinda Lane until her death; she professed faith in Christ early in life and joined the Missionary Baptist church at the old Morian school house and when Olive Branch church was organized she was one of the charter members where she remained until her death. She had been in ill health for some time and suffered greatly but bore it all with patience and expressed a desire to go and lie with her savior. She leaves to mourn their loss three children, Edith Shelton, of Decatur, Il. Parkinson Hansbrough of Wayne City, Il. Lucinda Lane, Dahlgren, Ill. RR2, 15 grandchildren 38 great grandchildren and 2 great great-grandchildren; 2 nieces Mrs. Charlie Draper of Wayne City, Il. Mrs. John Boswell of St. Louis Mo.; 2 nephews Rev John Norman of Bluford, Il. and Wm. Londer? of Fairfield and a host of other relatives and friends.
Funeral services were conducted by Bro. Roy Richardson Thursday Apr 10th at Olive branch. The pall bearers were her seven grandsons. Internment was made in the Trotter cemetery beside her husband John H. Hansbrough who died fifty two years ago.
John Hansbraugh son of John and Sarah Hansbrough/
Hansbraw He was very clever, as he bought two "defective" 80 acres
parcels, or 140.61 acres, for .12 1/2 cents per acre, or $17.58 total.
"Defective" or meaning, small parcels due to correcting surveying
errors, & also swamp land, or as my grandpa would say, "bottom
land." After digging drainage ditches, it is some of the "best"
farm land. This land is now intersected by US 64 straight south of Wayne City near Trotter cemetery, & probably the "Old Home Place.
John enlisted in the Union Army Aug 13, 1862 as a Private in the 110th Illinois Infantry Volunteers. He served with John S. Blake, J. L. Richardson, Daniel Smith, James M. Thomason Martin Mandrell and Lieut Joseph B. Scudamore all of whom made written, sworn testimony as to John's illness and it's relationship to his death. While the dates are not pinned down one thing is clear John became ill shortly after joining the army and after several days or even weeks of marching through snow and rain in bare feet after his shoes wore out. John Blake described seeing John with severe left side pain and a high fever that continued for several weeks. While they were at Summerset, Pulaska County, Kentucky, John S. Blake was on special detail to care for the sick and he remembers that John had pneumonia at the time and was doctored by a man named Scott. There were many in Summerset in the same condition as John and as soon as they would get well they were sent right back to their units. John remained five or six weeks in Summerset suffering with a fever and severe cough before John Black was ordered to moved him over to Nashville Tennessee, which was where the 110 was now located. John was still coughing hard but had rejoined the regiment at that time. That was the last that John S. Blake had seen John Hansbrough until John Blake caught the measles and was sent to Hospital #23 in Nashville. There the head surgeon was a Dr. Chamberlain. John Hansbrough according to John Blake at this time "looked bad" had lost the use of one arm and was still coughing hard. Dr. Chamberlain had told John Blake that he was going to discharge John Hansbrough form the service and John Blake says that he saw John Hansbrough discharged from the service some time in April in 1863.
The reason the above information is important is because when Harriet had requested a widow’s pension from the War department they claimed that there was no record of his discharge, or him being treated in any hospital, and her pension was denied. That is when several members of the 110th started writing their recollections of John Hansbrough and his condition while in the Army.
Suddenly records were found at the Adjutant Generals Office on John H. Hansbrough stating that John Hansbrough enrolled in the Army August 13, 1862 at age 34, on October 31, 1962 he was left in a hospital at Summerset, Kentucky, in November and December of 1862 he was recorded as being in a convalescent hospital at Nashville Tennessee remaining there to February 28 1863 through March and April and showing the clerk of Disability discharging him April 4, 1863 at Nashville, Tennessee. The report ends stating that "The Records of this office furnish no evidence of alleged disability. Returns and books of Company & Regiment hospital records are not on file.
So we know that John H. Hansbrough went home in April of 1863, although the army refused to admit it he never regained his health. He suffered greatly and never really gained the strength of a fit man. Dr.’s Henry J. Rice, Daniel Wingate and Gregg Garrison all practicing physician recall treating and later testified in depositions as him having disease of the lungs related to his illness in the war. Dr. Garrison stated that he lived about a ½ mile from the Hansbrough's and he would sometimes hire John to work for him, John always remained a weak man and continually had lung trouble with heavy coughing and considerable spit when he tried to work. John Hansbraugh died January 30, 1872. Dr. Garrison who was the Dr. to treat John H. Hansbraugh described him as having a purple face and hands, coughing up blood and having conjunction on the lung that had lasted 3 to 4 days before his death. John was buried in the Trotter Cemetery.
John & Sarah M. Hansbraw are the parents of John H.,
little information is known about them. We know at some point John was also a
war veteran and was the owner of “Bounty land”
Besides John they are the parents of
Elizabeth married Henry Williamson
Preston P.
