The Naturalization of Foraj (a.k.a. Joe or Fred) Fallos

Foraj Fallos, sailing from Beirut, came to the United States in 1907.  Even though I "should" be able to find him in census records from 1910 through 1940, I have been unable to do so.  Not a single one.  It's been rather frustrating.

That doesn't mean I know nothing of Mr. Fallos, however.  Other records have helped to shed a bit of light on his life and time in the United States.

World War I Draft Registration

According to his World War I draft registration dated 5 June 1917, Joe Fallas was born 15 February 1892 in "Syria, Turkey." He was noted as being a naturalized citizen of the United States, but also a "citizen or subject" of Turkey.  His race was given as Turkish Jew.  Joe was living in Atlanta, Georgia and working as a clerk in a European grocery store.

In September of 1918, while still living in Atlanta and working as a fruit merchant, Joe was ordered to report to the local board for military duty.  He was inducted into service the last day of the month, and sent to Fort Thomas in Kentucky for training.  Joe was honorably discharged about 10 weeks later.

Naturalization Records

On the same day he registered for the draft, "Joe Fallos (Foraj Fallos)" officially declared his intention to become a citizen of the United States of America.  He again recounted his birthdate was 15 February 1892, but was more specific with his birthplace:  "Lepa, Syria, Turkey."

I must admit this confused me a bit, given my little knowledge of the history of this area of the world.  I understood Syria and Turkey to be part of the Ottoman Empire, and Aleppo's relatively close proximity to Turkey, but failed to recognize a couple of things:  (1) The Ottoman Empire was also called the Turkish Empire and/or Ottoman Turkey – ugh, probably should have known that, and (2) the tumult of the time.  Though the Turkish War of Independence was a couple of years off, I think the following from Wikipedia provides a basic explanation of how Aleppo figured into the relationship between Syria and Turkey:

At the end of World War I, the Treaty of Sèvres made most of the Province of Aleppo part of the newly established nation of Syria, while Cilicia was promised by France to become an Armenian state. However, Kemal Atatürk annexed most of the Province of Aleppo as well as Cilicia to Turkey in his War of Independence.

According to the Declaration of Intention pictured above, Joe renounced "forever all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, and particularly to Mehmed V Emperor of the Ottomans." He also signed off on not being an anarchist nor a polygamist.

Joe Fallos received his Certificate of Naturalization four years later, in June of 1921.

United States Passport Application

The pictures always make these a fabulous find, don't they? About a year after receiving his Certificate of Naturalization, Joe decided to take a trip that required a passport.  On his May 1922 application, he once again reiterated his birth date and place – 15 February 1892 at Aleppo, Syria.  Joe, a "naturalized and loyal citizen of the United States," also provided his father's name was Abraham Fallas, deceased.  Quoting from the document,

I emigrated to the United States, sailing from Beirut about April 20th, 1907, that I resided 14 years, uninterruptedly, in the United States, from 1907 to 1922 at N.Y., Baltimore, Texas, Ga.; that I was naturalized as a citizen of the United States before the Federal Court of N. District of Ga. at Atlanta, on June 27th, 1921, as shown by the Certificate of Naturalization presented herewith...

And therein lies a reason for failing to find him in the census records! He sure did move around a lot.  At this point in time, Joe was living in Macon, Bibb County, Georgia and working in a delicatessen.  He was planning to visit Syria (Damascus and Aleppo), Egypt, France, and Italy "for pleasure," leaving from the port of N.Y. later in May.

Marriage Record

I'm not able to see a scan of the original marriage record for Joe Fallas, but the extracted information is from the New York, New York City Marriage Records, 1829-1940 database at FamilySearch.  He, aged 40, married Alton Matut, aged 25, on 11 November 1932 at Manhattan, NY.  Both members of this couple were born in Syria, Turkey.  The names of each of their parents were also included in the record:  Joe's being Joseph Fallas and Mary Cohen, and Alton's being Nathan Matut and Esther Rofe.

City Directories

It appears Joe brought his new bride back to Macon, Georgia after the wedding.  They can be found in the 1934 Macon city directory, living at 124 Bay Street.  Joe was a grocer, and Alton was now going by the name of Alice.  The 1948 directory for the same city shows Alice living at 2438 Napier Avenue.  Her husband is still a grocer, but is now going by the name of Fred Fallas.  The next year, though still in Macon, Fred and Alice have moved again to 1610 Telfair Street.  The couple remained at that address in 1950.

I should also note that 1610 Telfair Street was also the grocery business address.  Fred and Alice were residing in the rear of the building, so presumably their business was in the front.  Is this how they avoided the census taker?

The 1953 through 1956 city directories for Macon, Georgia each contains the Fallas couple, still residing and working at 1610 Telfair Street.  Alice is also specifically noted as being a clerk at "Fred J. Fallas Grocery."

Death Record and Tombstone

According to the Georgia Death Index, Fred Fallas died 5 November 1956 at Bibb County, Georgia.

As you might imagine, the order in which I placed each of the sources in this post is not the order in which they were found.  What started me on the trail to uncover information about Joe Fallas was his tombstone, located in the Congregation Sherah Israel section of Rose Hill Cemetery.

Joe's military issue tombstone was produced at the Georgia Marble Company of Tate, Georgia, and bears the Star of David along with the following inscription:

Joe Fallas
Georgia
Pvt 31 Rct Co
Gen Svc Inf
World War I
February 15, 1892
November 5, 1956

The Death of a Child! - Rebecca Heartwell Tarver

[Originally posted at the Southern Graves blog.]

DIED, in Dougherty county, on the 15th day of May, REBECCA HEARTWELL, infant daughter of Mr. Paul E. Tarver and Mrs. Cinderilla Tarver, aged 9 months and 13 days.

The death of a child! How little does the world mark such an incident! Society feels no shock. It is scarcely felt in the narrow circle of relatives and friends. The arrow flies swiftly through the air to its victim, its trace is lost and all is tranquil. Yet how often does such an event crush the hopes and destroy the happiness of families.

Our heart bleeds in tender sympathy with the parents of the bright little being whose death we chronicle. She was indeed a precious bud, whose leaves had not yet opened to the day.

"A vision of beauty! fair as brief!"
If the tender affection of parents, or the innocence and beauty of childhood, could have been a defence from the grave, we could not be making this sad memorial of little Rebecca.

"Yet thou art fled ere guilt had power
To stain thy cherub soul and form.
Closed is the soft ephemeral flower,
That never felt a storm!"

Above from the Macon Weekly Telegraph (Georgia) - 8 June 1858.
Rebecca was the daughter of Paul E. Tarver and Cinderella Crocker Solomon. All are resting in Rose Hill Cemetery at Macon, Bibb County, Georgia.

Photo © 2011 S. Lincecum

Caroline Bivins Holmes Williford (d. 1892)

Caroline E. Bivins was born about 1815 in Milledgeville, Baldwin County, Georgia.  Her parents were William Bivins (d. 1850) of Delaware and Eliza W. Harris (1788-1846), and two of her siblings were James M. (d. 1876) and Sarah (1821-1898).

Caroline married John Holmes, son of James Holmes and Mary Kell, 17 October 1833 in Bibb County, Georgia.  The couple had two sons – John C. Holmes and Edward Bivins Holmes – before the elder John died on 26 September 1835 at the age of 27 years.

When her boys were teenagers, Caroline married again to William S. Williford on 2 December 1849 in Bibb County.  This marriage was also short lived as the couple was parted by William's death on 28 March 1858.

