R.I.P. Beyond the Grave: End of Semester Video

Sun setting at St. Luke. 

Like the sunset on the St. Luke graveyard, the sun is setting on our FYSE this fall semester. I learned so much about bereavement, graveyards, and more about death, dying, and burials. Thanks for the good times everyone and have a lovely college experience! Click here to watch my end of semester video!

Epic Epitaphs of The Greater Downtown Area

Check out my Epic Epitaph Prezi here!

Accidental Death of an Old Corps Cadet: Old Charlestonian Research

1st Lieutenant John L. Weeks,
Citadel Graduate. 

Strange accidental death, athletic excellence, beloved by the community; nothing less can be expected from a former cadet from the Citadel. Through resources provided by the Citadel, “In the Arms of Angels” by Patrick Harwood, and photos and articles gifted to me by my professor, I was able to investigate John L. Weeks, a Charleston native and 1917 Citadel graduate. Weeks was born in 1895 and died in 1920 and is now buried or put to rest at Magnolia Cemetery. 

I selected John L. Weeks, who was a soldier in WWI and Citadel Graduate from A Company, for my “Old Charlestonian” research project due to my personal connection to the Citadel and his odd death. The 1st Lieutenant John L. Weeks Memorial can be found in the Weeks plot in Magnolia Cemetery, near the entrance in Charleston, South Carolina in a beautiful corner of the cemetery.

My father was a Citadel graduate and I almost went to the Citadel for college myself, so the Citadel holds a special place for me and piqued my interest in Weeks. I also found Week’s death to be an interesting and tragic one.

Weeks excelled at athletics during his time at the Citadel and was a Lieutenant in The Great War or WWI. Weeks played football, baseball and basketball in which he started all four years in football and three in the other sports at The Citadel. In 1916 Weeks was quarterback for the Citadel football team and led them to a victory season in which the schools Clemson and University of South Carolina were defeated by The Citadel's football team. Weeks is included in the Citadel Athletic Hall of Fame and the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame.

Weeks was affectionately called Johnnie and commended in the 1917 Citadel yearbook, The Sphinx. Fellow students in The Sphinx described John as a “Kind reader, behold an all around man!” and that he “...held almost every office at the disposal of the Faculty and Corps...Strange to say, this athlete is also a student, maintaining a high place in his academic work.”

Page out of the Citadel yearbook,
The Sphinx, in which Weeks appears. 

Weeks died at war but oddly enough not through combat injuries, but from a football accident in The Rhine River city of Koblenz (formerly Coblenz), Germany. This could be due to the fact that during this time period, helmets were not often used, but the exact reason for Week’s demise during a football game are relatively unclear. Week’s family includes parents Thomas J. and Annie Weeks as well as three sisters and a brother. The cablegram his family received regarding John’s death said nothing more than “John injured Sunday playing football. Died Tuesday night. No pain. Will write details.” 

Newspaper clipping from Week's Funeral.

Week's funeral was held at Citadel Square Baptist Church and attended by hundreds. The Week’s plot is elegant in its design, and Weeks’ headstone itself has a military air about it that appeals to me. The detail in the eagle arms and stars that sit along the bottom of the grave are very delicate and the script beneath it describes Weeks lovingly, one line for every year of his life. The engraving describes Week’s military career and includes a biblical passage “God gave, He took, He will restore,” “His toils are past, his work is done,” and “He is not dead but sleepeth.” The pots or urns on either side of Week’s headstone are greek symbols for mourning.

Gravestone Iconology: Bethel United Methodist Church

Click here to view my Prezi on gravestone iconology from Bethel United Methodist Church!

As Taboo as Sex: Prof. George E. Dickinson On Dying

Sociology Prof. George E. Dickinson gives

a presentation on Death,
Dying, and Bereavement
to our Beyond The Grave FYE class.

"None of us live forever. That's the safest thing I'll say this evening." said Prof. George E. Dickinson, with a smile in his voice and a vast understanding of knowledge in his wise eyes. The College of Charleston sociology professor had a lot to say on the topic of dying, death, and bereavement as he presented to the class the complexities of grief, the stages of acceptance the dying experience. and the societal taboo placed on the topic of death and dying.

Dickinson opened his presentation with a historical overview of death and bereavement in the United States. The three historical "periods" of death include Living with Death (1600-1830), Dying of Death (1830-1945), and Resurrection of Death (1945-Present).

