George: 11 Dec 1861
Charles: 10 Dec 1861
Steward: 13 Dec 1861
The cause of death is unknown. The family lived in the Brownville area, but the boys are all buried in Stone Mills Cemetery in Orleans, over 10 miles from the family farm, instead of one of the closer cemeteries. The stones are located in the plot also occupied by Susanna MOAK DILLENBECK and her husband Johann Baltus DILLENBECK. The Dillenbecks were the step-grandparents of the boys' father and had already died by the time the boys passed away. I suspect that the family had burial space, which is why the bodies were interred in that cemetery.
Years later, the boys' parents passed away and were buried in Dexter Cemetery (near Brownville) in the Underwood/Freeman plot (the youngest daughter, Medora, married an Underwood). Also included were 3 memorial stones to the three young men who died back in 1861. Anyone who would examine the cemeteries of the county would be surprised to find these young men buried not once, but twice. I suspect the bodies still remain under the large tree in Stone Mills Cemetery with the Dillenbeck family.
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Mysterious indeed! Could they have died in camp of disease? It is also odd that they have two memorials but maybe that was simply easier for the family to keep their memories alive. I have not been to either of these cemeteries, perhaps my wanderings will take me that way in the spring.
ReplyDeleteOnly one of the boys had signed up for the war, but it is possible he brought something home with him & shared it with his brothers. I do suspect it was an illness since they were over a 3-day period (if it had been an accident it is more likely that they would have all died on the same day). I can't find any evidence of an epidemic in the area, however. Very odd.
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