John C. Holmes married into a well-known family when he wed Ann Eliza, a daughter of Abner Flewellyn Holt.  This young couple had at least five children.  Since John died in the 1860s, and Ann died about 1878, matriarch Caroline Williford was housing four of her living grandchildren by the taking of the 1880 Macon, Bibb County, Georgia federal census:

• Caroline E. "Carrie" Holmes (1858-1935)
• Victoria Holmes (1859-1934)
• Lannie Holt Holmes Jemison (1861-1938)
• John Champneys Holmes (1864-1930)

Caroline's other son, Edward Bivins Holt, also married and had children.  That immediate family went West to California in the early 1860s.

Caroline's parents and both of her husbands were buried in Rose Hill Cemetery.  Her son John was buried there, and the four grandchildren who remained in Macon were also buried there.  I think it is highly probable Caroline was also laid to rest in Rose Hill Cemetery after her death in the summer of 1892, but I am still looking for confirmation.

A Note About the Burial of John Holmes

As mentioned above, Caroline's husband John died in 1835.  This was five years before Rose Hill Cemetery was open for business.  So I wonder if John was originally buried in Macon's Old City Cemetery, then later moved to Rose Hill.

According to RoseHillCemetery.org, John rests in lot 137 of block 1 of the Central Avenue Division of Rose Hill Cemetery.  Cemetery records note the purchaser of that lot as "Isaac & John Holmes," though a purchase date is not included.  I have to wonder if that is entirely accurate.  Could the lot have been purchased, more specifically, by their estates? The city of Macon? Or maybe even the State of Georgia?

John's brother Isaac was once mayor of the City of Macon.  He resigned from that position to captain the Macon Volunteers in the Mexican War.  Isaac died in that service near camp in Monterey, Mexico, December 1846.  Inscribed on his tombstone is the following:

The state of Georgia erects this monument in honor
of his service to his country.  The city & citizens
of Macon, the Macon Volunteers & Masonic Fraternity
uniting in the testimonial.

Whether John was moved to Rose Hill Cemetery from his original burial place, then Isaac laid beside him, or if the sequence of events were the opposite, I don't know.  It does appear there was enough room for Caroline to be placed there in 1892, though.

Caroline's son John C. Holmes, as well as each of his children, were buried in a lot (also in the Central Avenue Division) purchased by the "Estate of Dr. Abner F. Holt."

Obituary for Caroline E. Bivins Holmes Williford

Macon Telegraph (Georgia)
Monday, 4 July 1892 -- pg. 6 [via GenealogyBank]

DEATH OF AN OLD LADY

Mrs. Caroline E. Williford Died Yesterday Afternoon.
Mrs. Caroline E. Williford died in this city yesterday afternoon at 5 o'clock.

The death of Mrs. Williford breaks another link between the present and the past.  Though born in Milledgeville, for seventy-seven years she has been a resident of Macon, and has seen it grow from a frontier village to its present importance.  She was twice married, first to Mr. John Holmes, and a few years after his death to the late W. S. Williford.  She leaves one son, Capt. Edward B. Holmes of San Francisco, Cal., and a number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  Among the grandchildren are Mr. John C. Holmes, Miss Carrie E. Holmes, Miss Victoria Holmes and Mrs. R. W. Jemison of this city.

Though confined to her own home by reason of her age, for a number of years, she has not passed from the lives of her friends, but her home has been the centre of a large circle who have been wont to gather there and enjoy the cheer and comfort that has ever been shed about by her pure Christian character.

She has literally gone about on this earth doing good unto her fellowman, and it may be said of her with absolute certainty that "None knew her but to love her."

Surely a mother in Israel has fallen, but the consolation is left to those to whom she was most dear, that her deeds will live after her and her "works will follow her."

Her life has been a part of the history of Macon, and as one of the oldest residents she will be sincerely mourned.

The funeral will take place from the residence of Mr. John C. Holmes, No. 221 Forsyth street, this afternoon at 5 o'clock.

Little Jimmie Stetson: "It is Well with the Boy" (Tombstone Tuesday)

Originally posted at the Southern Graves blog.

Our first born
JIMMIE
Son of J. D. & E. S. Stetson
Born May 25, 1873
Died Sep 10, 1885

"It is well with the boy."

Rose Hill Cemetery
Macon, Georgia

Photo © 2012 S. Lincecum

Young Jimmie Stetson's tombstone is fashioned after a broken column. This often represents a life cut short. Dying at the young age of twelve years, as did Jimmie, would be an example of just that. A poignant Our first born is inscribed above Jimmie's name on the scroll that bears his epitaph, and at the base of the broken column is "It is well with the boy."

I took this latter phrase as a play on "It is well with my soul," a hymn written by Horatio Spafford about 1873.

...No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life,
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But Lord, 'tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul.

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

Thurman A. & Ellen S. Calvert (Tombstones Tuesday)

(Part of the Descendants of Henry Abel series.)

Ellen Elizabeth Stephan was born 18 April 1915 in Georgia.  She was the daughter of William George Stephan (1873-1933) and Laura Elizabeth Abel (1876-1939), and the great-granddaughter of Henry Abel.

A week before the Halloween of 1936, Ellen shared a double wedding ceremony with her younger sister.  Mary Doris Stephan (1917-2012) married James Harold Hitchcock (d. 2000), and Ellen married Thurman Asia Calvert.  Thurman was a son of Francis Marion "Frank" Calvert (1871-1937) and Mary Kirkpatrick (1882-1975).

According to his World War II draft registration card, Thurman stood 6'3" tall and weighed 140 lbs. He also had blue eyes, blonde hair, and a freckled complexion.

About 1940, both Thurman and Ellen were working at a cotton mill.  He was a hauler, and she was a winder hand.  The couple had several children, one being William Frank "Bill" Calvert (1941-2016).

Thurman and Ellen rest in the Honeysuckle Ridge Section (block 5, lot 12) of Rose Hill Cemetery.

Fred DeIvey, Lion Tamer

I haven't located him in any Rose Hill Cemetery database, but there is reason to believe Fred DeIvey is there.

It hasn't been easy tracking down someone who lived the Circus Star life, but what follows is what I've been able to find so far.

Fred DeIvey, according to his entry in the Social Security Applications and Claims Index, was born 21 June 1860 in Dayton, Marengo County, Alabama to John F. DeIvey and Susan Tarrant.  Other sources offer Fred's birth as being four to six years later.  I have precious little information about his early years in life, but an obituary suggests Fred joined the circus about the age of 15.

Fred was into his 30s before I find reference of him with an act providing entertainment at a Retail Grocers' Association picnic held the summer of 1896 in St. Louis, Missouri.  He was part of a "trapeze performance by the three Nonpareils – Mr. Fred De Ivey, Miss Blanche De Ivey and Sig. Frisco."

After a gap of about seven years, I find Fred had joined the staff of the Great Pan-American Shows.  According to the official route book of 1903 transcribed at CircusHistory.org, Fred was a superintendent of the cookhouse.  No doubt he was an entertainer, as well.  On May 19th of that year, at an evening performance in Logansport, Indiana, "Fred De Ivey fell from his stilts receiving a painful injury to one of his hands, which was dressed by a local physician."

Some time over the next five years, Fred began traveling with Haag's Mighty Shows.  He was advertised as a "Haag's Hustler" in the 5 December 1908 Billboard [from Google Books] -

I find Fred next in Jewella, Caddo Parish, Louisiana for the 1910 U.S. census, though I wonder if his and his lodger's occupations should be reversed:

DeIvey, Fred (hoh) age 44 / widowed / KY-US-US / Farmer, General
Davenport, I. (lodger) age 55 / widowed / Ireland x 3 / Trainer, Wild Animals

By January of 1915, Fred was still performing with The Mighty Haag Shows.  The outfit had been "playing Louisiana" since the prior November.  After breaking for the winter, The Mighty Haag Show opened their new season on March 10th, with Fred as side show manager.  According to the 17 July 1915 Billboard, "Fred DeIvey, who has seen service with the Barnum Show, Gollmar Bros., Lemen Bros., and other shows, [is?] ringmaster, announcer and superintendent of stock with the Haag Shows." Two months later, Fred had "severed his connection with the Haag Shows."

