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