Stories From The Cemetery - Lewisburg Pa

 
The Chapel and Fountain at the Lewisburg Cemetery

This blog evolved from my work with genealogy, and that genealogy work has taken me to a LOT of cemeteries over the years. While wandering around looking for my ancestors, I've seen many beautiful monuments.  Also some unique ones.  Here are a few of the ones that caught my eye, for one reason or another, at the Lewisburg Cemetery.

 [I'm not actually done adding photos to this post, but I'm hitting publish and will get back to this when I have more time. The Cameron "Bed" stones are taking some time to research.]

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The Foster Family

Chauncey Foster was a well known, and very talented, stone mason.  He built the chapel at the Lewisburg Cemetery, did the stonework for the Milton Bridge, and carved incredibly ornate tombstones for his children, and wife, all of whom died tragically young.  Three of the Foster children died before reaching their 2nd birthday, and the 4th died at age 15.  Mrs Foster died of stomach cancer, age 45.

Not only is the detailed carving on this stone stunningly impressive, but it's in remarkably good condition.  It was carved by her father, Chauncey Foster, who carved her mothers portrait on her mothers stone. Mary L. Foster Feb 6 1882 Oct 18 1897

Death of Mary Leah Foster "On Monday morning at 9.30 o'clock Miss Mary L. Foster died at the home of her parents Mr. and Mrs. C.G. Foster, on South Fourth Street, aged 15 years. Miss Mary had only been ill for two weeks with brain fever, during which time she was a terrible sufferer from the disease. For a week previous to her death he was unconscious. She was a bright and winning girl, very refined and led a Christian life, being a member of the Beaver Memorial Church and Christian Endeavor Societies. The funeral was held from the house on Wednesday afternoon, conducted by Rev. Wm. Moses. Interment was made in the Lewisburg cemetery. Much sympathy is expressed for the bereaved parents, as death has visited their family four times and taken away all their children, of which Miss Mary was the oldest." Meningitis was frequently referred to as "Brain Fever" at this time.

A stone mason, Chancey Foster built the stone chapel at the Lewisburg Cemetery. He also built the holding vault behind the chapel. He carved his wife's monument, one for their daughter Mary L. Foster and another for three of their children who died young. Newspapers also mentioned his skill on the stonework for the Milton Bridge.

DEATH OF ESTIMABLE LADY MRS. CHAUNCY FOSTER EXPIRES ON SUNDAY EVENING.  Mrs. Virginia Foster, wife of Mr. Chauncy Foster, died at the family home on South Fourth street, on Sunday evening, from an illness of long duration, from cancer of the stomach, The lady was aged 45 years. Mrs. Foster had been a sufferer for several years, but bore up patiently under the suffering she was compelled to undergo. For the past six months she was left an almost helpless invalid, and was confined to her bed practically all the time. The lady's maiden name was Miss Virginia Rhoads, and was born in Washington, D. C. Her mother is now Mrs. Benj. F. Hengst, of York, Pa. She leaves a husband and no children. The funeral took place on Wednesday afternoon from the family home on Fourth street, and was conducted by Rev. Cleaver, of Beaver Memorial church. Mrs. Foster was a stead-fast | and faithful member of this church. She was a kind neighbor, and was greatly beloved. The interment was made in Lewisburg cemetery. The pallbearers were: Messrs. C. J. Kelly, Nathan Slack, J.W. Van Valzah, John Butler, P. L. Shultz, Geo. Bertolette..

Chauncy is merely a footnote on his wifes stone.

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Harriet E. Spratt

Harriet E. Spratt 1837-1878  This stone caught my attention purely because I have never seen so much text on one stone.  "Graduated in 1855 from the University Female Institute.  For ---- 26 years without ------------ her elation with the  --- as the instructor Assistant ----- ---- and for the last nine years its --- ----  She regarded the education of young women as her special vocation and by her recent labours on the -------- ---- ---- --- ---.  She --- --- her - --- --- --- a moral and religious ----  --- all her pupils were --- --- -- hands with --- --- character.  Thus -- works will follow her."