Fred must have left the Haag Shows to join the Metropolitan Shows.  A 26 November 1916 Pensacola Journal (Florida) newspaper article speaks to this operation closing its season and going into winter quarters.  It further stated, "Many features are planned for the stay here and Fred Deivey the French tamer promises the training of a new lion."

In 1920, Fred was stationary long enough to be counted in the North Augusta, Aiken County, South Carolina U.S. Federal census.  He was one of at least seventeen individuals with the occupation industry of "show business." It's possible, maybe even likely, Fred was in another winter headquarters.

A Greensboro Daily (North Carolina) newspaper article dated 10 April 1921 put Fred with the J. F. Murphy Shows, providing entertainment for a carnival hosted by the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks:

The Murphy Shows will present a very large and diversified line of entertainments, all of which are said to be strictly high class, moral and refined:  featured among which are Capt. De Ivey's Trained Wild Animals...

Another decade went by in Fred's life, and I presume he was traveling around performing with one entertainment group or another.  Then, finally, I find Fred DeIvey in Macon, Bibb County, Georgia.

An article by Joseph Bradbury written in 1976 for the Bandwagon periodical (vol. 20, no. 1) provided information about the 1930 and 1931 seasons of the Downie Bros. Wild Animal Circus: The Largest Motor Circus in the World.  Fred DeIvey was on the staff roster for 1931, but not as an entertainer.  Instead, he was now "boss carpenter."  In the spring, "final news before the opening said that the new cages turned out of the shops by Fred De Ivey had been elaborately decorated as had all parade vehicles."

Citing the 26 December 1931 Billboard, Mr. Bradbury included a description of the Downie winter headquarters in Central City Park at Macon:

"Upon entering the park one first comes to the office building and here can be found Charles Sparks, Clint Shuford, secy-treas; Charles Katz, asst. manager, also supt. of quarters. In rear are wardrobe rooms in charge of Mrs. Sparks. Next to the office are modern living quarters for the men. It has twenty 14 x 14 outside rooms which are completely furnished. In these quarters is a radio with loud speaker. Cookhouse and dining room are under personal direction of Jack Fitzgerald and meals are of the best. Dining room seats 48 at one time and meals are served hotel style. Next is horse barn, in charge of Melvin Arnold. It contains 20 head of trained horses and ring stock, 10 head of ponies, and 2 mules each in separate box stalls.

Main ring barn is an all brick building, 70 ft. in diameter, with no posts or obstructions. Merritt Belew has a regulation ring in the center where he spends 6 hours each day, improving the old and breaking in new stock. Domestic animal ring barn is 50 x 100 ft. with 2 rings, in charge of Jerome O'Hanlon. Elephant barn, 70 x 50, one ring, is in charge of Larry Davis. At present he is breaking the herd of 5 in a new routine.

Animal house, 60 x 50, is in charge of George Palmer. There are comfortable permanent cages. Paint shop, 100 x 50, is in charge of Irving Goseh. Mechanical dept., 100 x 75, in charge of Mr. McNeil, is a busy place, as every motor with the show is thoroughly overhauled and tested before opening of the season.

Fred Delvey has charge of building and repair shop and during the winter will build a number of large dens and grand stand. Blacksmith shop is in charge of Joe (Scotty) Nobel; carpenter and wagon shop, George Ingolls. At this writing 2 cages and 2 semitrailers are being built. Teddie Premont is supt. of the electrical department."

Fred DeIvey died at the Macon Hospital 17 May 1939.  His death was due to "myocardial degeneration and pulmonary congestion." His death certificate, which included information based on hospital records, showed Fred's address as "Central City Park," his occupation as "Retired Lion Tamer," and burial at Rose Hill Cemetery.

Two obituaries were published for Fred in the local newspaper, the Macon Telegraph.  The first appeared the day after his death, and incorrectly named him Fred B. Ivey.  The second article, published the day after his burial at Rose Hill, had a headline of Last Rites Held for Fred DeIvey: Former Circus Star and Lion Tamer Buried.  This article confirmed Fred was indeed laid to rest at Rose Hill.  Furthermore, it read (in part):

After 60 years in the circus business Mrs. [sic] DeIvey declined in health when he lost an arm in an encounter with a lion.  He had lived here in comparative obscurity for some time.

During the last 10 years he had devoted his time to construction of animal cages and other circus equipment.  For nine years he had charge of construction at winter quarters here for Downie Brothers Circus.

He left the show last summer to join the Barfield Cosmopolitan troupe with which he was traveling in Kentucky when he suffered a heart attack.

Mr. DeIvey returned to Macon several months ago…He had no near relatives and his scattered friends did not know his whereabouts.  He was saved from a pauper's grave by the generosity of his former employe[r] Charles Sparks, for several years owner of the Downie show…

Fred DeIvey possibly lost his arm during or after his time with the J. F. Murphy Shows described above.  And though Fred was granted a "proper" burial due to the generosity of his former employer, it appears no headstone was included.

Three Scars for Lovick Moreland

(Part of the Descendants of Henry Abel series.)

Paul Kenneth Moreland (1892-1968), son of William and Nannie L., married Myrtle L. Abel (1903-1977) about 1920.  Myrtle was a great-granddaughter of Henry Abel.

Paul and Myrtle had at least three children.  Two were Lovick Alexander Moreland (1926-1986) and Edith Kinnie Moreland
Smith Parish (1928-2005).

A physical description of an eighteen-year-old Lovick can be found on the flip side of his World War II draft registration card.  He stood 5'4" tall, weighed 105 lbs., and had blue eyes and blonde hair.  It was also noted Lovick had a "scar on arm [at?] wrist on right hand.  One on right knee & small scar on back head."

A couple of news items might shed some light on a young boy who either liked to play hard, or was accident prone.  In May of 1939, a school aged Lovick was treated for a laceration on his head at the Macon hospital.  He told nurses he was hit by a swing.

Two years later, almost to the day, Lovick was doctored for "injuries received when he was run over by an auto…He was treated for chin laceration and face abrasions at Macon hospital emergency room and soon dismissed."

Upon his death on 7 March 1986, Lovick was laid to rest in Rose Hill Cemetery.  His parents are there, too.

Abel Brothers Charged with Involuntary Manslaughter

(Part of the Descendants of Henry Abel series.)

Jesse Frederick and William Crisp were sons of William Wolff Abel (1885-1948) and his wife Martha Mae Williams (1889-1947).  They were great-grandsons of the German immigrant patriarch, Henry Abel.

Jesse was born 12 July 1910 in Macon, Bibb County, Georgia.  As a young man, he worked at his father's ice factory.  About 1934, Jesse received a degree from the National College of Drugless Physicians and opened up shop as a drugless doctor and chiropractor in Bibb County.  The career was short lived, however, since by 1940 he was dabbling in watches and jewelry.

Jesse married twice, and had at least one daughter.

William Crisp "Chris" Abel was born 13 January 1916 in Georgia.  Similar to Jesse, William was for a time a jeweler, did marry, and had at least one son.

In late February of 1937, the brothers Abel got into some trouble while having a night out near Lovejoy in Henry County.  Apparently, there was a bit of a ruckus at a roadhouse – or filling station, depending on which newspaper article you read – which culminated in the shooting death of J. M. Wallace. The brothers were held for a few days in the Henry County jail, and after such time were charged with involuntary manslaughter and released on bond.

