Tombstone Finds Its Way Home

BY SUSAN OLIVER

Who would guess that as a DAR chapter registrar you would receive a call regarding someone looking to find the home for a tombstone? Well it has happened in our county!

Deanna Higgs, Registrar for Ann Crooker St. Clair Chapter, NSDAR received such a call.

The caller, Kathy Dagg, from Belle Rive, IL, a member of the Old Goshen Trail Chapter, NSDAR. Her son-in-law is employed at the Wayne County, IL sheriff department. The stone had been in the evidence room at the jail there for several years. He wanted her to see if she could find its rightful place for the tombstone dated 1873. The stone had been obtained during a traffic stop.

His mother- in- law did some research and discovered that this stone belonged in Ewington Cemetery in Effingham County. Kathy contacted Deanna, registrar of the DAR chapter nearest to the cemetery hoping to get more information and help to get the stone to its home. Little did she know she would find out that Deanna was very familiar with that cemetery for many reasons. The Ann Crooker St. Clair Chapter’s namesake and Mary Crooker Lloyd, the founding regent, are both buried there. Deanna has family buried there as do many chapter members and Deanna serves on the cemetery board for Ewington Cemetery. They arranged for the stone to be returned to Effingham County.

(LEFT TO RIGHT: DEANNA HIGGS, SUSAN OLIVER, KATHY DAGG)

On a cold, windy morning with a mix of rain and sleet falling, Kathy and her husband Terry, met Deanna and Susan Oliver, 1st Vice Regent, at Ewington and the stone was delivered. Earlier that week, Deanna had spoken with the cemetery board to relate the tale to them and had received word the board wanted to have the stone reset at the cemetery.

The decision was made to take the stone to Effingham Monument after it was received from the Daggs’. Deanna and Susan met with Bart Willenborg at Effingham Monument to tell the tale of the tombstone and talk about resetting it. They spoke to him about DAR and the importance to them of preserving history. Bart very generously said the company would set the stone at no charge to the cemetery.

On Friday, April 12, Deanna got a call that the stone would be set in next few days. Thru research in county cemetery books that the Ann Crooker St. Clair chapter did in the 1970’s, the area of where the stone had been prior was located. Susan and her husband, Mark, tagged the spot with a stake for the monument company so the stone could be reset.

Lucretia Porter, wife of A.C. Keyes, who died April 23, 1873 at age 33, and infant child now have their beautiful stone back to mark their final resting place almost 151 years after their death.

RIP Lucretia and infant.

The stone will be unveiled at the Memorial Day Service held at Ewington by the Ann Crooker St. Clair Chapter, NSDAR on Saturday, May 25 at 10am. The public is invited to attend the service.