Loose Stones in Gwinn Cemetery

I was out to the Gwinn Cemetery this week end to see how bad the storm damage had been from recent bad weather. The good news is that either we had little damage or someone beat me out there. The grass was very well cut and all this rain has finally got the grass growing over Dad's grave. We've laughed for years (Dad died in '94) that the reason grass wouldn't grow there is that the deer population has been coming by to urinate on it in revenged for all the deer Ray harvested over the years. I guess all this rain finally washed the urine out.

The bad news was that three US flags (leftover from Memorial Day or Flag Day, I assume) were damaged and on the ground. Two were salvageable and I will repair them and put them back out, probably in the spring. The 3rd was unrepairable. I will keep it until the opportunity arises to dispose of it properly, thru either the Boy Scouts or the American Legion.

There was also some damage to decorations arounds Uncle Jim's headstone. I repaired it as best I could, but some of the decorations weren't designed to stand the rigors of being left unattended in the 'wilderness'.

But that's not what I came to talk about today.

I was talking pictures, as I usually do. I know little or nothing has changed, but digital photography is free and I end up with different times of day, weather conditions, etc.

I came across the loose headstones stacked at the back (east end) of the cemetery. They're not new, we all know they're there. They've been there as long as I've been going to the Gwinn Cemetery.

Perhaps they caught my eye because there was one along the south fence that I hadn't seen before (see left side of photo, above). From the grass stains, I'd say it only recently became dislodged. Since I hadn't planned this cemetery trip, I had no tools nor did I have a listing to know where the headstone belongs. I set it back along the fence and will come prepared to look into it at a later date.

But I digress.

I am curious about the loose stones. According to the Wayne County Cemetery Book, dated 1978, supplemented in 1991, the loose stones belong to two families.

Mary J. CHERRYHOLMES, daug of J. & H.J. Cherryholmes Died June 15, 1874 age 10m 2d.

Asahel O. CULVER, son of O.V. & M.M. Culver Died Sept. 1, 1859 age 14m 15d

Lovina M. CULVER, daug of O.V. & M.M. Culver Died June 1, 1860 age 5m 28d.

Maria M. CULVER, wife of Orange Culver Died Jan 17, 1860. (the 1991 update shows this marker between rows 4 and 5 with the additional writing 'age 20 yr 2m 10d)

It is a pretty safe assumption that Maria and Orange Culver are the O.V. & M.M. parents of Asahel and Lovina. Can you imagine? Five or Six month pregnant Maria, looses her 14 month old son in September, gives birth to a daughter in December and passes away in January, then the daughter doesn't live to see summer.

I have not Culvers listed in the Gwinn family history and few others were buried in Wayne county. I wonder if this family was just passing through, close neighbors, who knows. Did Orange give up after this and leave, go defend Ft Sumpter, ...