Forth Cemetery Headstones

Forth Cemetery Headstones

After dragging out the dead fall and pulling, cutting and dragging out the brambles we had to search for the stones. Most could only be found by probing the ground and digging them up out of the ground. The bases of the larger stones had to be leveled before the stones were mounted.

The major stone of the cemetery is still on the ground. This stone is far too heavy to lift by hand and needs to be once again mounted onto its base. This is the family stone that list most of the names of the family members buried here that were the children of Robert T. This stone has 3 base stones and a rod in the middle to hold the whole thing together. The rod is broke clean at the base.

The three stones to the left are the base, right is the main stone that goes on top. The following stone would be well over eight feet tall if it were still standing.

(Front of Stone)

Family Of Robt. T. Forth (lived 72 years): Robt. T. FORTH, born Sept. 3, 1814, died Aug. 11, 1886; Mary WARREN, wife of Robt. T. FORTH, died Feb. 6, 1851, age 36 y's, 3 m's, 26 d's; Amanda FLINN, wife of Robt. T. FORTH, born Jan. 15, 1836, died Jan. 12, 1884.

Although he sleeps his memory doth live,

And cheering …….is in his ………..give,

He followed ……….as his ……….guide,

Lived as a Christian, as a Christian died.

Asleep in Jesus, blessed sleep,

From which none ever wake to weep.

(Part of the above poem had weathered too much to read)

BURIAL: (Side of stone)

Children of R. T. & Mary FORTH:

Nancy Jane, died Nov. 10, 1838, aged 3 mo's;

Josiah, died Feb. 12, 1851, aged 2 y's., 8 m's., 4d's;

Children of R. T. & Amanda FORTH:

Infant dau. born & died Nov. 20, 1853;

Infant son born & died Aug. 12, 1856;

Infant son born & died Jan. 2, 1863;

Larkin, died Mar. 4, 1860, aged 11 M's., 6 d's;

Thomas J., died Dec. 17, 1868, aged 1 yr., 29ds'

Charles E., died Sept. 10, 1873, aged 10m's., 5d's.

Besides being listed on the main stones we found smaller stones, probably burial markers.

Not shown is Josiah’s stone shaped like Charles Edwards above as well as an N.J. F. (Nancy Jane Forth an infant) and a stone with M. F. (Mary Forth) Gary was told by one of the farmers that the farmer who owned the property before Steve Peddicord used some of the headstones to hold his doors open. Those stone could be lost forever. I am sure that there are more stone left to be discovered in the cemetery.

We are all proud of what we accomplished and as strange as it sounds by not having any heavy duty equipment we felt more in touch with our ancestors and what they had to go through when they originally cleared this same land. Heather and Michael have already chosen the next cemetery they would like to see cleared next year, the Trotter Cemetery!

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