Dickinson describes the first period of death as mostly concerned with fatalism and burials close to churches while the second period treats death with more a sense of beauty and less scary context as people began to design park-like cemeteries that families visited in order to picnic with the graves of their fallen relatives. The present period of death lacks a sense of beauty as death comes back into focus with current tragedies.

Despite the seriousness of the subject matter, Dickinson provided humor to the class, stating,“We joke about death like we joke about sex," a humorous and relatively shocking statement, as I never associate death and sex together. Dickinson did bring up an interesting point with this comment, as it is interesting how we as a society treat the idea of sex (or birth) and death with the same uncomfortable stare and shuffling feet, as the way our lives end and begin are not concepts that are socially acceptable to openly talk about. Dickinson also hinted on the bereavement process, and the various stages people go through accepting death.

Dickinson explained the euphemisms behind death, as people prefer to say someone has "passed away" rather than "died." Dickinson further divulged into "the American way of death" as he described why we embalm people, stating, “They used embalming to make em' look alive." Dickinson talked about earth burials as well as cryogenics, a near sci-fi concept where the near dead are frozen and preserved for when technological advances allow for the near deceased to continue living. I did not know cryogenics was a real burial, so I found his thoughts on the topic fascinating! Dickinson's thoughtful expression on death dying and bereavement made for a fascinating class that left my mind reeling with the interesting way Americans treat death and the stranger ways they deal with burying the dead!

A Sprawling Necropolis: Magnolia Cemetary

Under a beautiful Magnolia tree at Magnolia Cemetery. 

Magnolia is as eerie and beautiful as the graves it harbors. Magnolia Cemetery gives an impression of death that focuses on beauty and tranquility rather than the harsh and superstitious stereotype funerals and cemeteries usually carry. Magnolia's lush green grass, oak trees, and monuments to the dead give a sense to awe and peace to the viewer. I found the beautiful, old, historic cemetery to not only appeal to the eye but appeal to a sense of adventure and mystery, as the stories behind the graves were as interesting as the landscape. 

Lush vegetation and a lagoon surrounds the graves
and highlights the beauty of the artistry in the headstones
at sunset. 

Magnolia Cemetery is a Victorian era cemetery with green grass and large trees canopying over the grave plots. Benches and small paths are throughout the cemetery and a bridge over a lagoon filled with birds and marsh grass leads the viewer to the other half of the cemetery. On first impression the cemetery seems grand, park-like, and a place that housed statues and sculptures rather than grave markers. 

Photo of lagoon/pond at Magnolia Cemetery.  

Magnolia Cemetery is large and I found it relatively intimidating to explore the entirety of it due the the sprawling nature of its design. Beyond that, I found that the cemetery had relatively good walkability (although be on the look out for stepping on tree roots!) and the landscape elements (pond/ lagoon, trees, marsh grass, benches, sprawling plots and layout) added to the grandeur of the cemetery.

  

Trees and green grass at magnolia Cemetery 

Weeks grave plot and primary grave marker
for John I. Weeks. 

While wandering around Magnolia my was caught when I noticed the Weeks plot. The Weeks plot was simple and yet had an air of importance about that was at the same time humble. The primary grave marker on the Weeks's plot was for John L. Weeks, Born Feb. 11, 1895 - Died  Nov. 2, 1920 in Germany in WWI. The epitaph on Weeks's grave read "God gave, he took, he will restore all things well to him. We trust a place is true among the saints in heaven having finished life's duty. He now sweetly tests his tools, our last work is done, he is fought the victory won, thee but to love thee none name but to praise in the morning of his day in you and love he died. He is not dead but sleepeth."

Hughes Sarcophagus at Magnolia.

The Hughes sarcophagus is also impressive and caught my eye. The grander of the grave marker was impressive and well as the detailed carvings near the top of the grave marker. The grave belongs to Virginia Randolph Pinckney, Wife of Edward Walter Hugh's, Born Oct. 1867 - Died Dec. 1917. While it is a sarcophagus, no bodies are stored inside and it is mostly done for prestige. The plot was purchased by Edward Walter Hughes, an educated man, was a legislator and his wife Virginia was from the prominent Pinckney family, a name seen around the Charleston area which I thought was interesting. 

The grave plot and for James Henry Parker was interesting due to the story behind his death. Interestingly enough James Henry Parker died in a revolving door accident. A humble plot beyond the Monument placed about James Henry Parkers Name. The carvings of flowers at the base were my favorite element of the design. Parker was Born Jan. 4, 1843 - Died Jan. 22, 1947. The story of the revolving door death was especially interesting and made this grave stone memorable. 

James Henry Parker grave in the Parker plot. 

