Tag Archives: 1889
This is the fifth post in a series titled “Adopting Graves”, where I’ve enjoyed sharing my journey of adopting and researching two graves during the autumn season. For previous posts, visit:
Adopting Graves: Second Visit with Clara and Johnnie
Adopting Graves: A New Autumn Tradition (2013)
Adopting Graves: Some genealogy on our little Johnnie and his family
Adopting Graves: More on little Clara and her family
On a Saturday in the middle of August, I decided to begin a new autumn tradition of adopting graves. I chose the graves of two souls, each in a different cemetery. At this point I feel strangely close to Johnnie Michel and Clara I. Gegenbauer. From that day on, I visited these graves every two weeks up to October 30th. I need to go back at least one more time to pick up the pumpkins and things, that way if I decide to visit in the distant future, there won’t be a pumpkin patch to walk through. For more on the inspiration and how I chose these two graves, visit my very first post in this series.
Johnnie Michel, son of Henry and Matilda Michel, July 5, 1879 – January 21, 1884
Johnnie, who died at four and half years old (reason unknown), lived with his family on the upper floor of a general store on Main Street in Wentzville, Missouri. His father was a prominent Wentzville citizen and built and owned the general store. His mother raised the family (Johnnie had an older and a younger sister), and presumably helped tend to several of the clerks and extended family members that lived with them above the store.
Below are some of the shots from different visits to Johnnie’s grave (I tried to bring different flowers/gifts each time.)
Since posting my genealogy for Johnnie’s family, I discovered that the family’s general store was located where the “Wentzville Millwork” building is in the picture below. I’m not sure how old the remaining buildings to the left are, but I wanted to make sure and include them in the picture to help your imagination. The structure that housed the general store was demolished in the 1970s. To my knowledge there are no existing photos of the general store, which was operated by the family until at least 1910. The second picture below is a view of the surrounding downtown area across the street from that lot.
Clara I. Gegenbauer, March 29, 1884 – March 17, 1889
As you may have noticed, Clara died just short of her fifth birthday as well. She was the fourth out of eight children by parents Eugene Gegenbauer (1847 – 1916) and Isabelle Coulter Gegenbauer (1853 – 1930). Like Johnnie, there is no record of how or why Clara died at such a young age. Her father Eugene (whose parents immigrated from Germany) and mother Isabelle (whose parents immigrated from Ireland) were married in 1876. After immigrating, Clara’s paternal grandfather was a physician and teacher in the Ballwin, Missouri area. He died in 1880.
Out of the family’s eight children, Eugene and Isabelle had 7 grandchildren, including my new friend Gayla’s father. Clara’s last remaining sibling, Jane Sophia “Jennie” Gegenbauer, was Gayla’s grandmother. She died in 1976.
For more on Clara, or for photos of her parents and the family’s farmhouse, click HERE.
On my second visit with Johnny and Clara, I was not prepared for the feelings I would have when seeing the blunt symbolism of the dead flowers in the exact same arrangement that I had placed them in only two weeks earlier. Though this is a completely normal thing to see in a cemetery, it was a beautiful and sad at the same time.
Other favorite photos from my visits to see Johnny and Clara
Clara’s grave can be seen on the left (with the bright flowers) near the top of the hill. The graves surrounding her are her parents and siblings.
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Once again, Clara’s grave can be seen off in the distance at the top of the hill.
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As I mentioned before, I have to make at least one more visit to pick up pumpkins, but I highly doubt that it will be my last. I’ve become so familiar with the path to find them, and I’m sure I’ll never forget. I’m already excited to start the journey over next year with two “new” graves.
