Tombstone Tuesday: Frederick P. Horn and Hepzibah (Clarke) Horn
McMurray Family, Horn Family (Click for Family Tree, and see Notes below.)
Sandhill Cemetery is a “Pioneer Cemetery” in Cedar County, Iowa, a place to which our family migrated in the 1850s. Pioneer Cemeteries are often neglected as farm families moved, and they become overgrown and the stones deteriorate even faster than they would normally since they are not cleaned. There is no “perpetual care” in a pioneer cemetery as there is in urban cemeteries, and they are often a place of vandalism, being away from scrutiny out in the country. So it is important that we help to maintain the final resting places of the ancestors who came before us- after all, we carry their genetic material that helps make us who we are!
So often today families live far from the gravesite of ancestors, and care of the cemetery falls to local historical or genealogical societies, or Scout troops who go in and clean up a cemetery for a service project or even an Eagle or Gold Project.
Cedar County, Iowa, has a Pioneer Cemetery Committee that is working to restore Sandhill Cemetery and others to what they respectfully should be. Sandhill had three very large evergreens in the center of the cemetery that were getting too old and needed to be removed. These trees and others have been removed so they cannot fall on headstones (or living people in the cemetery!), and the grounds are being weeded and cleaned up. Also, there are many stones like those of Frederick, AKA “F.P.,” and Hepzibah, that need attention- in fact, there are 10 Horn family members buried in Sandhill, and some of their stones need repair as well. Some funds are provided by the county, but most of what is done is volunteer and through donations.
The Pioneer Cemetery Committee is trying to prioritize their expenditures to the headstones that need the most help right now.
Currently, for 3 of our Horn family stones- Hepzibah’s, F. P.’s, and a stone for “Henry” which is next to Hepzibah’s (he may be their son)- the Committee has found a gentleman who will repair them all for $400-425 and will clean them. He will also put new 4′ foundations under them, to help preserve them (hopefully) for another 100+ years. (Hepzibah died in 1882, Henry in 1885, and F.P. in 1887.)
It would be very helpful for our family to donate to the group as they care for the memorials to our ancestors, since the county does not provide enough to totally restore this cemetery.
All donations are tax-deductible, and checks can be sent to:
Cedar County Pioneer Cemetery Commission
c/o Cedar County Historical Museum
Attention: Sandy Harmel
1094 Hwy 38
Tipton, IA 52772
Thank you for honoring the memory of our ancestors!
Notes, Sources, and References:
- How are the McMurrays related to the Horn family?
Edw. A., Maude Lynette “Midge”, and Herbert C. McMurray =>
William Elmer McMurray =>Frederick Asbury McMurray =>
Henderson McMURRAY + Mary Ann HORN (married 1845) [daughter of Frederick P. Horn and Hepzibah (Clark) Horn] - See our previous post, “Headstones of Frederick P. Horn and Hepzibah (Clark) Horn- Sandhill Cemetery, Cedar Co., Iowa” at http://heritageramblings.net/2013/11/16/headstones-of-frederick-p-horn-and-hepzibah-clark-horn-sandhill-cemetery-cedar-co-iowa/
- Daisy Wingert has taken the wonderful pictures for Find A Grave for the Horn family, given us permission to use them, and has communicated with us about the need for headstone repair. Daisy has also done some searching in local records to help us learn more about F.P. and Hepzibah- more to come on them later. Thanks, Daisy, who isn’t even related to us!!
- The images from ~2007 were paid for by the author so many years ago, and permission given to use.
- Please contact us through the blog if you have questions about donating, and we will forward them on to Daisy or Sandy.
Please contact us if you would like higher resolution images. Click to enlarge images.
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