I found our trip to Magnolia cemetery to be educational and interesting. I especially enjoyed viewing the more artistic monuments and getting to explore the graveyard with my friends. I would most certainly recommend a trip to Magnolia, as it truly embodied the history of Charleston. It was especially fascinating to me that many of the names of the streets in Charleston were families with grave plots in Magnolia. Magnolia is no doubt a beautiful cemetery, and a slightly eerie one the day before Halloween! 

Myself and my friends, Marissa Linkous
and Brenna Cunningham posing in front of a
 tree at Magnolia Cemetery

 

A Dead Son Walks, Strom Thurmond's letter: My great-great grandfather Thaddeus Haskell Shull

A son lost in WWII only to return home after his funeral, a letter of praise from Strom Thurmond, cows exchanged for college tuition, the owner of an island; My great-great grandfather Thaddeus Haskell Shull was an interesting man. In researching my ancestors I came across the interesting life of Thaddeus Shull, a husband, father, and legislator in Lexington, SC.

Picture of Thaddeus Haskell Shull (right)and wife Nettie Livingston Shull (left). 

My primary research for my ancestor was provided by my grandmother, Patsy Quarles. She spoke with enthusiasm about her grandfather and provided several interesting anecdotes about Shull and his life. Some background information on Shull: he was born June 23,1880 and was a legislator. He lived majority of his life in Lexington and Batesburg, SC. Shull served in the House of Representatives of the State of South Carolina for 16 years and 20 years on the country commissions. Shull and his wife, Nettie Livingston Shull, had three sons, Shuford, Lynwood and Corthan, and two girls, Miriam and Lurlene Shull.

My grandmother told an interesting story about Shull's son Cothran, "I remember the story Papa told of how hard it was to have all three sons in the army during WWII and not knowing where they were. There were no cell phones and the mail was slow and censored. Once the family received a telegram from the Army and an official visit from the chaplain saying that their son Cothran had been killed in action. A funeral was planned and an obituary published. Days later, Papa was notified that a mistake had been made and Cothran was identified in a field hospital and in critical condition.

Bevel Grave of my great-great 
grandfather Thaddeus Haskell Shull.

"After much treatment, he finally was moved to a hospital in the U.S. and his parents could see him. He was hospitalized well over a year and finally given a medical discharge. He spent the rest of his life as a disabled veteran." My grandmother continued, expressing how devastating it must of been for Shull's family during this time. She reaffirmed that despite the confusion around Corthan's condition, all three sons survived WWII.

My grandmother shared an interesting story about Shull Island where Shull "...once had cows on island he owned called Shull Island in Lexington County and went on horseback daily to check on them. Once he fell and could not get back on his horse, so he had to walk back out with a broken shoulder and broken wrist. The family never allowed him to make those kind of trips alone after that." Shull Island is now underwater, the entire are flooded when the Lake Murry Dam was built. Land, barns, and homes all got washed away- hard to imagine!

Personal letter to the Shull family regarding
Thaddeus Haskell Shull's death
from Strom Thurmond.

The final anecdote my grandmother shared with me was about his children. All of the Shull children attended college. Shuford, Lywood, and Corthan attended Wofford but only Shuford finished and graduated. The two girls Lurlene and Miriam attended Columbia College. My grandmother spoke of how "Miriam and Lurlene had their tuition paid by Shull in "heads of beef. In other words, Papa provided cows to meet tuition needs and the college used the meat to feed the students!" It's a wonder how many "heads of beef" would be required needed today to cover tuition! My grandmother told me that she used to have the receipts for these "cow" payments. How funny!

Shull died January 26, 1974 of old age and is now buried in Shiloh United Methodist Church (church cemetery) in Gilbert, SC with a simple bevel grave marker. At the time of his death, Former U.S. Senator Strom Thurmond sent a letter of condolences and praise of Shull's impact on the state, describing Shull as an "outstanding citizen" and further recognizing him for his work in legislation.

I researched Shull primarily though talking to my grandma and father as well as using billiongrares.com. Between those three sources I was able to see a clear picture of the kind of life Thaddeus lived and the strange but interesting history that comes when digging through the past and digging up the history behind the grave and beyond the present.

The Mystery of Elizabeth Hutchinson Jackson

The monument to Elizabeth Hutchinson Jackson 

Monument placed in the middle of 
the College of Charleston Campus
 to Elizabeth Hutchinson Jackson, mother 
of President Andrew Jackson.

seems odd in the middle of Cougar Mall on the College of Charleston campus but nonetheless historically important. What is the mystery behind her grave and how has it found itself in the middle of a college campus? 