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4 Comments | tags: 1879, 1884, 1889, a look back, a new autumn tradition, a new fall tradition, adopting a forgotten grave, adopting a gravestone, adopting graves, adopting graves 2013, adopting gravesites, afterlife, ancestry, ancestry.com, autumn, autumn season, autumn tradition, autumn traditions, benefits of genealogy research, big seance, blogging, burial, cemeteries, cemetery, chesterfield, chesterfield missouri, chesterfield mo, clara gegenbauer, clara i gegenbauer, climbing the hill, early autumn, eugene gegenbauer, fall, fall traditions, forgotten graves, gegenbauer family, gegenbauer family plot, genealogy, genealogy research, grandparents, grave, grave adoption, grave markers, grave site adopting, grave stones, grave yard, graves of children, gravesites, graveyard, gumbo cemeter chesterfield missouri, gumbo cemetery, gumbo cemetery chesterfield mo, gumbo missouri, halloween traditions, head stones, headstones, heaven, historic cemeteries, history, isabelle coulter, isabelle coulter gegenbauer, isabelle gegenbauer, johnnie michel, johnnie michel grave, johnnie michel gravesite, linn cemetery, linn cemetery wentzville missouri, linn cemetery wentzville mo, meramec, missouri cemeteries, new tradition, other side, paranormal, photography, positive genealogy experiences, remembrance, research genealogy, rest in peace, resting place, RIP, saint louis, saint louis missouri, saint louis mo, seance, souls, spirit, spirit communication, spirit world, spirits, spiritual, st louis mo, st. louis, st. louis missouri, wentzville missouri, wentzville mo | posted in Cemeteries
This is the fourth post in a series titled “Adopting Graves”, where I’ve enjoyed sharing my journey of adopting and researching two graves during the autumn season. For previous posts, visit:
Adopting Graves: A New Autumn Tradition (2013)
Adopting Graves: Some genealogy on our little Johnnie and his family
Adopting Graves: More on little Clara and her family
Clara’s grave from today’s visit.
Johnny’s grave from today’s visit. (The grave of his grandparents in the background.)
Today was my second visit to the gravesites of Clara and Johnnie. Except for the fact that it was like eleventy-hundred degrees today, I was very excited about each of these visits. I know so much more about these souls and their families now, and that made this trip a little more meaningful. After another stop for flowers (different colors this time), I made my way toward Gumbo Cemetery for Clara. In both cemeteries, the remains of my flowers from the last visit were present… aged and frozen in time. I secretly hoped they’d still be there, mainly for the selfish opportunity to snap photos of them. For both Johnnie and Clara, I talked aloud of how I knew they probably weren’t present with me, eternally hanging out next to their head stone, but I wanted to make sure they knew I had been thinking of them and learning about their families over the last few weeks. I even read my previous blog posts and mentioned the fact that many others were learning about their families as well. I sat in silence for a while (a little longer for Clara since I was winded from climbing the hill) and forced myself to be okay with my legs being itchy from the grass.
The resting place of Eugene, Clara’s father.
A young and handsome Eugene Gegenbauer, Clara’s father.
The resting place of Isabelle, Clara’s mother.
A young Isabelle Coulter Gegenbauer, Clara’s mother.
On my way out of Linn Cemetery after visiting Johnnie, I took a few photos of the entrance to the older section. I found an older marker for this section with the date of 1867, although I’ve seen some head stones there with a burial date of 1865.
Near the entrance to the older section of Linn Cemetery, Wentzville, Missouri.
Near the entrance of the older section of Linn Cemetery, Wentzville, Missouri.
I suppose I’ll plan the next visit for two weekends from now. Hopefully by then I’ll be able to wear a hoodie. That might be a stretch.
Till next time…
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4 Comments | tags: 1879, 1884, 1889, a new autumn tradition, a new fall tradition, adopting a forgotten grave, adopting a gravestone, adopting graves, adopting gravesites, afterlife, ancestry, ancestry.com, autumn, autumn season, autumn tradition, autumn traditions, benefits of genealogy research, big seance, blogging, burial, cemeteries, cemetery, chesterfield, chesterfield missouri, chesterfield mo, clara gegenbauer, clara i gegenbauer, climbing the hill, early autumn, eugene gegenbauer, fall, fall traditions, forgotten graves, gegenbauer family, gegenbauer family plot, genealogy, genealogy research, grandparents, grave, grave adoption, grave markers, grave site adopting, grave stones, grave yard, graves of children, gravesites, graveyard, gumbo cemeter chesterfield missouri, gumbo cemetery, gumbo cemetery chesterfield mo, gumbo missouri, halloween traditions, head stones, headstones, heaven, historic cemeteries, history, isabelle coulter, isabelle coulter gegenbauer, isabelle gegenbauer, johnnie michel, johnnie michel grave, johnnie michel gravesite, linn cemetery, linn cemetery wentzville missouri, linn cemetery wentzville mo, meramec, missouri cemeteries, new tradition, other side, paranormal, photography, positive genealogy experiences, remembrance, research genealogy, rest in peace, resting place, RIP, saint louis, saint louis missouri, saint louis mo, seance, souls, spirit, spirit communication, spirit world, spirits, spiritual, st louis mo, st. louis, st. louis missouri, wentzville missouri, wentzville mo | posted in Cemeteries, Spiritual
This is the third post in a series titled “Adopting Graves”, where I’ve enjoyed sharing my journey of adopting and researching two graves during the autumn season. For previous posts, visit Adopting Graves: A New Autumn Tradition (2013) and Adopting Graves: Some genealogy on our little Johnnie and his family.
