Sweetheart and Katie

 Dr Thomas passed away at Pleasant Hill on Friday, July 19th 1912. He was born at Louisiana, Missouri but was reared in this little city and was considered one of the best physicians in the county. 

 

                

 Dr Joel Smith Thomas... Highly Respected In Community, Always His Home.

My Aunt Vada had a number of stories about the community. Dr. Thomas once had to do minor surgery in the patient's dining room. 

 He was a strong character, yet was gentle and always kind to the poor. He was a Master Mason as well as a member of other societies, and enjoyed a lucrative practice, accumulating much wealth. His loss will be felt by his many friends. His family is buried in the community.- The Quincy Daily Herald
 

Sweetheart and Katie, the two faithful horses of Dr J Smith Thomas are buried at the bottom of the hill at Crescent Heights Cemetery. They were gentle, knew the rural community. When they sensed that they were headed out to the country, they would go with Dr. Thomas, and when he returned home, he could fall asleep and they would take him home the rest of the way.

                                       

Katie and Sweetheart are somewhere in this photo. They were ultimately at 

the bottom of the cemetery. At that time, horses were not

allowed to be interred in the cemetery.

 

 

 Part of my grandmother's extended family

 

The horses were buried at the bottom of the cemetery. Allowing animals to

be interred in a public cemetery was unheard of back then.

Sadly the headstones have deteriorated.

 

"A town, where all the people in it, are folks you like to meet,
They're all a friendly, busy folk, but never forget to greet
Their neighbors, with a friendly smile, and loved ones who return
From many a distant mile, so you might search the wide world o'er
But it would be hard to find, a little town more pleasant
Or people, more good and kind."

Compiled and written by Mrs. Etta (Wells) Bowen, For the Study Club - 1936

Death Washes the Past

This was Janie C.--she traveled to Oregon in a covered wagon, hated it, came home. So I have been told.

It is said that death bestows gifts upon all.  I won’t try to name them, but the one I like is: Death washes the past and gives sanctity to the dead.

Julia, Nora, Bessie, and ?

At least, so I thought.  Recently I visited my favorite and remaining Aunt Vada in Macon, Missouri.  It was the first week of October, with all the beauty of fall giving glimpses of what colors were to come.  We visited non-stop, words filling the air.  Aunt Vada is a gifted writer, with a way of placing words exactly where they need to be. 

James W. Shive, died at age 3 years, 3 months, and 16 days.

One of our days involved traveling to my mother’s hometown, across the Mississippi River into Pike County, Illinois. 

We visited Crescent Heights Cemetery high on the bluffs in Pleasant Hill, IL, where Mom’s parents and relatives were buried.  Each time I have been there, I vowed that this place has the most incredible view of any cemetery.  

It is also the only place I can get cell phone coverage in the whole of Pike County.

We stood silently over Grandma and Grandpa’s graves, and then examined a family pillar on which Grandma’s side of the family were recorded.  I have seen that thing hundreds of times over my life there, but I never knew.  I never knew the stories that Aunt Vada shared with me.

My grandparents

Oh. Really?  No, not back then…  Those were my words and reactions as she touched each name and told the highlights of some very rowdy, randy, and raunchy ancestors. 

Martin Van Buren Shive, patriarch with the names of his children carved on all sides of the monument.  Lots of children.

Moonshiners, fornicators, adulterers, underhanded politicians, swindlers—they broke every sin listed in the Bible. 

I tell you, check out your ancestors while you still have relatives who know the whole story about them.  And, it might be a good idea to look at your own life, since someday you’ll be the ancestor about whom stories will be told.