Chris Abel, who allegedly fired the bullet which proved fatal to Wallace, was quoted as saying that it was necessary for him to shoot to protect the lives of his brother and himself, and the attorneys said they have been informed the Abels were dragged from an automobile by an armed group of 15 to 20 men. [Source: GenealogyBank]

Unfortunately, I do not know the specific outcome of the case.  I do know the brothers were free men at least by April 1940, when they were both enumerated for the U.S. Federal census.  Jesse died 17 May 1954, and William Crisp died 8 July 1968.

William Wolff, Martha Mae Williams, Jesse Frederick, and William Crisp Abel all rest in the Eglantine Square section (block 1, lot 55) of Rose Hill Cemetery.

Who Exactly is Mrs. J. M. Smith?

It's mildly annoying, and sometimes frustrating, when you come across a tombstone for a "Mrs. John Smith." Am I right? I mean, when visiting a cemetery for the purpose of researching local history or genealogy, a maiden name would be ideal.  But even a given name would help!

Mrs. J. M. Smith = Mary Bessie Abel Smith

Well, I can clarify one such case in Rose Hill Cemetery:  Mrs. J. M. Smith (1884-1952) is Mary Bessie Abel Smith.  She was a daughter of John Henry Abel (d. 1892) and Sarah Catherine Murfee (1854-1945).

About 1904, Mary married James Monroe Smith (1883-1940), son of J. T. Smith and Pennsylvania native Laura Ann McCarly.  The couple had at least five children.  In addition to those listed here, there was possibly another child who was born and died before 1910.

• Bessie L. Smith (b. abt 1906; d. aft. 1956)
• Charles Edward Smith (b. 1908; d. 1988)
• Sarah Belle Smith (b. bet. 1911-1912; d. aft. 1956)
• Harry Philmore Smith (b. 1912; d. 1977)
• Ross Abel Smith (b. 1916; d. 1956)

Mary, her husband James, and two of her sons – Harry and Ross – rest in the Lakeside Terrace section of Rose Hill Cemetery (block 1, lot 80).

(Part of the Descendants of Henry Abel series.)

Some Additional Sources:

1. 1900 census of United States, population schedule, 716 District, Macon City, Bibb, Georgia, E. D. No. 31, sheet no. 4A, dwelling 66, family 79, Sarah C. Abel household, accessed 18 May 2017. Includes daughters Marth E. and Mary B.; sons Theodore G. and Sydney W.; step-daughter Laura E. Lightfoot; step-granddaughter Katie L.; and step-grandson Henry G.; digital image, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org).
2. Rose Hill Cemetery (Macon, Bibb County, Georgia), Grave Marker Transcription by Stephanie Lincecum, Acquired between 2003 - 2013.
3. "South Carolina Death Records, 1821-1965", database, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry, (http://www.ancestry.com), Image of death certificate for Ross A. Smith, d. 14 November 1956 at Charleston County.
4. "Georgia Deaths, 1914-1927", database, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, FamilySearch, (http://www.familysearch.org), death certificate image for Lovick Askew Abel, d. 11 August 1925 at Bibb County.
5. Friends of Rose Hill, "Historic Rose Hill Cemetery Directory", database, Historic Rose Hill (http://www.rosehillcemetery.org) Accessed 18 May 2017, entry for John Henry Abel, d. 22 November 1892.
6. "Neighborhood News," issued 1 April 1934, accessed 3 June 2017, names of interest:  Mrs. Sarah Catherine Abel, Theodore G. Abel, Macon Telegraph, Macon, Georgia, online image (http://www.genealogybank.com).
7. "Mrs. Sarah C. Abel Funeral Set Today," issued 28 November 1945, accessed 31 May 2017, name of interest:  Mrs. Sarah C. Abel, Macon Telegraph, Macon, Georgia, online image (http://www.genealogybank.com).
8. 1910 census of United States, population schedule, Macon City, Bibb, Georgia, E. D. No. 49, sheet no. 2A, dwelling 32, family 37, Sarah C. Abel household, accessed 18 June 2017. Includes daughters Martha E. Massengale and Mary B. Smith; sons Theodore G. and Sidney W.; son-in-law James N. Smith; granddaughters Mary L. Massengale, Catherine E. Massengale, and Bessie L. Smith; and grandsons William A. Massengale, and Chas. E. Smith; digital image, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org).
9. "Georgia Deaths, 1928-1940", database, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, FamilySearch, (http://www.familysearch.org), Image of death certificate for James Monroe Smith, d. 30 January 1940 at Bibb County.
10. "Services Set Today For Ross A. Smith," issued 16 November 1956, accessed 22 October 2017, name of interest:  Ross A. Smith, Charleston News and Courier, Charleston, South Carolina, online image (http://www.genealogybank.com).
11. "U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947", database, Ancestry Operations, Inc., Ancestry, (http://www.ancestry.com), Image of card for Charles Edward Smith, b. 10 December 1918.
12. "Florida Death Index, 1877-1998", database, The Generations Network, Ancestry, (http://www.ancestry.com), Entry for Charles Edward Smith, d. 28 November 1988 at Duval County.
13. 1920 census of United States, population schedule, Macon City, Bibb, Georgia, E. D. No. 43, sheet no. 8A, dwelling 143, family 187, James Monroe Smith household, accessed 18 June 2017. Includes Mary Bessie; daughters Bessie L. and Sarah Belle; and sons Charles Edward, Harry Philmore, and Ross Abel; digital image, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org).
14. "U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947", database, Ancestry Operations, Inc., Ancestry, (http://www.ancestry.com), Image of card for Harry Philmore Smith, b. 11 December 1912.
15. "Georgia Death Index, 1919-1998", database, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry, (http://www.ancestry.com), Entry for Harry P. Smith, d. 21 February 1977 at Bibb County.

Laura Abel Stephan Couldn't Recover from a Fractured Skull

(Part of the Descendants of Henry Abel series.)

Laura Elizabeth Abel was born 19 July 1876 in Macon, Bibb County, Georgia to John Henry Abel and Laura Elizabeth Brooks.  When little Laura was just 10 months old her mother died, leaving Laura and an older brother (Lovick Askew Abel) to be raised by a single father.  Less than sixteen months would pass before John married again to Sarah Catherine Murfee.  This union provided Laura with five half siblings.

When Laura was a young woman of just 18 years, she married James M. Lightfoot.  The couple had two children:  Katie L. and Henry George.  Less than five years into the marriage – on 10 August 1899 – James died at the age of about 27 years.  His sudden death was "due to a hemorrhage."

A few more years would pass before Laura married again.  This time, she wed William George Stephan, a first generation American born to a German father.  William and Laura had five children:

• Prentice D. Stephan (d. 1966 at Arlington, Virginia)
• William Lovic Stephan (d. 1987 at Glynn County, Georgia)
• Robert Augustus Stephan (d. 1993 at Charlotte, Florida)
• Ellen Stephan Calvert (d. 1997)
• Mary Doris Stephan Hitchcock (d. 2012)

In early March of 1933, Laura had to bury another husband.  A portion of the newspaper article describing William's death said this (article may be viewed in totality at GenealogyBank):

After hearing much evidence and examining six witnesses, a coroner's jury decided Saturday afternoon that William G. Stephan, 59-year-old painter, was drowned when he fell into a pool of water while he was drunk Wednesday.  His body was discovered by a Negro boy Friday in half a foot of water in a pit at the old steam power plant of the Georgia Power company near Central City park.

Fellow veterans of the Spanish American War attended William's funeral.

Six and a half years following the death of her husband, on 7 September 1939, Laura would have a mishap in the home they once shared on Yates Avenue in Macon from which she would not recover.  She accidentally fell down some steps and fractured her skull.  Laura was taken to the Oglethorpe Private Infirmary in town, where she died eight days subsequent due to the fracture and contusion of the brain.

