When I first became interested in tracing my roots, I did the same thing that many of us do ~ I asked my parents for names and dates of my ancestors. After all, they should have all of the information I need. That produced two generations of nick names and few dates. Grandpa Bob's family bible should help. That produced his father and grandfather's names, but no dates. This was twenty years ago and additions to my family tree came far and in between. From time to time, I would ask questions and listen intently to stories that my parents would tell.
In 1988, while once again probing the memories of my parents, that childhood memory of the cemetery that we passed on the way to Uncle George and Aunt Alice's resurfaced. "Where is that cemetery? Who's buried there?" Good questions as it turned out. My Dad's Mother and Dad are there. "Not too sure about anybody else." he said. I asked Dad if he would mind taking me there. He was most willing but not sure he could find it since the road had been moved many years ago. My questions brought back memories for Dad too. He recalled that his Dad would drop him off at the foot of the hill and he would walk to the other side and up Silas Drive to stay with Uncle George and Aunt Alice. He recalled how scared he was when he had to walk by the cemetery in the dark.
We drove out to Cooper's Creek and, after a while, Dad stopped and told me that the road used to go straight ahead. We were driving onto a dirt road that had been covered with gravel. We drove into a bottom and Dad told me that we had to be close. I tried several houses nearby and nobody knew of a cemetery in the area. I noticed that a house was being built on up the holler about a hundred yards. We drove up there and when I asked about the cemetery, the fellow didn't know of one but told me that you could see the color red "over there on the side of that hill when the sun is shining".
That being our only lead, we drove to the base of the hill. I started up through the briars and undergrowth with Dad following. The going was slow and tough with a few ouches. About 75 yards or so later, I walked onto an old roadway - right in front of the cemetery. It was as I had remembered with respect to the view from the road except.... the cemetery was in a jungle of briars, undergrowth, and weeds. Grandpa Bob’s headstone was face down in the mud. Grandma Lizzy’s headstone was engulfed by a pine tree. Uncle David Jordan's stone was down. Weeds and grass had taken over. The red that you could see across the bottom was an artificial red flower arrangement on top of a headstone.
I don’t know why, but my Dad took an interest in the cemetery after that. Maybe he cared or maybe he was shocked at what he saw. He didn't tell me he was working on the cemetery. Dad and Mother came to New York to be with me and my family for Christmas 1988 and handed me pictures that he had taken in the cemetery. They showed him working with the headstones and showed the cemetery trimmed and groomed. I was very surprised... and very pleased.
He had reset all the headstones that had fallen and reset his Mother's stone. He also cleared the briars so you could drive up the old road bed, and cleared the lower part of the cemetery of weeds. Orville continued to maintain Jordan Cemetery, mowing and cleaning, until he died in September, 1996.
I recorded the residents of the cemetery after Dad died, with the help of my brother. I have learned that I am related to most of the residents there. The cemetery, above the area where Dad mowed, is heavily overgrown with briars, weeds, undergrowth, and small trees. Dave and I donated some blood that day. One or the other of us would get captured in briars and yell to the other for help. A number of graves are marked only with a funeral home marker. The left area is populated, the right is not. I do believe that we found all of them.
I refer to this cemetery as Jordan Cemetery for several reasons. My Grandma was Mary Elizabeth Jordan. Her parents and grandparents are there. The cemetery is on property that belonged to Grant Jordan. The hill that the cemetery is located on is called Grant Jordan Hill. Dad knew the cemetery as Grant Jordan Cemetery. There is no sign over the gate but the name Jordan is everywhere...
Yesterday
The picture on the left was taken when Grandma Lizzy (Mary Elizabeth Jordan) was buried in 1943. That's Grampa Bob (Robert Stanton Edens) kneeling by her grave. The Cemetery was cleared very well back then and maintained.
The picture on the right was taken in 1957 and shows L-R Grandma Lizzy JORDAN Edens, Grandpa Bob Edens, and Uncle David Jordan. Note that you can still see quite a way up the hill. Also, the small evergreen bush to the left of Lizzy which by1988 had totally engulfed her headstone. The color photo at the bottom of this page shows the briar and weed line in 1996 just behind Uncle David.
The Restoration
The photo above left is how we found Uncle David Jordan's head stone. The
right photograph shows how Dad was able to handle the headstones by himself.
Old technology appears to work well in correcting an old problem. He carried
bagged concrete and water there and managed to reset the stones which were
down or badly leaning. I am so glad that he took an interest in Jordan Cemetery
because I could do very little from 536 miles away. Thank's again Dad. I
love you.
The left photo above shows Dad working with his Dad's headstone (Robert S. Edens). The other photo shows him working with his Mother's headstone (Mary Elizabeth Jordan). When we first entered the cemetery, Grandpa Bob's headstone was face down in the mud. There was a large evergreen tree beside of it. Dad said "Mom's stone should be there beside of Dad's". He was pointing toward the base of the tree. I pulled back branches and there it was ~ still standing but leaning over pretty badly.
Today
My Father, Orville Clifford Edens, kept the lower part of Jordan Cemetery cleared until his death in September, 1996. The upper half of the cemetery remains heavily overgrown with briars and weeds. The headstones that he reset can be seen in this photograph and are still in place after nine years. Orville is now with his parents at the cemetery that he helped me find. He is with his parents, grandparents, and ggrandparents. My brother and I were only able to work with the cemetery one time this year. I took these pictures then ~ a belated Memorial Day for us and our Mother.
My brother has joined Dad here at Jordan Cemetery now. We made a pact when we buried Dad here that the survivor of the two of us would put the one who died here and mark the grave with a veterans marker just like we did for Dad. I never dreamed that he would go first since he was four years my junior. It was a chilly and rainy day when I put Dave here beside our Dad. I miss him more than words can say but was strangley not sad at carrying out this request. I guess it has to do with honor and love..
We have mowed and trimmed again and visited with our ancestors in the beauty and solitude of Mother Nature and her sounds. There are fresh deer tracks along the fence line. Dad would like that I think. I close the gate and walk down the steps. Then I pause, and I turn for a last look as I usually do. My ancestors are here. I miss them. My vision blurs a little with tears ~ "Bye Dad. Bye Dave. Sure would be nice to have another game of 8-ball.. I'll see you guys later. I love you."