SHOEMAKER FAMILY CEMETERY, Monroe Co., IL. Indexed on January 21, 2001 by Vernon Ritter and contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives June, 2001. ======================================================================= The Shoemaker Cemetery is a family plot. Dr. Hammond Shoemaker was the patriarch of the family. Nancy was his wife and all others are descendants or spouses. This cemetery is located on PRIVATE property, south of Columbia, Illinois along Illinois State Route 3. There are fourteen tombstones dating from the nineteenth century, all of which have been broken in some manner. Only one nineteenth century tombstone is still on it's base. Two twentieth century tombstones are also in the cemetery. They are both in tact and in place. One of the twentieth century tombstones however is starting to lean forward, possibly from the weight of an older tombstone which was leaning against it. One tombstone is really only three pieces laying flat on the ground, the bottom is missing, or more likely, buried in vegetation and dirt. I have photographed the tombstones and drawn a map of the cemetery which identifies the features ( tombstones & stubs ) with numbers. I have used these numbers to record details about each feature. 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, born - December 26, 1800 in Philadelphia, Pa. “The son of ( unreadable initial ) Shoemaker and Carolina Giles”. 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. “ It is my opinion that this is the bottom of tombstone # 8 and that it marks the grave of Hugh J. Mc Mullen. I base this on the size and shape of the stub and on the word Renascentur which is also carved on the base of Mary E. Mc Mullen’s tombstone. Mary was Hugh’s wife and matching stones would be appropriate. The height of this stub, added to the height of Hugh’s broken tombstone would make it the same size as Mary's tombstone. Stub # 5 - This is the stub of one of the broken tombstones. It is broken off flush with the ground. It contains no information. It is my opinion that this is the bottom of tombstone # 9 and that it marks the grave of Mary E. Mc Mullen nee Shoemaker. I base this on the appearance of Mary's tombstone as a whole stone with no missing information of design features. The location is alongside what I believe to be the grave of her husband, Hugh J. Mc Mullen. Stub # 6 - This is the stub of one of the broken tombstones. It contains no information. It is my opinion that this is the bottom part of tombstone # 3 and that it marks the grave of Hammond Shoemaker. I base this on the similar broken edges of the stub and the tombstone and on the graves prominent location at the center of the cemetery, as would be appropriate for the patriarch of the Shoemaker family. Stub # 7 - This is the stub of one of the broken tombstones. It contains no information. It is my opinion that this is the bottom part of tombstone # 7-A and that it marks the grave of Nancy J. Shoemaker. ( see tombstone # 7-A ) Tombstone # 7 A - Nancy J. SHOEMAKER, born - January 6, 1811 in Charlotte County, Va died - February 6, 1888 in Monroe County “ Daughter of William and Sarah Adams “ This tombstone was completely buried and was partially under part of tombstone # 16. 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 # 16. As I moved the smaller piece of # 16 to match up with the larger center piece of # 16, I noticed an unusual hollow sound created by the movement, hollow. As I scraped at the dirt with a wooden tool made specifically for that purpose, I uncovered Nancy J. Shoemaker’s tombstone ( # 7-A ) which was serving as the roof of a small creatures burrow. The buried location is marked on the map with dashed lines. I moved the tombstone about five feet to the west and leaned it against the central cedar tree in the cemetery. I believe stub # 7 at this location is the bottom part of tombstone # 7-A, and that the other stub ( # 6 ) at this location is part of Dr. Hammond Shoemaker’s tombstone ( # 3 ). 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 comparison of the top edges of the stubs and the broken lower edges of the tombstones increase my belief in this assumption but for now it is ONLY AN ASSUMPTION ! 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. Tombstone # 9 - continued This tombstone is in one piece and appears to have been broken off at the ground line. 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. It is my opinion that this is the top of stub # 5. The broken edges are straight and appear to match. This is only my opinion ! ( see stub # 5 ) 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 the broken edges appear to match. There is no information on this stub. Stub # 12 - This is the stub of a broken off tombstone. It has no information on it. It is my opinion that this is the bottom portion of tombstone # 14. I base this only on the proximity of the stub and the tombstone. This is only my opinion ! 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, born - October 15, 1834 died - February 22, 1867 This tombstone is in one piece, broken off at the base, and contains the name of a man and his son. The birth and death dates for both are carved into the tombstone. It is leaning against the fence at the rear of the cemetery. Tombstone # 14 lower - John 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 - Charles SHOEMAKER, born - July 2, 1847 died - June 28, 1874 “ Son of Hammond and Nancy Jane Shoemaker “ This tombstone is broken into three pieces that are flat on the ground. The bottom of the tombstone are missing. 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. “ The lower tombstone piece was partially on top of the buried tombstone # 7-A. ======================================================================= USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor or the legal representative of the submitter and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access.