The survivors listed in Laura's obituary show the expanse of the Abel family in middle Georgia, just two generations after the arrival of her grandfather Henry from Germany (article may be viewed in totality at GenealogyBank).

Surviving are three daughters, Mrs. Katie McCaw, Mrs. Ellen Calvert, and Mrs. Doris Hitchcock, all of Macon; four sons, Henry, Willie, and Robert of Macon, and Prentice Stephan, of Washington, D.C.; 11 grandchildren; step-mother, Mrs. Sarah Abel; two brothers, Sidney W. Abel and Theodore G. Abel; a sister, Mrs. Mary Bessie Smith; sister-in-law, Mrs. Lovick Abel and a number of nieces and nephews in Macon.

Both Laura and William rest in the Honeysuckle Ridge section of Rose Hill Cemetery.

Some Additional Sources:

1. "Illness Is Fatal To Mrs. Stephan," issued 16 September 1939, accessed 3 June 2017, name of interest:  Mrs. Laura Elizabeth Abel Stephan, Macon Telegraph, Macon, Georgia, online image (http://www.genealogybank.com).
2. "Georgia Deaths, 1928-1940", database, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, FamilySearch, (http://www.familysearch.org), Image of death certificate for Mrs. Laura Stephan, d. 15 September 1939 at Bibb County.
3. Friends of Rose Hill, "Historic Rose Hill Cemetery Directory", database, Historic Rose Hill (http://www.rosehillcemetery.org) Accessed 18 May 2017, entry for John Henry Abel, d. 22 November 1892.
4. "Georgia Deaths, 1914-1927", database, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, FamilySearch, (http://www.familysearch.org), death certificate image for Lovick Askew Abel, d. 11 August 1925 at Bibb County.
5. Friends of Rose Hill, "Historic Rose Hill Cemetery Directory", database, Historic Rose Hill (http://www.rosehillcemetery.org) Accessed 18 May 2017, entry for Laura E. Abel, d. 25 May 1877.
6. "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918", database, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, FamilySearch, (http://www.familysearch.org), Image of card for Lovick Askew Abel, b. 11 February 1873.
7. "Georgia County Marriages, 1785 - 1950", database, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, FamilySearch, (http://www.familysearch.org), image, J. H. Abel m. Sarah C. Murfee 12 September 1878 at Bibb County.
8. "Neighborhood News," issued 1 April 1934, accessed 3 June 2017, names of interest:  Mrs. Sarah Catherine Abel, Theodore G. Abel, Macon Telegraph, Macon, Georgia, online image (http://www.genealogybank.com).
9. "Georgia County Marriages, 1785 - 1950", database, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, FamilySearch, (http://www.familysearch.org), image, James M. Lightfoot m. Laura E. Abel 27 September 1894 at Bibb County.
10. 1900 census of United States, population schedule, 716 District, Macon City, Bibb, Georgia, E. D. No. 31, sheet no. 4A, dwelling 66, family 79, Sarah C. Abel household, accessed 18 May 2017. Includes daughters Marth E. and Mary B.; sons Theodore G. and Sydney W.; step-daughter Laura E. Lightfoot; step-granddaughter Katie L.; and step-grandson Henry G.; digital image, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org).
11. Fort Hill Cemetery (Macon, Bibb County, Georgia), Image of tombstone by Jimmy Allen (2013) via FindAGrave Memorial #117955923 -- Henry George Lightfoot. http://www.findagrave.com/.
12. "Mr. Lightfoot Buried," issued 12 August 1899, accessed 31 May 2017, name of interest:  Mr. James Lightfoot, Macon Telegraph, Macon, Georgia, online image (http://www.genealogybank.com).
13. "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918", database, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, FamilySearch, (http://www.familysearch.org), Image of card for William George Stephan, b. 16 November 1873.
14. 1880 census of United States, population schedule, Macon Third Fire Ward, Bibb, Georgia, E. D. No. 15, page no. 47, dwelling & family 365, William Stephan household, accessed 16 June 2017. Includes wife Ellen; sons Thomas P., Alfred W., William G., Robert E. L., John, and Marian; and daughters Mary E., Elizabeth I., and Agnes H.; digital image, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org).
15. "Deaths: Stephan, Prentice D." issued 14 April 1966, accessed 16 June 2017, name of interest:  Prentice D. Stephan, Evening Star, Washington, District of Columbia, online image (http://www.genealogybank.com).
16. 1920 census of United States, population schedule, Macon City, Bibb, Georgia, E. D. No. 17, sheet no. 2A, dwelling 30, family 32, William D. Stephan household, accessed May 2017. Includes wife Laura; sons Prentice, William, and Robert; daughters Ellen and Dorris; and niece Maude; digital image, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org).
17. "Mary Doris Stephan Hitchcock," issued 25 June 2012, accessed 30 May 2017, name of interest:  Mary Doris Stephan Hitchcock, The Macon Telegraph, Macon, Georgia, transcription (http://www.genealogybank.com).
18. "Stephan's Death Called Drowning," issued 5 March 1933, accessed 16 June 2017, name of interest:  William G. Stephan, Macon Telegraph, Macon, Georgia, online image (http://www.genealogybank.com).
19. 1850 census of United States, population schedule, 716th Dist G. M., City Macon, Bibb, Georgia, Dwelling & Family 53, Henry Abel household, accessed 18 May 2017. Includes Elizabeth (age 24); Frederick (age 6); William (age 5); Henry (age 3); E. A. (female, age 2); and C. E. (male, age 8/12); digital image, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org).
    

Mildred Abel Worked for the WPA

(Part of the Descendants of Henry Abel series.)

The Work Projects Administration was a United States Federal relief program designed to help those in need during the Great Depression.  Operating from 1935-1943, the goal of the program, in short, was to create jobs and put as many people to work as possible.  In trying to keep things fair, and to reach as many families as possible, it was usually the head of the household who received the opportunity for government employment.  Over its eight year existence, the WPA provided important and dignified jobs to 8.5 million Americans – of which most were men.

Women were not totally excluded, however.  Approximately 15% of those heads of household receiving relief by way of government employment were in fact female.  Mildred Elizabeth Abel was one such beneficiary.

Born 9 February 1907 in Rowan County, North Carolina, Mildred was one of at least three daughters born to Lovick Askew Abel (d. 1925) and Callie Mae Taylor (1877-1962).  Mildred was also a great-granddaughter of Henry Abel.

In early April of 1940, a 33-year-old Mildred was residing with her widowed mother in Macon, Bibb County, Georgia.  According to her U.S. Federal census entry, Mildred's occupation was noted as Social Service, W.P.A. Recreational.  Based on information from the National Archives, it is quite possible Mildred worked in the Division of Professional and Service Projects.  These were "federally sponsored 'white collar' work relief projects including the federal arts programs and the recreation and education programs."

1940 WPA poster using "Little Miss Muffet" to promote reading among children.
(By Arlington Gregg. Work Projects Administration Federal Art Project, Illinois. Via Wikimedia Commons.)

Though her two sisters, Margaret Abel Melton and Myrtle Abel Moreland, did marry, Mildred did not.  Some time after the taking of the 1940 census, likely after 1950, and possibly after the death of her mother Callie Mae in 1962, Mildred returned to the state of her birth.  As a retired clerk for the board of elections, Mildred died 17 October 1989 at Greensboro, Guilford County, North Carolina.

Mildred's remains were returned to Macon, Bibb County, Georgia, and interred at Rose Hill Cemetery.

