James PARK 1842 - 1854 -- found gravestone

PARK

Posted By: Joey Stark
Date: 3/18/2012 at 13:57:16

Note on the back of a Family Group Sheet for Col. John PARK regarding his children, as noted in "Jefferson County Records", Vol. 6, Pg. 214, by Mary & Orville Prill

Tombstone located by Mrs. Art Salzman of Merrimac Farms, on the Robert Messer farm west of Lower Richwoods Cemetery. Stone broken, but Mrs. Salzman copied the inscription:

"James, son of J. and Jane PARK, Died June 26, 1854, aged 11 yrs. __ ____, 28 days."

(Death date same as shown in Bible Records.)

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Letter dated Monday evening, Aug. 22, 1966, written by Mrs. Art Salzman: Mrs. Akers and I called on Robert Messer this afternoon. He is an 82 year old bachelor living alone on the same road as Lower Richwoods Cemetery, a couple of houses or so west -- south side of road. We walked over some stubbly ground to get to the graves. All one can see of the graves is one headstone leaning against a tree. It says:

JAMES, son of J. and Jane PARK, died June 26, 1854, aged 11 yrs. __ ____, 28 days.

The corner showing the months is broken off. Also against the tree is a footstone with initials J.P. In the grass nearby is a sandstone marker lying on its side. Mr. Messer says there were 5 or 6 graves when they moved there when he was a little boy. The stones have gradually fallen over and most of them carried to a fence row or something such. But he is sure none of the others were engraved -- just rough stones with no names or initials...."

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The Bible Records referred to note James' birthdate as July 28, 1842. However, a gravestone in Lower Richwoods Cemetery for young James states his age as 11 yrs, 8 mos., 28 days, which would put his birth in September. It appears that young James was not originally buried in Lower Richwoods Cemetery, and quite probably his remains still lie where the stone was found. It is then expected that the gravestone in Lower Richwoods for him is a memorial only.