George Spratt, far right, with Wilbur Wright to his left.

George Spratt, nephew of Harriet above, is one of the 3 George Spratts in Lewisburg Cemetery.  His grandfather was one of the "Pioneers" of Bucknell University.  Of the three,  the grandfather appears to have actually resided in Lewisburg, but all of the family attended Bucknell, and most are buried in Lewisburg.  Read more about George Spratt the aviator who worked with the Wright Brothers, here:

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/nAMvzj9ri63zb1so/

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Dr. Henry Gerhart

Dr Henry Gerhart & his wife, share this abnormally shaped rock stone, in the Lewisburg Cemetery. His daughters obituary included: "Dr. Henry Gerhard, only dental surgeon in Lewisburg at the time of the civil war, who was greatly beloved and esteemed by residents of the community."   Dr. Henry Gerhart Born April 8th 1827 Died Jan 20th 1901 Susan May Gerhart wife of  Henry Gehart Born April 25th 1828 Died April 29th 1901 Dr Gerhart died of liver cancer, after suffering for 8 or 9 months.  A few months after his death, his wife died, after a short illness. Susan's maiden name was Kennedy.

A Long and Useful Life Closed and Mourned By All Lewisburg Citizens. -The Funeral.  Lewisburg mourns the lamented death of Dr. Henry Gerhart, which occurred on Sunday morning at five o'clock. He had been ailing in health for the past eight or nine months and during four weeks of the latter part was confined to his bed suffering from cancer of the liver which caused his death. His last moments on earth were peaceful and his death was like entering into a sweet sleep. Dr. Gerhart was born in Lancaster county, Pa., in 1828, and after finishing his education he learned and entered the dental profession. In 1851 he was married to Miss Susan May Kennedy, of Paradise, Lancaster county, and in the same year he moved to Lewisburg and has ever since been a continuous citizen. Here he opened dental parlors and with his skill and carefulness of which he possessed and which followed him all during his life, he soon won a large practice which steadily increased and remained with him during these long years in which he was in active service. At his profession there were no better, he was recognized and stood high in the esteem of his fellow dentists all over the state of Pennsylvania. He was always eager to put forth and advance the profession and was an ardent member of the Pennsylvania State Dental Association and the Susquehanna Society of Dentistry. For many years and up to the time of his death he was a member of the Pennsylvania Examaning Board. He was also a member of Charity Lodge, No. 144, F. and A. M., of this place. In 1897 Dr. Gerhart made a trip to Egypt and a trip through the Holy Land. While he was there and upon his return he wrote a number of valuable letters to the JOURNAL which were interesting to our readers. In his description of his trip and voyage he was very observful; and wrote with exactness and pictured the ancient cities, the people and their customs so perfect and in such a bright manner that his letters were eagerly sought for by people all over the country where he was known. In the winter of 1899 he visited Mexico and our readers will recall his descriptive letters of that country. Lewisburg has lost one of her most noted and distinguished citizens but his memory and good deeds will remain with us for generations. He was a great friend of the children and it was many times noticed how he would stop while walking on the street to give a little one good cheer. He is survived by a wife and four children, three children have preceded him to the grave. Those who survive him are: Mrs. Perry, of Boston, Mrs. Faries, of Philadelphia, Mr. Rolfe Gerhart, of Charleston, West Virginia, and Dr. W.L. Gerhart, of this place. The funeral was held on Tuesday afternoon at three o'clock. After short services at the late residence on University avenue, the remains were taken to the Baptist church where extended service were held conducted by Rev. John T. Judd, his pastor. Dr. Gerhart was among the oldest members of the Baptist denomination being identified with that church for the past fifty years. The pall bearers were: Hon. G. Barron Miller, Hon. Harold M. McClure, Alfred Hayes, Esq., and Profs. Martin, Edwards and Owens, of the University. The honorary pall bearers were the members of the Pennsylvania State Dental Examining Board. The remains were laid to rest in the Lewisburg cemetery. The funeral was largely attended and many were here from a distance.

