SQ shakes her family tree, (and dodges nuts) researching:

HASTINGS ~ HUSKE ~ NEWMAN ~ SPLETTER ~ GUST or JUST ~ STERN   and   WELLS ~ LYTLE ~ GREEN ~ VANDIVER / VAN DER VEER

Topeka, KANSAS

2002-09-24, Tuesday:
Headstones found in my Mom's neighbour's yard
The neighbours are putting a new water line and dug up 2 headstones (pictured below). I have called various local offices as well as the Kansas State Historical Society in case someone will want to do further investigation. Any new information I receive will be posted here.
So far, no caskets or human remains have been unearthed.
This home is in central Topeka but a good 1.5 to 2.0 miles from the nearest cemetery.

2002-09-25, Wednesday:
Spoke with a researcher of grave-related discoveries associated with the Kansas State Historical Society
He has gone to the site and has opened a file but plans no further investigation since no remains or caskets have been excavated and the excavation for the water line is now complete.
List members from the rootsweb lists have sent me the following information with regard to the Chitwood surname associated with one of the headstones found:

Veronica :
I have found your William Harrison Chitman on the 1920 census in Kansas. If you want more information I will send you what I found. Maybe he has family out there some where looking for him.

The headstone for William Harrison Chitwood is not a mistake headstone. I can't find Flora L. Here is his information: William Harrison Chitwood born: August 19, 1859 in Linn Co., Missouri death: April 1, 1939 in Topeka, Kansas married Jan. 17, 1886 to Ida B. Adams (born May 31, 1859) children: Edna Chitwood born 1886 Kansas Avis Chitwood born 1893 Kansas The parents of William are: Pleasant Chitwood b: Feb 22, 1827 Macon Co., TN Mary Whitley b: Jan 9, 1826 Smith Co., TN

I have found more information on who William was/is.
He was the father of Avis Chitwood a Kansas artist which was commissioned by the US during the depression era.
It also appears that Avis never married and I can't find Edna nor Ida (yet). I am hoping that these graves were not on private property and distroyed. Do you have access to death records that might list the funeral home fro William? I will keep information flowing cause I know if it was my family (Paris' of Iuka, Pratt Co., KS and great grandparents married in Topeka) I would want to know.

Gayle:
Often stones were replaced and old ones brought home and used for sidewalks, etc. However, you might contact the Topeka Genealogy Society or the Kansas State Historical Society and inquire whether they have a listing of the persons in their tombstone inscription records.
Good luck

Jan:

On 1920 Shawnee County, Topeka township, Kansas Census
William H.,57 (head) Tennessee
Flora B.,54 (wife) Indiana
Charles H.,10(son) Kansas
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AND....... Ancestry World Tree Project
ID: I18340 Name: William H Chitwood Sex: M Birth: 7 APR 1862 in Scott Co. TN Death: 29 SEP 1938 in Perry, Jefferson Co. KS Father: William Ryal Chitwood b: 8 JUL 1829 in TN Mother: Jane Campbell b: 30 JUN 1832 in Pulaski Co., KY
ID: I18353 Name: Flora Belle Baker Sex: F Birth: 14 DEC 1865 in IN Death: 5 JUL 1939 in Perry, Jefferson Co. KS Marriage 1 William H Chitwood b: 7 APR 1862 in Scott Co. TN Married: 14 JAN 1886Children Grace Chitwood b: 1886 Pearl Chitwood b: 1888 William Elmer Chitwood b: 1890

From the 'Small World Department'- my own musings: Veronica's findings reminded me that a nearby family named Adams lived in the neighbourhood when my parents bought the house so I can't resist wondering if there is a connection there to William Chitwood's bride.
My mother's house originally sat on the lot where the headstones were found and was moved to its current location at some point in time (I need to do further research on the dates this happened.)
My parents bought the house from the Bourassa family. I found a number of Bourassa headstones near my relatives buried in rural Shawnee county, near Dover.
A recent Hastings obituary from June has a Hastings married to a Chitwood. This Hastings branch is one I have not yet tied to my own Hastings family tree but I was reminded of it when I saw Chitwood on the headstone.

Drop me a line at TraceFamilyTree@ yahoo.com ~~~ ~~

Best Free Graphics, Web Tutorials, you name it
on the World Wide Web below: