JANE

On Dec. 11, 1853, a W. C. Caldwell married Jane C. Ellison, dau. of Nancy and Thomas Ellison, (see Greene Co. Missouri Marriage Book A,. p. 282, Certificate #15).  Both Nancy and Thomas Ellison are buried in Union Campground cemetery. It would be helpful if more details were available concerning the Caldwell family. We only know what our old cemetery wants to tell us. In the older section of the cemetery are two tombstones, one belonging to Jane C. Caldwell and the other to Laura A Caldwell. Inscriptions can easily be read and are as follows:

‘Jane C. Caldwell. B: 20 Mar. 1833. D: 31 Jul. 1866, wife of W.C. Caldwell.

This stone is broken in two pieces. There is a footstone J.C.C. On the lower part of the tombstone is this  verse: I know thou hast gone to the home of thy rest. Then why should my soul be so sad. I know thou haft gone where the weary are blest. And the mourner looks up and is glad.

LAURA

 Laura A. Caldwell, b: 6 Oct 1854, d: 26 Aug. 1863, dau. of W.C. and J.C. Verse on the tombstone: God gave. He took. He will restore. He doeth all things well.

A footstone nearby has the lettering L.A C.  Portions of the concrete are stacked in vicinity of graves; suggesting perhaps more burials are in the plot There is no evidence that W.C. Caldwell is buried beside his wife. However, there is a possibility he might be buried in the Caldwell Cemetery located 7 miles southeast of Strafford, MO. on the south side of the James River, 1/4mile off County Road YY (Division Street Road). The name W E. Caldwell is listed in the readings of this cemetery, giving a birth date of 22 Apr. 1818 and death date of 23 Nov. 1872.

As has happened so often in past years of research, conflicting information and puzzling situations have occurred. In the case of W.C. Caldwell. there were two gentlemen by this name in the recorded history of Greene County who lived and died around the same time. One gentleman was a physician who practiced medicine and owned property in the Fair Grove, MO area. His wife’s name was Minerva (Langston) Caldwell. In the Caldwell Family Bible, Ozar’kin Vol. XV NO.4, Winter 1993, p. 150, a William C Caldwell is listed as b: 2 Nov. 1922 and d: 11 Nov. 1895.

 If anyone in our readership has more information about either of the Caldwell families, please contact our cemetery association.

Prepared by: Jean Gaffga Rayl 2007