Lucinda married Thomas Crocker
Virginia married William Wiggins & 2nd W. T. Louder
William
According to Wanda McCormick there are additional Hansbrough’s buried in the cemetery, the infant children of Henderson and Lourina BOSWELL Hansbrough. They had a blood disease that today they treat with blood transplants at birth. We did not find any stones for them, but we had found many pieces of stone that were unreadable.
Besides the Hansbrough family there are several Trotter family stones.
Michael Von Gebel and Ralph Hughes by the Charles Trotter
headstone.
Charles Otis Trotter was born September 27, 1791 in South Caroline the son of William Joseph Trotter and Sarah King. He married Mary Flatt who was born in 1792 and died in 1870 in Wayne County. Info from D.J. Trotter Camden
Mary is possibly buried in the cemetery in an unmarked grave.
Charles and Mary were the parents of seven children.
Henry Elisha
John Isham
William George
Mary Polly
Hannah
James Harvey
George Washington
Charles died Apr 5, 1857
William J. Trotter Son of James Madison
Trotter and Mary Melissa Healy TROTTER Info from D. J. Trotter Camden
Amanda E. CONNER,
Amanda was born May 10, 1862 she married Isam Jasper Trotter in Wayne County December of 1879. Amanda and her baby died in childbirth Aug 21, 1880. Info from D. J. Trotter Camden
Wayne County Press
Died in Four Mile, August 22, Mrs. Jasper Trotter
NOTE should read 21st.
We also found a small footstone with I. I. T. We originally thought it was the footstone for Amanda’s husband and left it at the base of her stone, but I have since learned he moved away and he was never buried in Trotter so it is just another mystery to the cemetery.
William Newton Trotter
Was born March 3, 1867 the son of James Harvey & Riney DRAPER Trotter. William died of a fever Sept 18, 1878 Info from D.J. Trotter Camden
Wayne County Press
Oct 31, 1878
W. N. Trotter, Four Mile, 12 years, remittent fever, Dr. S. Piercy
We found records of an Eliza Trotter buried here who died Nov 20, 1886, but found no stone for her.
And an obituary of Mrs. Riley who was buried in Trotter, again no stone was found.
The Wayne County Press
13 Feb 1896
The wife of Willey Trotter died on Sunday afternoon and was buried at the Trotter cemetery Monday.
In the 1970’s Doris Bland had walked the cemetery and found one additional and that is of Lourany Cordelia Trotter.
The stone read Lourany C. daug. Of J. H. & R. A. Trotter, born Oct 17, 1877 died Nov 1, 1889. Gone in her young years afar from life’s cares.
Lourany Cordelia Trotter is the daughter of James Harvey and Lorina (Riney) DRAPER Trotter Info from D.J. Trotter Camden
We did not find the stone in 2008, but we did find her obituary which was provided by Bettie Wheat…
Wayne County Press
Nov 7, 1889
Frog Island Column
A very sad accident happened at the house of James H. Trotter last Thursday, About 11 o’clock. His youngest daughter with a small rifle gun. A young man by the name of Wade Hogan had placed his gun at the head of the stairway, just as the girl went up the stairs the gun fell to the bottom step and was discharged, the ball striking the girl in the lower part of the hip and ranging upwards to the bowels, she lived till about 4 o’clock Friday evening and was buried at the Trotter cemetery Saturday at 3 o’clock. Mr. Trotter had his wagons partly loaded to move to Missouri, a large number of friends sympathize with the parents in the loss of their daughter. She was a bright little girl about 14 years of age. Her presence we will see no more on earth, but if we will we can meet her on the other shore where there will be no weeping or parting or pain.
Despite our best efforts that is all we found for the Trotter cemetery. I know that there are more buried out there. In one location we found a rose bush, which you know was planted by a grave, everyone took a turn trying to find the headstone, in another location we found lilies, depressions of graves can be seen throughout the cemetery yet no additional headstones were found. There are four dead cedar trees that line up with each other in a square that we believe to be the boundaries of the cemetery, but of coarse that is just speculation.
All but one of the readable stones was broke in half, and flat on the ground. We cleaned them, straightened the bases and placed the stones and their tops together one final time and photographed them as they stood over 100 years ago. After the picture was taken, we removed the unsecured tops and placed them beside the bottom for safe keeping,
We left the
cemetery in better shape than we found it. I want to thank Nick Feather for
allowing us onto his property and I have to thank everyone who participated in
the clean up it was great fun!
My great Uncle has been told of an old Civil War veteran cemetery that has not been cleaned in years. That may be a goal for next year! thanks again Laurie
In 2007 a group got together and cleaned up the Forth Cemetery
Laurie lselpien@men.com
All Pages Copyright © 2008 Laurie Selpien
All Rights Reserved