Some Additional Sources:

1. "North Carolina Deaths, 1931-1994", database, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, FamilySearch, (http://www.familysearch.org), entry for Mildred Elizabeth Abel, d. 17 October 1989 at Guilford County.
2. 1940 census of United States, population schedule, Macon City, Militia District 564, Bibb, Georgia, E. D. No. 11-10, sheet no. 2B, household #56 -- Lovick Abel, accessed 31 May 2017. Includes daughters Mildred and Margaret Melton; digital image, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org).
3. Rose Hill Cemetery (Macon, Bibb County, Georgia), Grave Marker Transcription by Stephanie Lincecum, Acquired between 2003 - 2013.
4. "Georgia Deaths, 1914-1927", database, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, FamilySearch, (http://www.familysearch.org), death certificate image for Lovick Askew Abel, d. 11 August 1925 at Bibb County.
5. "Deaths and Funerals: Lovick A. Abel," issued 13 August 1925, accessed May 2017, name of interest:  Lovick A. Abel, Macon Telegraph, Macon, Georgia, online image (http://www.genealogybank.com).
6. 1900 census of United States, population schedule, New Decatur, Morgan, Alabama, E. D. No. 142, sheet no. 18A, dwelling 303, family 324, Lovick A. Abel household, accessed 31 May 2017. Includes wife Callie M.; daughter Etna M.; brother-in-law Charles C. McKelvy; sister-in-law Berta E. McKelvy; and nephew William M. McKelvy; digital image, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org).

Lovick Askew Abel Dies at Home in Macon

(Part of the Descendants of Henry Abel series.)

Lovick A. Abel, born in Georgia about 1874, was the son of John Henry and Laura Elizabeth Brooks Abel.  Lovick was also a grandson of Henry Abel.

When in his mid-twenties, L. A. became a machinist for the railroad.  He made a career of this occupation that took him to the neighboring states of Alabama (1900 census) and North Carolina (1910 census), before returning him to Macon, Bibb County, Georgia by 1918.

On 17 February 1896, in Decatur, Morgan County, Alabama, L. A. married Kentucky native Callie Mae Taylor.  The couple had at least three daughters:

• Etna Margaret Abel Melton (b. 1899-1900 Alabama; d. 1964 Bibb County, Georgia)
• Myrtle Abel Moreland (b. 1903-4; d. 1977 Bibb County, Georgia)
• Mildred Elizabeth Abel (b. 1907 Rowan County, North Carolina; d. 1989 Greensboro, Guilford County, North Carolina)

Lovick was just 51 when he died on 11 August 1925 at his home on Walnut Street in Macon.  Following from 12 August 1925 edition of the Macon Daily Telegraph (via GenealogyBank):

APOPLEXY KILLS L. A. ABEL HERE

Machinist Is Stricken at Home After Hearty Meal

After eating a hearty supper last night and declaring that he hadn't ever felt better, Lovick A. Abel, 51, a machinist employed by the J. S. Schofield's Sons Company, became suddenly ill and died in a few minutes.

Mr. Abel was stricken ill at his home, 506 Walnut Street.  He worked as usual yesterday and after supper sat down on the front porch and was reading a paper.  He uttered an outcry and fell over on the porch, while trying to get inside the house.  Doctors who were quickly summoned and who reached him just as the end came, said that apoplexy caused death.

Mr. Abel was born and reared here.  He is survived by his wife who was Miss Callie Taylor, and three daughters, Mrs. J. B. Melton, Mrs. Paul Moland and Miss Mildred Abel; also two brothers, T. G. Abel and F. W. Abel, and two sisters, Mrs. J. M. Smith and Mrs. W. M. Stevens.

Mr. Abel was a member of the International Association of Machinists Lodge No. 8.  Funeral arrangements will be announced later.

A funeral notice published the next day stated Mr. L. A. Abel was interred at Rose Hill Cemetery.

Burial of Gardner Lemuel Davis: Rose Hill or Riverside?

(Part of the Descendants of Henry Abel series.)

I communicated yesterday about the possibility of an obituary confusing two cemeteries that are located within less than a mile of each other in Macon, Bibb County, Georgia – Rose Hill Cemetery and Riverside Cemetery.  I saw an example of this in the news article about the 1914 death of Gardner Lemuel Davis…or so I thought.

First, a little background.  Gardner Davis was born 6 August 1868 in Bibb County, Georgia to Abraham Josephus and Mary Jane Elizabeth Parker Davis.  On 30 April 1907, Gardner married Ethel Kate Abel, who was eighteen years his junior.  She was a daughter of William and Martha Jane Jones Abel, and a granddaughter of Henry Abel.

Gardner and Ethel had at least two daughters:  Martha Abel Davis Harp (1908-1982) and Lemuel Anne Elizabeth Davis Dawsey (1914-1991).  Lemuel Annie was only 10 months old when her father suddenly died on a street in downtown Macon.  Following from 17 December 1914 edition of the Macon Telegraph (via GenealogyBank) --

STRICKEN WITH APOPLEXY POLICEMAN DIES ON BEAT

Gardner Davis Died Suddenly on Cherry Street Yesterday.

TWENTY YEARS OF SERVICE

Veteran Officer Was in Apparent Good Health Half Hour Before Death -- Appeared as Witness in Recorder's Court Yesterday Morning -- Had Good Record.

While at his post of duty on Cherry, near Fifth street, yesterday at noon, Patrolman Gardner L. Davis sustained a stroke of apoplexy, which resulted in instant death.  Bystanders rushed to him and the ambulance was summoned, but it was found that he had breathed his last.

One of the first persons to reach Patrolman Davis was his brother, Thomas F. Davis, of the Merritt Hardware company.  Only twenty minutes before his death Patrolman Davis had made his report to the city hall through the call box at the rear of the hardware store and in passing spoke to his brother.

The sudden death of the officer was a distinct shock to his relatives and friends.  He had been under treatment of a physician for several months, but was not thought to be in a serious condition.

Yesterday morning, Patrolman Davis appeared in recorder's court to testify in a case against a negro charged with violating the license ordinance.  He appeared to be in good health and went about his duties as usual.

At an inquest held over the body by Coroner T. E. Young the jury rendered a verdict to the effect that death resulted from apoplexy.

Twenty Years a Patrolman.
No man on the Macon police force was held in higher esteem than Gardner Davis.  He had served about twenty years as a patrolman and was regarded as one of the most efficient and painstaking officers in the department.  Those who knew him intimately said that his word was his bond.

Mr. Davis was born forty-seven years ago in the Warrior district of Bibb county and had resided in the county all of his life.  He was a son of the late Abe J. Davis, one of the best known men of Bibb.

Besides his widow, who was Miss Ethel Abel, Patrolman Davis is survived by two small daughters, Martha Abel Davis and Mary Elizabeth Davis.  His is survived by four brothers, William H. Davis, A. J. Davis, Jr., Thomas F. Davis and John A. Davis, another veteran member of the police department.

Among other surviving relatives are a first cousin, Sheriff J. R. Hicks, Jr., and three uncles, Henry C., S. A. and W. J. Parker, all of Bibb county.

Mr. Davis was a member of the Knights of Pythias and was a past chancellor commander of M. R. Rogers lodge, K. of P.

The funeral will be held this afternoon at 3 o'clock from his late residence, 401 Napier avenue.  The services will be conducted by Elder W. W. Childs, of the Primitive Baptist church, of Yatesville, assisted by Rev. Loy Warwick, pastor of the Centenary Methodist church.

The active pallbearers will be four brothers and four brothers-in-law of Mr. Davis, who are as follows:  John A., Thomas F., William H. and A. J. Davis, Jr., James Abel, William Jones, Archie Smith and Clarence Jenkins.  Interment will follow at Rose Hill cemetery.

So.  Gardner was buried in Rose Hill Cemetery the day after his death.  Case closed, right?

