Sunday, June 10, 2018

Decoration Day

Today was decoration day at Davis Cemetery where my people are buried. Digging back through the archives a few years ago, I discovered that my grandmother was a Davis.

I tried several times to run my family tree, but there seemed to be some broken limbs. Then by pure coincidence, I bought an old copy of the City of Dora Centennial book that came out in the 80s. It mentioned that the property for Davis Cemetery was donated by a woman and it detailed the family history back to the Spanish American War. 

My everyone called my grandmother's father Colonel Davis. She was in the nursing home when I asked her if she remembers his real name. She didn't. But she did say she thought she'd written it down in her bible. When she went into the nursing home, someone in the family got her bible as they were cleaning out her old house. Everyone I asked had no idea. 

Then as providence would have it, just after I read the Davis family history in the Centennial book, I happened to talk to my cousin. I asked her if she had Mama Watson's bible. she said that she'd gotten it to keep it safe. I asked if I could see the front pages. 

Later, I went over to her house and flipped the cover open. It gave her father's name and her grandfather's name.  BAM! These names were mentioned in the Centennial book. I've since gone to the cemetery and taken pictures of all of their gravestone. 

This morning as I sat under a tent collecting donations. The money we collect goes into a fund used to keep the old cemetery maintained.  We rarely collect enough money and we wind up scrounging around to make up the difference. But it's rewarding work.

The picture below has nothing to do with this post. I shot it yesterday morning at the home of Jilda's brother.

I hope it's been a good Sunday for you all.


10 comments:

  1. I did smile about your 'broken limbs' I ran into a lot of them.
    It is SWEET to learn of your fore fathers.
    Like that flower. we have one, if my wife wasn't sleep reading, she would tell me what it is. I always called it the snowball bush!

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  2. Family histories are so hard sometimes. I know so little about my paternal grandfather's family. I am happy for you that you were able to gain some knowledge into that part of your family.

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  3. Love your snowball tree - which we know as a guelder rose or a viburnum.
    Envy the splinted limbs to your family tree. My father was a German Jew, unable to talk about his past.

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  4. Hydrangea, I believe? Mine hasn't bloomed in years but maybe this year--- Beautiful photography.

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  5. I follow a FB site about my hometown county. There is a movement to restore old cemeteries, since many descendants live in the area. Good to mend broken limbs.

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  6. Anonymous12:00 AM

    I think those are hydrangeas!!

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  7. I would love to know more about that history that is yours. I find ancestry very interesting and it is so difficult to find information unless you can travel and have money. I love it that your family is in this historic cemetery. That picture of the hydrangeas is so pretty and I love the blue

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  8. You are a treasure for the future generations. It's good that you are interested in the past and that you are digging up bits of information to add to the family tree. It's also fortunate that written records was kept in the bible. Good luck with this project.
    Have a great week. Hugs, Julia

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  9. It is always good to find out more about our ancestors and preserving and keeping their memories alive is important. They all make up pieces of ourselves and who we are. As always you manage to capture a beautiful picture ! Hope your have a great start to this new week!

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  10. If all else fails, pull out the Bible. Some of those old Bibles have so much family History in them, they could add another Chapter. Ha.
    Lisa

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