Gene Notes

Some random and some not-so-random thoughts on family history.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

I Don't Care if it is Written in Stone

I love working in cemeteries. And I find such interesting information and topics for blogs working cemetery research. Such was the case when I discovered this headstone for Grant and Elizabeth Chinn  at Find-A-Grave, who were buried in Weldon Christian Church Cemetery, Brandenburg, Meade County, Kentucky. Note that the headstone for Grant says that he was born in 1873 and died in 1940. The Elizabeth side of the stone is for Annie Elizabeth Trent Chinn. It says she was born in 1871 and died in 1920.

That's not what their death certificates say. Grant died September 4, 1937 and Annie November 18, 1919. The correct information does appear on Find-A-Grave.

I guess what bothers me, is that headstones are not inexpensive. Why wouldn't whoever paid for them not make sure they had the right information on the stone? I know what was posted on FAG is correct, because I did look at the census and the death certificates.

Copyright 2010, ACK for Gene Notes

4 comments:

  1. One answer, as we both know, sighhhh, is that whomever ordered the stone, THOUGHT, they knew the dates, or even worse, GUESSED! Obviously, they were not looking at any death certs. SIGHHHHH

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  2. Sounds like they did it from someone's memory. Yeesh. Placed years later?

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  3. I agree with the "years later" idea. It looks like more sophisticated (and more recent) engraving than 1940.

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  4. When you work hard to get your information right, to see something like this is just so grating.

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