Beginning genealogy research through Ancestry.com can be incredibly addictive and time consuming. This new hobby has given me my first opportunity to try it. I’ve filled up nearly ten pages on a legal pad with notes on both Johnnie and Clara, the two souls and graves that I’ve adopted this season. Of course, this is more info than anyone would ever need to know. But even though these families were strangers to me before now, it has been great fun… fun of the nerdly variety. In researching information on Clara, I have had the good fortune of getting in contact with a nice woman named Gayla Liles. Gayla is a great niece of Clara and has supplied me with the information and photos shared in this post. Since Gayla lives in New Mexico and no other family members live near, I have been able to share photos of the unseen Gegenbauer family plot and headstones with her. It feels good… and it makes it seem like there’s a real purpose to this new tradition, rather than just being a strange nerd who blogs about these things. It has been an honor to talk to Gayla and I thank her very much for the hard work and information researched and gathered.
Clara I. Gegenbauer, March 29, 1884 – March 17, 1889
Clara was the fourth out of eight children by parents Eugene Gegenbauer (1847 – 1916) and Isabelle Coulter Gegenbauer (1853 – 1930). Like Johnnie (see last post), there is no record of how or why Clara died at such a young age. Her father Eugene (whose parents immigrated from Germany) and mother Isabelle (whose parents immigrated from Ireland) were married in 1876. After immigrating, Clara’s paternal grandfather was a physician and teacher in the Ballwin, Missouri area. He died in 1880.
A young and handsome Eugene Gegenbauer, Clara’s father.
A young Isabelle Coulter Gegenbauer, Clara’s mother.
An older Isabelle Coulter Gegenbauer. I love this photo. You can just see wisdom in her eyes.
Isabelle and children. I’m not sure if Clara is a part of this photo or what year it was taken. According to my research and this photo, they lived on a farm in the Meramec/St. Louis area. I just love the house!
Out of the family’s eight children, Eugene and Isabelle had 7 grandchildren, including my new friend Gayla’s father. Clara’s last remaining sibling, Jane Sophia “Jennie” Gegenbauer, was Gayla’s grandmother. She died in 1976.
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This Labor Day weekend marks two weeks since I adopted Johnnie and Clara’s graves. I hope to make a return visit to both. It will certainly be more meaningful now that I know more about these two families.
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10 Comments | tags: 1884, 1889, a new autumn tradition, a new fall tradition, adopting a forgotten grave, adopting a gravestone, adopting graves, adopting gravesites, afterlife, ancestry, ancestry.com, autumn, autumn season, autumn tradition, autumn traditions, benefits of genealogy research, big seance, blogging, burial, cemeteries, cemetery, chesterfield, chesterfield missouri, chesterfield mo, clara gegenbauer, clara i gegenbauer, early autumn, eugene gegenbauer, fall, fall traditions, forgotten graves, gegenbauer family, gegenbauer family plot, genealogy, genealogy research, grave, grave adoption, grave markers, grave site adopting, grave stones, grave yard, graves of children, gravesites, graveyard, gumbo cemeter chesterfield missouri, gumbo cemetery, gumbo cemetery chesterfield mo, gumbo missouri, halloween traditions, head stones, headstones, heaven, historic cemeteries, history, isabelle coulter, isabelle coulter gegenbauer, isabelle gegenbauer, meramec, missouri cemeteries, new tradition, other side, paranormal, photography, positive genealogy experiences, remembrance, research genealogy, rest in peace, RIP, saint louis, saint louis missouri, saint louis mo, seance, souls, spirit, spirit communication, spirit world, spirits, spiritual, st louis mo, st. louis, st. louis missouri | posted in Cemeteries, Spiritual
Inspired by the amazing Renae Rude – The Paranormalist, who is a fellow lover of all things autumn and spooky, I decided to begin a new autumn tradition of adopting one or two gravesites.
In my mind, the idea is to choose an older grave, perhaps forgotten (of course how does one really know this?) that may also need to be tended to. The two local cemeteries that I chose happen to be fairly well cared for. I would think you’d want to choose a grave that really speaks to you, either metaphorically or literally. As someone who finds cemeteries fascinating and enjoys spending time and taking photos in them, I found it hard to not just gravitate toward the interesting and most beautiful graves. But at the same time, I didn’t want to ignore those feelings. Lastly, a requirement for me was to be able to identify a name on the marker. This is often hard to do in cemeteries. You might argue that a grave that has lost the identity of the body resting there would be more in need of adoption, but for my first experience at this, I really wanted to be able to connect with a name as well. It is also my hope that after this initial post I’ll be able to research genealogy and share that with you as well. After selecting my graves, I’d commit to returning every so often throughout the season, keeping their soul in my thoughts and praying that they are at peace.