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THE CAMERON BEDS

These bed style tombstones with both header and footer and planter in the middle, became popular in the early 19th century.  

Charles Cameron came to this country in 1775 on the ship Clementina at the age of five with his parents, Mr. & Mrs. Simon Cameron. He came to Lewisburg in 1810 where he appears in the assessment as a tailor.  He was father to William, John, Simon, Col. James, Eliza, Catherine, Daniel, & Jane.

	Col. James Cameron 1801-1861  Civil War Union Army Officer. The brother of Secretary of War Simon Cameron, he served in the beginning of the Civil War as Colonel and commander of the 79th New York Volunteer Infantry. He was killed in action on July 21, 1861 at the First Battle of Bull Run.
	"Through the generosity of Squire Wm. Cameron, he presented to the Borough of Lewisburg $10,000 for the purchase of a steam powered fire engine made by the Silsby Co. In honor of this generous gift, the present fire company, at that time, voted to change their name to "The William Cameron Engine Company," which is still in existence. This occurred in the year 1874."

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The Slifers

While researching the Slifer dairy recently, I was struck by the realization that 3 out of 4 generations of Adam Slifers family died in accidents.

Eli Coulter Slifer  [Adam's grandfather] was returning home from town when his horses were spooked by the train.  Slifer was thrown from his carriage, and he never recovered from his injuries.  He died May 26th 1888.  News of his death was published in papers across the nation.

His son William Henry Slifer had preceded him in death having been killed in an accident at the limestone quarry on his farm.

	When Eli Slifer died on May 26  1888, the Philadelphia Times called him "one of the few unobtrusively great men of Pennsylvania." Read more about him here Lewisburg's first Community Hospital was established in the former Slifer House.  The house still stands today.  Read more about Slifer House Here.
Wm. H. Died September 1879 Aged 30 Years	William Henry Slifer married Charity Conrad. William was killed in an accident at the limestone quarry on his farm, in 1879.
A. Conrad Slifer 1872-1944	Adam Conrad Slifer See an article, several pages long, with photos, about Conrad's dairy cows here.
Our Beloved Son  Paul W. Slifer 1911-1926 [Newspapers reference him as 17, and a freshman at Bucknell.  However, these dates mean he was only 15 at the time of his death.]	Paul was killed in a hit and run accident while biking home from Bucknell, where he was a freshman.  The Lewisburg Journal published one of his poems nearly a year later, stating that the state police were still looking for the driver. Read some of Paul's Writing, and more about his accident, in the facebook post here.

Eli Slifer Jr survived the disastrous Collins expedition to built a railroad in the Amazon.  Read what he had to say about that expedition, here. A later article in the Journal explains that Eli died "due to an injury while suffering from Brights disease...  he was taken with a dizzy spell and fell to the floor" breaking his collar bone.

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GEDDES

My assumption would be that this stone is also the work of Chauncey Foster.

However, that is merely an assumption.

Well.  That search was a surprise!  Honestly, I only took photos randomly, I had no idea. But then when I started to research, I found the story of Paul Geddes.  It was a story that was hard to miss, since it has been written about countless times, and recounted in newspapers across the county for more than 100 years!  I cover all that in a separate post, but the most interesting part for me personally was that while using his alias in California, Paul Geddes, as Talbot H. Green, married Sarah Montgomery.  Sarah lived at Sutters Fort for a time - it was my 4th great aunt who taught her how to read and write, while the two of them lived there.

While Paul's antics are the sensational story, it's easy to overlook that the Lewisburg Cemetery is on land that once was his family's land:

1874

James Geddes Sr was also treasurer of the Lewisburg Bridge Company, in 1847.