I thought so, too, until further search into this family revealed Ethel Abel Davis (upon her death in 1971) was buried in Riverside Cemetery.  Her granite ledger marker is in the Dahlia Section, Row C18, Lot 4.  And to Ethel's right is her husband Gardner.  Cemetery records show Gardner was interred there 19 May 1915, five months after his death.

The Davis – Dawsey lot also holds the remains of daughter Lemuel Davis and her husband James Richard Dawsey.

Does Mamie Abel McKay Really Rest at Rose Hill?

(Descendants of Henry Abel series.)

To my knowledge, there is no listing of individuals buried at Rose Hill Cemetery in Macon, Bibb County, Georgia that is complete.  James Allen's more than 10,000 tombstone photos is not a complete listing.  FindAGrave's almost 13,000 entries is not.  And even Rose Hill's own online database containing more than 17,000 records is not a complete listing of burials.

So we sometimes have to look elsewhere for confirmation if there's a possibility a person might be buried at Rose Hill (newspapers and later death certificates are a couple of obvious go-to places).  Here is what I know about Mamie L. Abel McKay.

Mamie, who I've also seen noted as Minnie and Mary, was born about 1873 in Georgia to Fred T. and Camilla S. Brooks Abel.  She was a granddaughter of Henry Abel.

Mamie married Jefferson Davis McKay, son of George F. and Susan A. Finney McKay, on 25 October 1893 in Macon.  The couple had at least one child, Susan, who was born 14 August 1894.  Mamie died twenty years later, on 2 July 1914, at the age of 41.  Her death and funeral were remarked upon in the 5 July 1914 edition of the Macon Telegraph -

MRS. J. D. M'KAY
The funeral of Mrs. J. D. McKay, whose death occurred Thursday night was held Friday afternoon at 4 o'clock from her late residence, 595 Carling avenue, Rev. Loy Warwick, pastor of the Centenary Methodist church, officiating. Interment followed at Rose Hill cemetery.

Members of the family served as active pall-bearers, and were the following: F. T., W. W., L. R., Sidney and Theodore Abel and W. McKay.

Even though that was pretty clear – Interment followed at Rose Hill cemetery – my skepticism meter became slightly elevated when I found out her husband and daughter were later buried at Riverside cemetery.  Though I cannot call it an occurrence that happened often, I have seen the two cemeteries confused in obituaries before.  Not surprising, since less than a mile separates the two.  Hopefully, you can see that in the map below.

I should mention how Jefferson died.

According to a news article published in the Macon Telegraph on 5 April 1932, a couple of days after his death,

Jefferson D. McKay, 65-year-old traveling salesman who was killed Sunday afternoon when his car plunged off Houston road into a creek at Seven bridges, met death as a result of an unavoidable accident…

Evidence introduced at the inquest showed that Mr. McKay's small coupe was in a line of cars when it plunged into the southernmost of the Seven Bridges creek…

My view of an "85-years-later" map of the area indicates Mr. McKay possibly drowned in Tobesofkee Creek.  The article partially quoted above mimics, in part, what is found on Jefferson's death certificate:

He came to his death in automobile accident.  His car driven by himself went over an embankment which is known as the 7 Bridges Road.  His car turning over as it went down the embankment in water 10 or 12 ft deep and in our opinion it was an unavoidable accident.

Susan, daughter of Jefferson and Mamie, married Walter R. Rogers (whose 1928 murder will require a whole other post) about 1914.  The couple had at least three children, one of them being Mary Lucy, who died June 1922 at the age of just two months.  Susan died 23 June 1963.

Based on the information I have at this time, it's likely Mamie is buried at Rose Hill.  Her father purchased a lot there a day before the death of an infant of his and Camilla's in 1873 – Eglantine Square block 4, lot 21.  Thinking Jefferson decided to place Mamie there is not a stretch, though I have no evidence to suggest where within Rose Hill she was actually laid.

And it's quite possible Walter and Susan McKay Rogers purchased a lot in Riverside to hold the remains of their infant daughter.  Maybe, upon the death of her father, Susan decided she wanted him there.

But, healthy skepticism is a good thing.  Right?

Some Additional Sources:

1. 1880 census of United States, population schedule, Fourth Fire Ward, Macon, Bibb, Georgia, E. D. No. 16, Page No. 58, dwelling 427, family 573, Frederick T. Abel household, accessed May 2017. Includes wife Bessie; daughters Carrie and Mamie; and son Frederick; digital image, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com).
2. "Georgia County Marriages, 1785 - 1950", database, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, FamilySearch, (http://www.familysearch.org), image, Jefferson McKay m. Minnie L. Abel 25 October 1893 at Bibb County.
3. 1900 census of United States, population schedule, 716 District, Macon City, Bibb, Georgia, E. D. No. 31, sheet no. 8A, dwelling 152, family 196, Jefferson D. McKay household, accessed 2 June 2017. Includes wife Mary L.; and daughter Susie L.; digital image, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org).
4. "Georgia Deaths, 1928-1940", database, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, FamilySearch, (http://www.familysearch.org), Image of death certificate for Jefferson D. McKay, d. 3 April 1932.
5. Riverside Cemetery & Conservancy, Genealogy Data; Riverside Cemetery, Inc., Macon, Georgia, USA, 2017. http://www.riversidecemetery.com/.
6. 1930 census of United States, population schedule, City of Macon, Bibb, Georgia, E. D. No. 11-39, sheet no. 16A, family 369, Susan Rogers household, accessed 9 June 2017. Includes sons Roy and Henry; and father Jefferson McKay; digital image, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org).
7. "Walter R. Rogers Found Murdered / Walter Rogers is Found Dead," issued 15 September 1928, accessed 9 June 2017, name of interest: Walter R. Rogers, Macon Telegraph, Macon, Georgia, online image (http://www.genealogybank.com).

1892 Death of Mr. John Henry Abel

(Descendants of Henry Abel series.)

John Henry Abel was born 1845-7 in Bibb County, Georgia to German immigrant parents Henry and Elizabeth Follendore Abel.  By the age of fifteen, young Henry was working as a clerk in the butcher business with his father.

John Henry married Laura Elizabeth Brooks 3 December 1872.  Laura's sister, Camilla, had married John Henry's brother Fred about five years prior.  The Brooks sisters were the daughters of James M. and Mary J. Brooks.  A brother of Camilla and Laura, James P., would marry a sister of John Henry and Fred:  Louisa Abel.

John Henry and Laura had two children – Lovick Askew Abel (1874-1925) and Laura Elizabeth Abel (1876-1939) – before the elder Laura's death 25 May 1877.

A little over a year later, on 12 September 1878, John Henry was wed to Sarah Catherine Murfee.  She was a daughter of Thomas Washington Henry and Mary Lary Murphee / Murfee.  Within a couple of years of his second marriage, John Henry joined the police force.  He and Sarah had at least five children:

• Martha E. Abel Massengale (b. 1880 Georgia; d. 1912 Macon, Bibb County, Georgia)
• Mary Bessie Abel Smith (b. 1884-5 Georgia; d. 1952)
• infant daughter Abel (b. 1886; d. 1887)
• Theodore Garfield Abel (b. 1888 Macon, Bibb County, Georgia; d. 1950 Bibb County, Georgia)
• Sidney Wiley Abel (b. 1891 Macon, Bibb County, Georgia; d. 1944 Bibb County, Georgia)

Before his youngest son turned two years old, John Henry was dead.  Following obituary from 23 November 1892 edition of the Macon Telegraph (via GenealogyBank):

DEATH OF MR. HENRY ABEL.

He Died Suddenly at His Home Yesterday Afternoon.
A shadow of gloom and sorrow was thrown around the city hall and police station last night when a messenger arrived bearing the sad news that Officer Henry Abel of the police force had been found dead in his bed.