So this last Saturday I was very excited to set out to adopt two graves for an early autumn kickoff. I wanted to choose one grave at two different cemeteries. It was an absolutely beautiful day and I was honored that Joe was willing to accompany me. (Normally this would be a little weird for him.) We went and picked up two beautiful bunches of flowers for a total of $10 and headed for Linn Cemetery in Wentzville, Missouri. Linn Cemetery is a place I’ve visited a few times in the last few years. Click HERE for photos from my first visit to Linn Cemetery.
Johnnie Michel, son of Henry and Matilda Michel, July 5, 1879 – January 21, 1884
Johnnie was four and a half years old at the time of his death. He was buried near two or three other Michels, but we found no Henry or Matilda Michel (his parents, according to the marker) near Johnnie. We wondered why the parents weren’t buried here, or at least nearby. Did life take them somewhere else after this loss? Did they have other children that lived hopefully longer lives? And what happened to Johnnie? Was it sickness? An accident?
Here’s a close up of the writing below the dates.
To the best of my ability, it appears to read “Here ____ our Little Johnnie ____ his still and silent… ?? …till we meet again. God has called him home, he thought it best.”
I visited a bit with Johnnie, wondering out loud about his story and asked who the other Michels buried near him were. I promised to return a few times and keep him in my thoughts, hoping and praying he is at peace.
Our next stop was the Gumbo Cemetery in Chesterfield, Missouri. I had come across this cemetery on accident only the day before. I was excited to stop by and check it out.
Clara I. Gegenbauer, March 29, 1884 – March 17, 1889
Clara’s grave is up on a scenic hill along a tree line. Inscribed on her marker is the message “A voice we loved has fled.” That really touched me. Like Johnnie Michel, Clara died just short of her fifth birthday. In the photo it almost appears to be taken at dusk, due to the canopy of tree limbs overhead. Clara rests among seven other graves that are clearly grouped as a family. Clara’s grave stands proudly on the front left corner in the group. From my first step into the cemetery, this group of markers off in the distance and on top of the hill caught my attention.
I visited with Clara, pondering the same questions that go through one’s mind when you see the resting place of any young child. I also left her with the same promise I gave Johnnie.
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So was I meant to be drawn to the graves of two children, approximately the same age? Or did I subconsciously choose a little girl out of fairness after already choosing Johnnie? I also think it’s interesting that Clara was born just months after Johnnie died. At the risk of creating a dramatic plot that doesn’t exist, I wonder if there is some kind of connection between the two, whether it’s between the two families, or a great plan designed from the other side. What an interesting thought. Ha! Maybe I should write a book.
I’d love to know what you think about this new tradition of mine. If you find it interesting, be sure to check out Renae Rude’s fascinating post in the related articles below. Stay tuned in the coming months as I hope to piece together just a bit of the history of these two families. This will be my first attempt at genealogy, so wish me luck.
Related Articles:
Graveyards, churchyards and cemeteries: spending an afternoon with the dead. (Renae Rude – The Paranormalist)
Click here for more cemetery posts, or visit the “Cemeteries” category on the right. (Big Séance)
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19 Comments | tags: 1879, 1884, 1889, a new autumn tradition, a new fall tradition, a voice we loved has fled, adopting a forgotten grave, adopting a graveside, adopting graves, afterlife, autumn, autumn tradition, autumn traditions, big seance, blogging, burial, cemeteries, cemetery, chesterfield missouri, chesterfield mo, clara gegenbauer, clara i gegenbauer, early autumn, fall, fall traditions, forgotten graves, genealogy, grave, grave adoption, grave markers, grave site adopting, grave stones, grave yard, graves of children, gravesites, graveyard, gumbo cemetery, gumbo cemetery chesterfield missouri, gumbo cemetery chesterfield mo, halloween traditions, head stones, headstones, heaven, henry michel, historic cemeteries, history, johnnie michel, johnnie michel grave, johnnie michel gravesite, linn cemetery, linn cemetery wentzville missouri, linn cemetery wentzville mo, matilda michel, missouri cemeteries, other side, paranormal, photography, remembrance, research genealogy, rest in peace, RIP, seance, souls, spirit, spirit communication, spirit world, spirits, spiritual, wentzville missouri, wentzville mo | posted in Cemeteries, Spiritual
