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| Baxter B. Fite III (#47203738)
 | member for 3 years, 7 months, 7 days |
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April 2010. I am a soon to be 56 year old genealogist and historian that especially loves tracking down the Civil War Veterans who came from Central Illinois. My primary interest, since 1985, has been to find the last resting place of the 992 men who served in the 86th Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infantry. I have traveled extensively to photograph the tombstones of veterans of the 86th, but, I have always been aware that I was never going to get pictures of all of their tombstones. But. then someone told me about Find A Grave. In the five months that I have been a member of Find A Grave, Thanks to the many wonderful people who use Find A Grave, I have seen pictures of tombstones of veterans of the 86th that I never dreamed that I would ever see pictures of. I can't begin to tell you how Thankful I am for all of the wonderful people that have helped me see pictures of those monuments to veterans who gave so much to preserve our union. I will forever be indebted to all of you. Thanks for all you have done!!
Baxter
September 2011. Through the years, there has been a poem which explains why I have been doing what I have been doing. It is one of my favorite poems and I have read it countless times at Memorial Day service and Veteran's Day services. It is now our job to not let people forget "our Boys in Blue."
"When the Boys in Blue Are Gone" by John Hendricks
When the comrades have departed,
When the veterans are no more,
When the bugle call is sounded
On that everlasting shore.
When life's weary march is ended,
When campfires slumber long;
Who will tell the world the story,
When the boys in Blue are gone?
Who will tell about their marching,
From Atlanta to the Sea?
Who will halt, and wait, and listen,
When they hear the reveille?
Who will join to swell the chorus,
Of some old, Grand Army song?
Who will tell the world the story,
When the boys in Blue are gone?
Sons and daughters of this nation,
You must tell of triumphs won;
When on earth our work is ended,
And the Veteran claims his own.
You must all cherish Old Glory,
And its teachings pass along.
You must tell the world the story,
When the boys in Blue are gone.
To that flag, our country's emblem,
You must pledge allegiance, too.
To that flag, our nation's emblem,
May your hearts be ever true.
That the nation be protected,
'Gainst injustice, and all wrong;
You must tell the world the story,
When the boys in Blue are gone.
You must keep your country's honor,
From each stripe withhold all stain;
You must take the Veteran's places,
And repeat the roll of fame.
You must keep your country's honor,
And your flag above all wrong,
Then we'll trust you with the story,
When the boys in Blue are gone.
John Hendricks was the last living Veteran of the 89th Indiana Volunteer Infantry. The poem expresses his concern that the Union Soldiers,
the "Boys in Blue", not be forgotten by future generations. And since 1985, I have been trying tel tell their story and will continue to tell their story until the day I die.
I have walked through hundreds of cemeteries in my first 57 years and hope the Lord allows me to walk though a few more. It saddens me to think that most of these people have been forgotten about by too many of us. Ben Franklin once said, "One can tell the morals of a culture by the way they treat their dead." I have walked through many a cemetery over the years where it truthfully doesn't look like we remember or care for our dead at all. The Old Methodist Church Cemetery in Eureka, where Private John Adams, of Co. A, is buried, and the plowed over cemeteries or overgrown cemeteries that I have seen and walked through are examples of this.
THE CEMETERY PHOTOGRAPHER
Wandering among the stones I see
The stones so weathered and worn
‘Tis difficult to find the date
On which the babe was born
I stare at the stone and am struck with awe
At the life that I knew was gone
This was someone's child, a babe so sweet
With loved ones to carry on
So I take a photo for all to see
For the family that remains
An everlasting memory of
A child of God's domain
I brush the weeds back from the stone
And say a silent prayer
For the babes that had no chance to live
And for mothers everywhere
The dove calls out it's mourning song
Among the stones so still
Echoes of the woes, through time
The choirs of despair
The stone will someday perish
The flowers will be gone
But a photo now remains of this
Their memory lives on!
And so my friend, don't hesitate
To film the weathered stone
Those who live within your hearts
Are never truly gone.
Author Unknown
I just want to Thank the creators of Find A Grave for creating this site. It has been a wonderful place for me to leave some of the information that I have accumulated over the past 26 years about the 86th "Boys in Blue." I also again want to Thank all of the photographer volunteers who have taken their time to search out and to photograph so many tombstones of 86th veterans, that I KNEW, that I was NEVER going to see in person and that I was NEVER EVER even going to see a picture of. Thanks for getting those pictures for me and for all who have an interest in them in the future. It is GREATLY APPRECIATED!!
On August 1, 2012, I went to the Find A Grave site of Richard Dial, a member of the 86th Illinois. His site was added by Beverly Sweeney. Whe I went to her site, I sadly found that Beverly had passed away. In going through the many notes that were left for her, I found the following poem which was left by Janet Milburn. Though I do not agree with everything in the poem, it reminds me how close our family that have passed on before us and the veterans who have passed on before us still are. We need to always remember the sacrifices that the men and women who have worn the uniform of our armed forces have made for us and to keep their names on our lips. We need to continue to tell their story. I like to think that the Lord allows people to see that they have not been forgotten.
