Spring Hill Cemetery

Chapter XXXIII

  

      The old Newbern Road is one of the prettiest drives in Lucas County.

      It is something of a sky-line drive, scenic on all sides with beauty of contour and color.  Driving leisurely along, it is relaxing and inspiring.

      This was the trail of the pioneers.  One visualizes them jogging along in their wagons behind the slow-plodding oxen.  The mind jumps to the advent of the “auto”, when ladies in crinoline donned their big hats and veils and spent a pleasant afternoon driving to Newbern and back.  There was little to see and less to do in the village but there was much to admire on the way.

      At a point along the Frank Byram farm, an open archway proclaims “Spring Hill Cemetery” and leads into a narrow side road walled in greenery to the next hillock where reigns “the royal fellowship of Death”.  A small body of water sitting like a jewel in the distance lends enchantment.

      Here, under the stars which the poet Byron calls “the poetry of heaven”, lie some half a hundred former citizens of the community who lived their allotted time as countless other generations have done and will continue to do while the same stars shine as brightly as when the first shepherd gazed upward as he tended his sheep on the plains of Shinar.

Church Organized

      The English Church was organized in 1869 with 16 members.  It served the community for more than half a century.  It was also called the Cain church because of its nearness to the Cain family home.

      Mr. Cain was president of the cemetery association and T. M. Dunshee was secretary, which posts both men served faithfully for many years.  Mr. Dunshee was Sunday school teacher of an adult class until age brought his retirement.  He then appointed his daughter-in-law, Mrs. C. A. (Lula) Dunshee who had taught a youth class, to take his class.  Ethel (Cain) Stevenson was organist for many years.

      Ninety-six years ago (1877) a group of stalwart men in the community selected and named this final resting place near and connected with, the First Presbyterian Church of English Township, established eight years before.  Those whose names appear in the record book, loaned by Mrs. C. A. Dunshee and family, are Duncan Breckinridge, Isaac C. Cain, C. R. Cowan, Thomas M. Dunshee and G. T. Mayes.

Tread Softly

      In this hallowed spot, one treads softly.

      “These are the dead.  Short days ago they lived,

      Felt dawn; saw sunset’s glow…”

                                                            Col. John McRae

      They exchanged a mortal body for an immortal soul.  They live on.  Memories linger . . . Spring Hill Cemetery.

      “The grave is but a covered bridge, leading from light to light thru a brief darkness”.

      It is said that a hair can live for centuries and a brick of Egypt for 3,000 years.  Can it then not be assumed that there is something within human clay - the mind, the soul, some immortal spark that will live on and on?”  The intellect of Galileo aided the astronauts as they stated simply before millions of viewers.  The almost limitless imagination of Shakespeare lives on to inspire us today; the talent of Rembrandt thrills; the spirit of the handicapped Apostle Paul moves us.  The list goes on and on.

      Thus, strolling along, pausing here and there, one feels that these are living in their new estate and in the hearts of those they knew and loved so well.

The Breckinridge Lot

      Duncan Breckinridge was born in Scotland.  At age six he came with his parents to English township in 1854.  He lived to age 93.  Here too, is Mrs. Breckinridge and their daughters, Martha Annette and Charlotte.  Mr. Breckinridge served his township as Trustee, Assessor and as Justice of the Peace.

Isaac C. Cain

      Here is the grave of Isaac C. Cain, who was active in establishing both the church and cemetery.  Here is Georgie Cain, infant son of the G. W. Cains.  The inscription: “He shall gather the lambs in His arms and carry them in His bosom”.

Clapp

      Here lie Mr. and Mrs. Solomon Clapp, parents of Casper Clapp, well known in Chariton.  He was a carpenter and helped build the Charitone Hotel and the Yocom Hospital.  He was the father of Mrs. Dave (Ada) Webb of Chariton.

Mays

      This imposing monument in the style of its day marks the resting place of G. T. Mays whose dedication to the community helped bring into being the church and the cemetery.  He served as president of the cemetery association and as clerk of the church.

Stimson and Brownlee

      The grave of Maria Stimson bears this admonition to all who might linger and read:

      “Be ye always ready for in such an hour as ye think not, the son of man cometh.”

      A little stone in a cemetery has an arresting power as one contemplates a life denied to the community.  This little stone memorializes twin boys, Donald five months and Jamie six months, children of Frank and Elizabeth Brownlee.  Delicate babies.  Jamie was spared a little longer than Donald, perhaps an act of Divine mercy to soften the blow on the stricken parents.  They were the brothers of the late Leland Brownlee.  Engraved on this stone:

      “Budded on earth to bloom in heaven”.

Dunshee

      A large monument marks the grave of Thomas Marshall Dunshee and his wife Susan.  The inscription here is one of the Bible’s most beautiful and soothing passages:

      “He giveth His beloved sleep.”

            Mr. and Mrs. Dunshee were the parents of Fred and Frank Dunshee, lifelong hardware merchants of Chariton, the late C. A. Dunshee, and of Louie Evalee (Dunshee) Williamson, lifelong resident of Chariton.

Tragedy

      Strolling along, one comes upon the grave of John A. White, uncle of Mary White, one of Chariton’s retired teachers.  Mr. White served English Township many years as a Trustee and four years on the Board of Supervisors.  He was the grandfather of Guy White of Chariton.  Suddenly the mind is shocked to observe six graves of the White family and all the same date! Ah!  Here was tragedy!  What tragedy?  One thinks of Shakespeare’s lines:

      “This fell sergeant Death is strict in his arrest!”

      Investigation reveals that Roy A. White, son of the above mentioned John A. White, was living in California and with his wife and four boys had come back to English township for the funeral of his father in late October of 1916.  Returning to their California home in early December, they had stopped in Cheyenne, Why. To visit Mrs. White’s sister.

      In the night, fire broke out in the hotel and the entire family perished.  Roy, the father, 34; Ethel, the mother, 28; Francis six year, Donald five, and Guy three and little Hubert nine months.

      They exchanged a mortal body for an immortal soul.  They live on.

The Last

      Louie E. (Dunshee) Williamson, who died in May of 1949 was the last person to be buried in Spring Hill Cemetery.

      “O, proud Death! What feast is toward in thine eternal cell, that thou so many princes at a shot, So Bloodily hath struck?”

      Sixteen months later, Mrs. John A. White, wife, mother and grandmother, rejoined her family.

Transferals

      Some eight to ten transferals have been made to the Chariton cemetery.  A quarter century has elapsed since the last burial was made in Spring Hill.  In that time, the life histories of most have become a “closed book” from which no information is available.

      “We see but dimly thru these mists and vapors.  Amid these earthly damps.  What seems to us like funeral tapers - May be heaven’s distant lamps.”

Longfellow

pages 142-147

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