James Geddes 1781-1867	Mary [Geddes] Geddes Mary & James were cousins 1781-1874
Daughter Margaret 1808-1900 married Isaac Slenker Esq Moved to New Berlin Pa	Daughter Carloline 1812-1902 married Judge William A. Maxwell.   She moved to  Greenville PA.
Paul Geddes ALIAS -  Talbot H. Green 1810-1889 Read more of his story here "This well known citizen bad been in bad health for a number of years. Last week be became much weaker, and on Friday he passed into an un conscious condition from which he never rallied. His spirit passed away about 8 o'clock on last Sunday morning. The deceased was in the 79th year of his age. He was born in Lewisburg and resided here the greater portion of his life. After the Mexican war, Mr. Geddes became an influential citizen of San Francisco. He visited many countries, but Anally returned to bis native town some twenty years ago. Being the intimate friend of Gen. Cameron, he was appointed a messenger of the Senate at Washington, which position be filled for years. About ten years since he again took up his residence in our borough. Mr Geddes was one of the most jovial and sociable of men. He was popular in all circles for these particular qualities. He had his failings, (but after all, who is without these ?)and made mistakes which he bitterly regretted, but few men bad better friends than he. His past few years were years of pain and affliction from bodily Infirmities. To him death was truly a relief. The funeral takes place from bis late residence on 4th- street this morning at 10.30 o'clock.."	James Geddes Jr 1813-1885 " James Geddes. In last week's issue, we published a brief dispatch announcing the sudden death of a former citizen, Mr. James Geddes, but were unable to give particulars. Since then, we have been shown a letter written by a friend, Mr. Cyrus S. Haldeman, to Mrs. Geddes, from which we take the following details: It appears that Mr. Geddes called at the Revere House [Boston] | about 1 o'clock, on the 21st inst., inquired for Mr. Boothby, who was out, and left hie bag in the coat room, taking check for it, and then started out. About six o'clock he was passing up Court street, apparently returning to the hotel, when a police officer behind him noticed him sinking, and then falling toward to the pavement. The policeman ran to him, and calling others to his aid, picked up Mr. G. and carried him to a station house, near by. He was entirely unconscious; although the officer in charge of the station house thinks his pulse indicated a little life when he was brought in. The cheek for bag located the hotel, and Mr. Booth by, the proprietor, responded at once, and furnished all necessary information. On Saturday evening, his remains were brought from Philadelphia, (his recent home), in a special car, accompanied by a number of friends, and were taken charge of  by brother, Mr. Paul Geddes ; and his funeral took place on Sunday afternoon, the services being conducted by Rev. J. B.Grier, of the Presbyterian church. The deceased was a native of this being born in 1813, and was well known to many of our county, citizens. He removed to Philadelphia where he amassed : a handsome fortune. He was greatly respected. He leaves a wife but no children."

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Neil Mcay Halfpenny 1866-1933	Neal "Mac" McCay Halfpenny, who went by the stage name Neal McCay, was a well known tenor performing in operas in New York, England, and Australia.  The son of Mark Halfpenny, who owned the woolen mills that are today the street of shops, Neal is buried in Lewisburg Pa. Read more here

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Four Major League Baseball Players Are Buried In Lewisburg Cemetery:

Walter Allen Blair

Christopher Matthewson

Judge Harrold Murray McClure

Harry Elwood McCormick

	Judge Harold Murray McClure 1859-1919 Financed his legal education by playing professional baseball. Married Margaret Focht Read more about Judge McClure here

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 The Lewisburg Cemetery Office

The small, recently preserved, former cemetery office is believed to have been part of the sexton's house that was not in condition to be moved when the house was moved across the street and became part of Bucknell University property. The cemetery board approved laying out lots and building a house for the sexton on May 14, 1848. They had hired George Roland for $96.00 a year as their first sexton. In December they authorized the building committee to proceed with plans for a house for the sexton and it was completed October 13, the following year as was the front fence. Henry Noll was authorized to purchase shrubbery for the site and he went to Philadelphia to obtain the best. It was noted that vandals dug up the plantings and Mr. Noll asked to offer a reward for their return. There is no account of what actions [were] taken on this matter. What causes some confusion as to whether the office had been part of the sexton's house or not is that in 1900 the Board authorized $200 for the building of a "Lodge House" for meetings. As to whether the $200 was spent to repair the building or build a new one it [sic] is unclear. A picture of the sexton's house and local folk stories lead [sic] you to believe that the small attached building to the far right could to [sic] current recently preserved building. Local resident David Arndt remembers the office and was always lead to believe that is was part of the sexton's home that was not in condition to be moved. More research is needed to determine whether the $200 was spent for a new building or to renovate the building and make it useable as an office.