To understand where and how she was buried we must understand how Hutchison was while she was living. Elizabeth Hutchinson was an Irish immigrant from Northern Ireland and immigrated to the United States in 1765 with her husband Andrew Jackson Sr. and two children Robert and Hugh. The Jackson's originally settled in the Waxhaw Settlement which southeast of present day Charlotte, North Carolina. Waxhaw was home to many Irish settlers at the time and therefore appealed to the Jackson family.

The family settled on 200 acres of infertile land in Waxhaw which was unsuitable for farming. Three years after settling in North Carolina Andrew Jackson Sr. died and Elizabeth was forced to move in with her in-laws on the Crawford Planation on the South Carolina side of Waxhaw. Some accounts recall Elizabeth as simply a nurse and maid at the plantation while others recount her as the nurse to all the children on the plantation who was highly respected by the household. Less than a month after the death of her beloved husband Elizabeth gave birth to Andrew Jackson Jr. on March 15, 1767.

Portrait of President Andrew Jackson done 
by Ralph E. W. Earl contributed by Wikipedia.

Elizabeth helped nurse patriots in the revolution and supposedly died of cholera nursing soldiers back to health here in Charleston. The burial of Elizabeth Hutchinson Jackson was unclear after the war and historians have prospected on wear her original burial ground is located in Charleston. Andrew Jackson wrote letter's about the missing remains of his mother including one to Agnes Barton, in which he wrote "I knew she died near Charleston.... If possible, Mrs. Barton can inform me where she was buried that I can find her grave. This to me would be great satisfaction, that I might collect her bones and inter them with that of my father and brothers," (Jackson's father's and bothers were buried in Old Waxhaw Presbyterian Church cemetery near Jackson's birthplace).

Agnes Barton was later interviewed on the burial site of Hutchinson. Agnes Barton moved to Waxhaw when Andy Jackson was two years old and then later moved right outside of Charleston. When Hutchinson became ill Agnes and her husband cared for her until her death, where Agnes then dressed Hutchinson in her own best dressed and buried in in a simple unmarked grave on a hill. 

The exact location of this "hill" is not known, but suspected to be in the Charleston area. Her bones were never recovered, but three monuments were erected in her name, according to google "The first one was donated by members of the U.S. military stationed at Fort Moultrie. However, the original location, on King Street extension, made the monument difficult to maintain. The second monument  was placed in the Old Waxhaw Cemetery. The third was made by the Daughters of the American Revolution when they were unable to acquire permission to move the first (King Street) monument. They dedicated their own monument to Mrs. Jackson in downtown Charleston’s Washington Park. In 1967, the original King Street monument was moved to the campus of the College of Charleston where it resides today and is, most likely, closest to the actual burial site of Elizabeth Hutchinson Jackson."

The whereabouts of Elizabeth Hutchinson Jackson remains may "remain" unknown, but the mystery of the monument in Cougar Mall has been solved. 

Sunsets and Headstones at St. Luke and St. Paul Graveyards

The sun hitting a headstone at St. Luke. 

On a quiet September evening the St. Luke and St. Paul graveyards take on a somber tone as the sun sets on the headstones and the breeze wanders through the grass. I had the pleasure of wandering through both of these graveyards with my FYE class.

Linda McCants, a volunteer and member of St. Luke since 1972, talked with us about the history of the St. Luke graveyard and told us about her experiences as a volunteer. McCant explained the history of the church, and that, "The Church kept books for years and some of them are so fragile that when you go to take them out of the safe you have to wear white gloves."  

McCant recounted her own interest in graveyards, stating "It's interesting to go back and research the church and the cemetery because most of our records were burned in the Civil War."

St. Luke cathedral with the grave yard located behind it. 

While exploring the two graveyards I came across multiple headstone types, including:

Die on Base 

Die on Base grave markers are typically marble or granite and are distinguishable from regular headstones due to the base. This grave stone is for Matilda Burger Dawson, Born October 13, 1875- Died January 15th 1945. A banner at the bottom of the grave says "at rest."

Ledger

Ledger markers are thick slabs of stone that are notable because they cover the entire grave. This ledger marker is in scared memory to Sophia Percy Guerard Born 1817 and lived to the specific age of 31 years two months and 15 days. 

Die on Socket 

Die on socket graves are notable for being mounted in a socket.  This die on socket marker broken due most likely to vandalism. 

