Tombstone Tuesday, 23 June 2009

We arrived at Spring Hill Cemetery, Nashville, Tennessee, at almost 5pm on Memorial Day, 2005, looking for the grave of my great-grandfather's brother (my great-granduncle), Clarence P. Wilcox. I knew the location and discovered that the plot was shared with the Smiths, but the stone was knocked off the base (Wilcox side down, of course). Our dog, Buddy, found the grave and laid down on the stone to await our realization that this was, in fact, the stone we were searching. But what to do? We had no crowbar in our camper (and doubt we would have attacked a tombstone with it if we had!), and the stone was securely wedged into the ground. I got the information about the Smiths (Clarence's second wife's brother and his wife), but wanted the information hidden from view.


There was a man and a truck in a nearby section (he was one of only 2 other visitors to the cemetery at that hour, on a holiday) and I bugged my husband Butch (in the dark blue shirt, below) until he agreed to go talk to the man to see if he might have a tool to help us. Well, it turns out the man was a tombstone carver! And his truck was equipped with a full stone-lifting rig! What are the chances? He maneuvered the truck into place by "our" grave and enlisted my husband's help.





With the dog's encouragement (and me, taking pictures throughout the experience), they lifted that stone to reveal Clarence, who died 30 June 1939, 70 years ago this coming week, had been buried with his first wife.

The stone was positioned next to the base so others can find this man, born in 1869, who was caregiver to his parents during their last years. R.I.P. Uncle Clarence.

Clarence P. WILCOX
(son of Nathan W. WILCOX and Irene FREEMAN)
b: 11 April 1869, Winchester, Franklin, Tennessee
m1: 11 February 1894, Maggie M. W____ (b: 19 October 1866; d: 12 January 1912, Nashville, Davidson, Tennessee), Nashville, Davidson, Tennessee
m2: 21 September 1919, Jennie R. SMITH, Nasvhille, Davidson, Tennessee
d: 30 June 1939, Nashville, Davidson, Tennessee