Here is the poem left by Janet;
~~Death Is Nothing At All~~ I have only slipped away into the next room, I am I ...and you are you... whatever we were to each other that we still are..... call me by my old familiar name, speak to me in the easy way which you always used..... put no difference in your tone .... wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.... laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes we enjoyed together.... pray smile, think of me.... pray for me. Let my name be ever the household word that it always was.... Let it be spoken without effort without the trace of a shadow in it .... Life means all that it ever meant ....it is the same as it ever as.... there is unbroken continuity..... why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight? I am waiting for you somewhere..... very near, just around the corner....... All is well....Anonymous~~~
A PROUD MEMBER OF ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE,
Baxter
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| Virtual Cemeteries
Co. A, 86th Illinois (105)
Co. B, 86th Illinois (98)
Co. C, 86th Illinois (104)
Co. D, 86th Illinois (97)
Co. E, 86th Illinois (97)
Co. F, 86th Illinois (98)
Co. G, 86th Illinois (103)
Co. H, 86th Illinois (100)
Co. I, 86th Illinois (116)
Co. K, 86th Illinois (109)
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Find A Grave Friends
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| | Messages left for Baxter B. Fite ... (922) | [Leave Message] |
Trish
 | RE: James Marsh, Co. C, 86th Illinois
Baxter, you're very welcome! I love getting out and taking the pictures. I am currently in the middle of trying to find everyone listed in the Farina Cemetery without pictures and getting them posted on Find A Grave. So far, so good!Added by Trish on Jun 17, 2013 12:11 PM | | | Tim P. Baker
 | Your friend Roger (46562712)
Has been taking photos without submitting to claim them, which is frustrating other contributors. | | | Laura Spradlin
 | RE: Anthony Knox and Knox Memorial
Happy to help! | | | Tom and Nancy Gawthrop
 | Children of Pvt. John West
Rachel Rebecca Kelly was born in 1848 in Ohio. Do not have an exact date. Anna West married William Bohannan on Oct. 1887, Knox Co, Ill. Anna died 30 Jan 1924 at Percifer Twp, Knox Co. Ill. Philemon West born 2 Feb 1873; married Charlotte Mabel Dillon; he died 8 Nov 1952. Elsie West born 5 Oct 1875, married to Charles A Johnson. Arden West married Geneva Z Murray. Arden died 11 June 1957 in Knox Co. Orrin West born 4 Mar 1883 and died 11 May 1956. He lived in LaRosa, Illinois in 1940.
John's second wife, Mary Blackburn was born March 1868 in Germany. Lloyd Edward West born 30 Aug 1889; died 12 May 1973. Leota West born 5 June 1894 and died 16 Mar 1982. Jay was born 23 Mar 1896 and died Sept 1970; his wife was Hazel Gutshall. Ray West born 5 Feb 1898; married Hazel Hodge; and he died 24 Aug 1973. Last but not least, Earl Sylvanous West born 29 Nov 1902 and died 22 Dec 1983. Earl married Starr Mulliner on 9 May 1922 in Knoxville, Ill. She attended Knox College and taught school in Oneida, Knox Co, Ill. Besides Robert, their other children were Mrs. Shirley White; Mrs. Lois Hilligoss; and Mrs. Joyce McDowell. Shirley joined the US Navy in 1943, and was stationed in Honolulu, Hawaii.
I could not locate an obituary for Elsie, Orrin or Lloyd Edward West because they died elsewhere of Knox County, Illinois. But I did find and posted to Ancestry.com the obits of all the other West children. I will post pictures of the West headstones from Knoxville and Maquon to Find a Grave. Nancy Gawthrop | | | memories live on
 | RE: Lois Werts and the Werts family
You are very welcome, and sorry I am not any relation. Just glad to help. | | | Brittany (Kokes) Cook
 | Humphreys children
I also have information on the other girls of Fernando and Mary McGrew. I will get that to you ASAP.
| | | Brittany (Kokes) Cook
| RE: Fernando Humphries/Humphreys
Elma Elizabeth (or Elizabeth Elma-none of the family knows for sure which way it was-we were told it was Elma first but her headstone shows Elizabeth) Humphreys Mathewson
born: August 28, 1861 in Knox County Illinois
Died: September 23, 1905 in Shenandoah, Iowa
Married: Edward "Ed" Grierson Mathewson on November 1885 in Iowa
Their children: Clarence, Lawrence, Elsie, Warren, Theodore and 2 others that died in infancy.
She is buried in Baker Cemetery in Norwich, Page County, Iowa along with her husband Edward
Her find a grave number is 44315506 | | | redsat
| RE: Samuel D. Hamilton
Glad I could help! If you ever need another pic, just let me know.
redsatAdded by redsat on Jun 11, 2013 3:15 PM | | | Brittany (Kokes) Cook
| Fernando Humphries/Humphreys
I am a decendant of Fernando and Mary's daughter Elma Mathewson. Her son Ed then his son Warren and his son Wendel and his daughter Kathy. You have done a wonderful job of Fernando's page. I do not have any pictures of him and very little of Elma as well, unfortunately, but was delighterd to see what you had. Not much of Elma's photos and such survived because her family moved after her death and Ed remarried and the children were so young I don't believe much was kept or even had of them. Thank you for the work you have done, it brings a smile to my heart to read the information and see the pictures.
Brittany Cook | | | Beverly Sweeney / Christine Anguzza
 | Sorry
But it was Richard.
Blessings, Christine (Beverly's daughter) | | | | [View all messages...] |
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