Mr. Abel, accompanied by several of his brother officers left early Monday morning for a point on the Macon and Dublin railroad on an extended hunt, but feeling badly after hunting all day Monday, decided to come home, which he did, arriving here yesterday morning.  He told his wife that he was suffering from heart trouble, and went to bed about 1 o'clock.

As he had been complaining lately a good deal of heart trouble, nothing unusual was thought of his complaint…  [He asked that his wife] wake him at 9 o'clock that he might prepare to go on duty at 12 last night.

About 3 o'clock his little girl come home from school and started in the room to see her father, but Mrs. Abel forbade her, saying that he was resting, and that it would not be well to disturb him.

At 6 o'clock, however, Mrs. Abel upon going into the room noticed that her husband was very quiet and seemed not to be breathing.  She went up to the bed and discovered that he really was not breathing, and that his hands and face were perfecly [sic] cold.

Incredulous of these infallible signs of death, she called her son to the bedside, who told her that his father was indeed dead.

The wife was completely overcome by the terrible shock, and the children, of which there are six, three boys and three girls, were prostrated with grief at their father's unforewarned death.

Mr. Abel had been a member of the police force for about twelve years, during which time he has gained the high esteem of all who knew him.  No member of the force was more generally popular and none have gained a better reputation for efficiency, and it is needless to say that his place on the force is one not easy to be filled.

Mr. Abel, before going on the police force, was engaged in the butcher business with his father, Mr. Henry Abel, Sr., at which he made a decided success.

He was nearing his 46th birthday when he received the summons of death and has always been a resident of Macon.

His sad death is greatly lamented by all, especially by his brother officers on the police force, for as one of them remarked last night, Henry Abel was an officer who could always be relied on.

Owing to the suddenness of his death it was thought best to hold no inquest over his remains, and Coroner Knight empanelled a jury, which, after examining a number of witnesses, decided that he came to his death from natural causes.

The funeral will take place this afternoon at 3 o'clock from Centenary Methodist church, and the last sad rites will be performed over the body of one of Macon's most beloved citizens.

The next day, a recap of the funeral was published.

FUNERAL OF MR. ABEL.

A Large Concourse of Friends Follow The Remains to the Grave.
A large number of sympathizing and grief-stricken friends of the late Mr. Henry Abel attended his funeral on Wednesday.

The dwelling, as well as the cemetery and church, was crowded.  The services at the church were conducted by the pastor, Rev. Mr. Chester, and they were filled with tender and feeling remarks addressed to the grieved and distressed relatives and friends.  The Knights of Pythias and also the Odd Fellows of Franklin Lodge were present in large bodies…

The following order, issued by Chief of Police Kenan, concerning the death of Mr. Abel will go into effect at once:

Whereas, It has pleased Almighty God to remove from us and to assign to another "beat" that efficient and faithful officer, Patrolman Henry Abel, it is deemed right and proper that we who have served with him so long should show fitting tribute to his memory.

Therefore, it is ordered that the entire force wear the usual badge of mourning for the period of fifteen days, and that a committee, composed of Lieut. F. P. Y[ea?]ger, Sergt. C. E. Long and Patrolman W. N. Clarke, be apointed [sic] to draft suitable resolutions expressive of our sorrow at the loss to us, and sympathy for the bereaved family of our departed comrade.

John Henry Abel was laid to rest alongside his first wife and infant daughter in the Eglantine Square section of Rose Hill Cemetery.  Sarah Catherine would join them upon her death in 1945.  To my knowledge, they are without headstones.

Some Additional Sources:

1. "Georgia Deaths, 1914-1927", database, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, FamilySearch, (http://www.familysearch.org), death certificate image for Lovick Askew Abel, d. 11 August 1925 at Bibb County.
2. 1850 census of United States, population schedule, 716th Dist G. M., City Macon, Bibb, Georgia, Dwelling & Family 53, Henry Abel household, accessed 18 May 2017. Includes Elizabeth (age 24); Frederick (age 6); William (age 5); Henry (age 3); E. A. (female, age 2); and C. E. (male, age 8/12); digital image, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org).
3. Friends of Rose Hill, "Historic Rose Hill Cemetery Directory", database, Historic Rose Hill (http://www.rosehillcemetery.org).
4. "Georgia County Marriages, 1785 - 1950", database, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, FamilySearch, (http://www.familysearch.org).
5. "Mrs. Sarah C. Abel Funeral Set Today," issued 28 November 1945, accessed 31 May 2017, name of interest: Mrs. Sarah C. Abel, Macon Telegraph, Macon, Georgia, online image (http://www.genealogybank.com).
6. Rose Hill Cemetery (Macon, Bibb County, Georgia), Grave Marker Transcription by Stephanie Lincecum, Acquired between 2003 - 2013.
7. "Illness Is Fatal To Mrs. Stephan," issued 16 September 1939, accessed 3 June 2017, name of interest: Mrs. Laura Elizabeth Abel Stephan, Macon Telegraph, Macon, Georgia, online image (http://www.genealogybank.com).
8. "Georgia Deaths, 1928-1940", database, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, FamilySearch, (http://www.familysearch.org), Image of death certificate for Mrs. Laura Stephan, d. 15 September 1939 at Bibb County.
9. 1910 census of United States, population schedule, Macon City, Bibb, Georgia, E. D. No. 49, sheet no. 2A, dwelling 32, family 37, Sarah C. Abel household, accessed 18 June 2017. Includes daughters Martha E. Massengale and Mary B. Smith; sons Theodore G. and Sidney W.; son-in-law James N. Smith; granddaughters Mary L. Massengale, Catherine E. Massengale, and Bessie L. Smith; and grandsons William A. Massengale, and Chas. E. Smith; digital image, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org).
10. 1880 census of United States, population schedule, Fourth Fire Ward, Macon, Bibb, Georgia, E. D. No. 16, page no. 30, dwelling 220, family 265, Abel Henry household, accessed 30 May 2017. Includes wife Sarah; son Lovick; daughters Laura and Mattie E.; and mother-in-law Martha Murphy; digital image, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com).
11. "Mrs. Massengale Dies Early this Morning," issued 30 May 1912, accessed 17 June 2017, name of interest: Mrs. Martha E. Massengale, Macon Telegraph, Macon, Georgia, online image (http://www.genealogybank.com).
12. "Funeral is Today for Mrs. Stephan," issued 17 September 1939, accessed May 2017, name of interest: Mrs. Laura Abel Stephan, Macon Telegraph, Macon, Georgia, online image (http://www.genealogybank.com).
13. 1900 census of United States, population schedule, 716 District, Macon City, Bibb, Georgia, E. D. No. 31, sheet no. 4A, dwelling 66, family 79, Sarah C. Abel household, accessed 18 May 2017. Includes daughters Marth E. and Mary B.; sons Theodore G. and Sydney W.; step-daughter Laura E. Lightfoot; step-granddaughter Katie L.; and step-grandson Henry G.; digital image, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org).
14. "Death of an Infant," issued 4 June 1887, accessed 19 May 2017, names of interest: Mr. Henry Abel, Macon Telegraph, Macon, Georgia, online image (http://www.genealogybank.com).
15. "Brief Illness Fatal To Sidney W. Abel," issued 17 September 1944, accessed 29 May 2017, name of interest: Sidney W. Abel, Macon Telegraph, Macon, Georgia, online image (http://www.genealogybank.com).
16. 1930 census of United States, population schedule, Macon City, Bibb, Georgia, E. D. No. 11-36, sheet no. 13B, dwelling 233, family 245, Sydney Abel household, accessed June 2017. Includes wife Ethel; daughters Annie and Bessie; sons Sydney Jr., James, and John; mother Sarah; brother Theodore; and nephew William Massengale; digital image, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org).