The Lewisburg Cemetery Gate House

"At the main entrance near St. Catherine Street stood a two story arched gatehouse where the sexton lived. Hearses entered the cemetery through the arch. The gatehouse was completed on October 13, 1849. Its location typified the rural cemetery movement because it separated the cemetery from the noisy life of the town into a winding, ascending road that led people toward a quiet, natural landscape. In 1892 the cemetery moved the house to a lot it owned across from the cemetery on the southeast corner of South Seventh and St. George Streets. The annexes did not fit the new lot, but the main part of the gatehouse remains intact with the arch filled in. In 1963 the cemetery sold the house to Bucknell University. " The Lewisburg Cemetery Chapel: A Community Treasure by Nancy M. Neuman

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The iron fence along South Seventh Street was erected in 1886, paid for by donations from the second president of the cemetery, Thomas Beaver of Danville.

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Red sandstone from Centre Hall was chosen for the chapel, and Chancey Foster was hired to construct both it and the adjacent vault.  William E. Yoder was hired as the  contractor for the slate roof, plastering, painting and woodwork. "The vault, or holding crypt, was used to store the remains of deceased persons in winter because graves were dug by hand, an impossible task when the ground was frozen. "

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Stories From The Cemeteries - 

An Index

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READ MORE

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Lewisburg Cemetery is a historic cemetery in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, United States. Located immediately to the north of Bucknell University, and dating to 1848, it is a contributing site of the Lewisburg Historic District. There are around 13,000 burials in the cemetery.

The cemetery is bounded by South 7th Street to the east (from which is the only entrance), St. Catharine Street to the north, and South Derr Drive (U.S. Route 15) to the west. (St. Catharine Street is now disjointed, its layout having been altered after the cemetery's expansions. A separate section continues east to South 6th Street at Hufnagle Park.)

Upon completion of the cemetery's boundaries of its original 6 acres (2.4 ha), interments from other graveyards in the town, and from Crossroads Church in nearby Buffalo Township, were moved here. As such, several early settlers of Union County, including veterans of the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, are interred here. The McClure Monument, dating to around 1833, was removed to the cemetery from the graveyard of the Presbyterian Church on Market Street (Pennsylvania Route 45). One of the oldest burials is that of Martha Wilson, a child who died in 1788.

The original cemetery is located off to the right, well beyond the end of the paved Chapel Lane, once inside the main gate. It includes three family burial circles along a path that is wide enough to support horse-drawn hearses. The iron gate on South 7th Street, at the head of the eastern section of St. Catharine Street, would have accommodated them. The iron fence was installed in 1886.

Inside the gate there formerly stood a two-story arched gatehouse, where the cemetery's sexton lived. The gatehouse was moved to today's 638 and 640 St. George Street in 1892. Its archway has since been filled in.

The cemetery was expanded to around 12 acres (4.9 ha) in 1878. It is 38 acres (15 ha) today.

Many of the cemetery's headstones were carved, in Quincy granite, by stonemason Chauncey Foster, including that of his wife, Enna, who died in 1908. He was buried beside her and their four children upon his death eleven years later. Foster's workshop was on South 4th Street.

The cemetery's chapel was built in 1899. The columbarium and fountain in front of the chapel was added in 2012. The cemetery's vault was built at the same time as the chapel. It is now unused, since graves are dug with machinery.

A mausoleum, for above-ground burials, is located near the cemetery's entrance. It was built in 2009.

The Lewisburg Cemetery Association was incorporated when the cemetery first opened

Notable burials:

George Ripley Bliss (1816–1893), twice president of Bucknell University

Justin Rolph Loomis (1810–1898), president of Bucknell University

Christy Mathewson (1880–1925), Major League Baseball player

Merle Middleton Odgers (1900–1983), president of Bucknell University

Robert Levi Rooke (1891–1994), benefactor of Bucknell University