Box Tomb 

Box tombs are rectangular structures that can also be called values or chest tombs. This box tomb is for Thomas Horrs. I noticed that many of the box tomb tops had become worn and unreadable with age, so all ic could gather from this tomb was that he was that he was loved and a member of what may of been government. Death and Birth dates unfortunately unreadable.  

Sarcophagus

Sarcophaguses are essentially stone coffins. This was was for a child, Catherine Williams, Born in 1852 and lived five years, three months, and two days. Very heartbreaking! 

Cradle Grave

Typically a young child's marker, although not in this case. This grave was for Anna P. Ingramham,  wife of Col Pickens, Born April 25, 1845- Died March 22, 1920.  The grave has the epitaph "Blessed are the pure in the heart for they shall see God."

Headstone

Standard, most common grave. This headstone is for Stephen Elliot, Born 1771- Died 1830 son of William Elliot and Mary Barnwell Elliot. The headstone reads that Elliot was a botanist, banker planter, legislator, and teacher. 

Columns

Tall grave slants with a slant cut at the top to symbolize life cut short. This grave marker is sacred to the memory of Christopher Gadsden, HUME M.D. Gadsden died on the 30th of September in 1849 at  the age of 24 years 4 months and 17 days. The epitaph reads "Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead and christ shall give thee light."

Slant Marker 

Very common and popular grave marker today. This slant marker is for Theodore Dehon Wagner, Born March 1819- Died February 23 1880. Wager lays at rest with his wives, Sophia M. Wagner (1825-1893) and Sarah Ella Warley (1833-1873). 

Mausoleums

A Large house or building that houses multiple tombs above ground. The mausoleum was build by the family of William Johnston in 1844. Johnston lives from 1776-1840. Members of the Johnston family are within the mausoleum. A plaque says the "E" in Johnston was restored by the family in 1848 and another plan says the records of those buried inside the grave marker can be found with the church reads and the charlestown historical societies. 

Fashion In Tombstones: Ruth Miller on Charleston Graveyards

 Ruth Miller, author, gives a lecture to FSYE
class on Graveyards. 

Ruth Miller not only visits graveyards, she writes books about them. With excitement and enthusiasm, Ruth Miller described to us the interesting and somewhat surprising history of Charleston graveyards. From Anglicans to Huguenots, Miller covers it all. 

Ruth Miller started as a tour guide in Charleston before she became enamored with Charleston graveyards and published/Co-authored several books, including  "Charleston Charlie," "A Witness to History: Charleston's Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon," "The Angel Oak Story" and "Touring the Tombstones." 

Miller's talk was passionate and engaging as she explained the vast and interesting history behind the various graveyards surrounding Charleston. Miller was sure to cover all the various religions that took root in Charleston over the ages, including the Anglicans, Congregationalists, Anabaptists, Quakers, Methodists, Huguenots, Sephardic Jews, German-speaking Lutherans, Roman Catholics and Presbyterians. 

Miller pointed out that "While graveyards tell us a lot a lack of them tell us a lot too." I thought this was interesting as I had never considered that a lack of representation in a graveyard would indicate the political-climate of an age-past time period or show what the modern opinion on a particular group or organization is today. Miller shared with us the history of colonial Charleston and explained to the class that the South Carolina colonies attracted many different religious groups because the South Carlonia colonies believed, as Miller put it, "We can own your body but we can't own your soul." 

This philosophy allowed slaves to have religious freedoms as well. Due to this policy of religious freedom many different religions congregated in Charleston and therefore there are many different types of graveyards left behind.
Miller divulged from explaining colonial history and shared with us about various graveyards in Charleston she had visited, including Circular Congregational Church and St. Michaels. Miller described the various types of headstones, stating "You can find fashion in Tombstones," and explained that majority of headstones were shipped from New England because there are no natural rocks in Charleston.

Overall Miller's enthusiasm for graveyards and the history behind Charleston was enjoyable to engage in and very informational. Miller's passion for history and what lies beyond the tombstone was a very valuable experience and I'm very glad I was able to hear her lecture.

About me

My name is Elizabeth Quarles and I'm a 19-year-old freshman at College of Charleston. I'm from Atlanta, GA but I was born in Washington state. I plan to major in English and minor in a language or in fine arts. I hope to use my degree to go into publishing, authoring, and media and hopefully hold a job that allows for traveling.

Really aesthetic photo of my reading set up in Jack's Cafe. Taken by Elizabeth Quarles.

I enjoy reading and writing fiction in my spare time as well as watching movies, going to the beach and spending time with friends.  

Photo of the beach on Hilton Head Island, SC. Taken by Elizabeth Quarles.