SHOEMAKER FAMILY CEMETERY

Tombstone # 1 - Philip JANSON	Born - January 14, 1844 died - November 26, 1914 "C.K.of I. Branch 11" is carved on this tombstone. This tombstone is intact,undisturbed and clearly legible.
Tombstone # 2 - Caroline JANSON	Born - November 3,1862 died - August 29, 1937 "May we meet in heaven" is carved on this tombstone. This tombstone is intact, and clearly legible. This tombstone is leaning forward about 10 degrees, possibly from the weight of tombstone # 3 leaning against it or from settling of the grave.
Tombstone # 3 - Hammond SHOEMAKER	"The son of ( C. ? ) Shoemaker and Carolina Giles". Born - December 26, 1800 in Philadelphia, Pa. Died - February 26, 1890 in Monroe County, Illinois. This tombstone is broken off and was leaning against the back of tombstone # 2, possibly contributing to the tilting of tombstone # 2. This tombstone is partly legible. With the aid of strong side light such as the sun reflected in a mirror, causing shadows in the carvings, additional information can be read.
Stub # 4 -	This is the stub of a broken tombstone. The word " RENASCENTUR ! " is carved on it, along with the letters " C. J. "
Stub # 5 -	This is the stub of one of the broken tombstones. It contains no information.
Stub # 6 -	This is the stub of one of the broken tombstones. It contains no information.
Tombstone # 7 - Charles SHOEMAKER	Born - July 2, 1847 died - June 28, 1874 "Son of Hammond and Nancy Jane Shoemaker." This tombstone is only two pieces of the original tombstone that are flat on the ground. The top and bottom of the tombstone are missing, as a result the " arles " part of the name is missing. Identification of the subject of the tombstone was done using the birth and death dates compared against records at Immaculate Conception Church in Columbia, Illinois. The tombstone pieces are fairly legible. His epitaph reads " A model man, most ( this word is unreadable because of the crack between the pieces, it could be - loved ) by those who knew him best. " These tombstone pieces were partially on top of the buried tombstone # 16.
Tombstone # 8 - "Sacred to the memory of "Hugh J. Mc MULLEN	Born - April 12, 1823 in County Down, Ireland died - February 2, 1877 in Monroe County, Illinois This tombstone is broken off and leaning against the fence. This tombstone is quite legible with the aid of strong side lighting such as sunlight and a mirror. His epitaph reads " Love and unsevered union of soul with those we love. Nearness and glad communion shall be our joy above". I believe this is the top portion of stub # 4. Together, stub # 4 and this tombstone would be about the same size as tombstone # 9, which is for Hugh's wife, Mary, and the inscription "RENASCENTURI" is also carved on the bottom her tombstone.
Tombstone # 9 - "Sacred to the memory of "Mary E. Mc MULLEN	Born - October 15, 1837 in Monroe County, Illinois died - September 2, 1878 "Daughter of Hammond & Nancy Jane Shoemaker " is carved on this tombstone. This tombstone is in one piece but it has been removed from the grave it was intended to mark and is leaning against the fence. It is quite legible with the aid of strong side light such as the sun reflected in a mirror casting shadows in the carving. Her epitaph reads " One by one our little flock is called ( home ? )" "RENASCENTURI" is carved at the bottom of the tombstone in capital letters.
Tombstone # 10 - Ann Caroline SHOEMAKER	Born - May 8, 1833 died - September 3, 1856 This tombstone is complete and in one piece but it has been removed from the grave it was intended to mark and is leaning against a cedar tree at the rear of the cemetery. It is quite legible with the aid of strong side light such as sunlight reflected from a mirror. It is the oldest remaining tombstone in the cemetery. A carving that I believe was below the soil line for most of the time this tombstone has been in the cemetery, indicates that it was supplied by " Park & Mc Clintock of St. Louis ". This carving is as sharp as the day it was carved, in contrast to the weathered letters above. There is a lengthy epitaph but I have not taken the time to transcribe it word for word. It speaks of her spirit, her faith and her good works.
Stub # 11 -	This is the stub of a broken off tombstone - probably tombstone # 13. They are in close proximity and appear to match.
Stub # 12 -	This is the stub of a broken off tombstone. It has no information on it.
Tombstone # 13 - Zoe Frances SHOEMAKER	Born - February 11, 1840 died - October 28, 1860 This tombstone is broken off and leaning against a cedar tree at the rear of the cemetery. It is quite legible with the aid of strong side light such as sunlight reflected from a mirror. Her epitaph reads " Tis hard to part from those we love ". I believe this tombstone was part of stub # 11 because of their proximity and the pieces seem to match.
Tombstone # 14 upper - Edward SHOEMAKER	"Son of Edward & Catherine Shoemaker" born - August 16, 1865 died - February 10, 1867 The epitaph at the bottom of the tombstone reads " Dear friends do not languish over the graves of those we love. something ?, something ?, something ?, something ?, above."
Tombstone # 15 - David S. SHOEMAKER	Born - March 25, 1836 died - February 24, 1869 The epitaph reads " They made him a grave too damp and too cold for a heart so warm and so true ". This is the only nineteenth century tombstone in this cemetery that still marks the grave it was intended for. The arched top has been broken off however, but it is still at the base of the tombstone
Tombstone # 16 - Nancy J. SHOEMAKER	Born - January 6, 1811 in Charlotte County, Pennsylvania died - February 6, 1888 "Daughter of William and Sarah Adams" This tombstone was completely buried and was partially under part of tombstone # 7. It was broken off at the base. I discovered this tombstone on March 10, 2001 when I returned to the cemetery to try to get a better reading of the epitaph on pieces of tombstone # 7. As I moved the smaller piece of # 7 to match up with the larger top piece of # 7, I noticed an unusual sound created by the movement, sort of hollow. As I scraped at the dirt with a wooden tool made specifically for that purpose, I uncovered Nancy J. Shoemaker's tombstone ( # 16 ) which was serving as the roof of a small creatures burrow. I moved the tombstone about five feet to the west and leaned it against the central cedar tree in the cemetery. I believe that one of the two stubs at this location ( stub # 5 and # 6 ) are part of this tombstone and that the other stub is part of Dr. Hammond Shoemaker's tombstone. As husband and wife, and the patriarch and matriarch of the family, they would have been buried in this place of prominence at the center of the cemetery. A detailed comparison of the top edges of the stubs and the broken edges of the tombstones may give validity to this assumption but for now it is ONLY AN ASSUMPTION !