So, for anyone else who tries to find it in the future, I am hereby posting more clear directions than we ourselves could find anywhere - finally a nice lady in the neighborhood told us where it was. From CO 105, turn south on Black Forest Rd and then east on Angelholm Rd. and drive until the road ends, the cemetery is about a half acre fenced area right at the end of the road. There are no signs, no entrances, and most of the grave markers are hidden in grass if they are even still there. GPS coordinates N 39 degrees 07.095 minutes, W 104 degrees 41.143 minutes. Elevation 7302 feet.
We then drove on to the Elbert Cemetery. Elbert is a cute, very tiny little town - on the edge of the Black Forest it has more of a mountain town feel than a plains town feel. The cemetery looks borderline full/abandoned. Most of the graves are quite old and seem to be in primarily family plots. But it is decent-sized, probably 10 acres? My great-great-great grandfather Thomas Bird Allison is buried there and we found his grave. He would be the second-oldest Colorado pioneer in my family buried here. The other would be Robert Jones my great-great-great grandfather who died in El Paso County (here), Colorado, June 6, 1873 - but I have no idea where he is buried. His wife died only 3 months later and he was only in his 50's and she in her 40's - something happened, but I don't know what. In the next census, my great-great grandfather William is in his early twenties, newly married to Grace Fraker, and also raising his younger brother Robert. I can't find a record of a grave - but he *might* have been somewhere around Fountain, Colorado at that time, since he shows up on the census there in 1870. He is listed right after Thomas Owens, who is apparently the earliest homesteader of the area. I can't find a list of graves in the Fairview Cemetery in Fountain - but a lady told me he's not listed there. Or, he may have not been buried in a cemetery, but just in some unmarked grave somewhere? No idea - it's a mystery. Neither of these were born in Colorado, but were the first to arrive. I think the first birth in Colorado among my direct descendants would be Nettie Jones, Robert's granddaughter, my great-great-grandmother born in 1878 in this county. Not exactly sure where - maybe in the Table Rock area. So, I'm a 5th-generation Colorado native and a 7th generation Coloradan, and even a 7th generation El Paso County resident. :)
Elbert Cemetery Allison plot. Alva is one of Thomas's granddaughters.
Just loved the name!
Wooden grave markers are kind of sad to me.
Several hand-made grave markers were present - they must not have all the restrictions the big city cemeteries do.
dad
Probably the prettiest head stone I've ever seen.
old building in the Table Rock area.
old stove
One of Thomas's sons, my great-great-great uncle. Daisy was a Fraker, so she is doubly a great-great aunt- by married on the Allison side, but by blood on the Nettie Jones side.
Table Rock in the back ground; fenced in area is the cemetery.
Thomas Bird Allison - oldest Colorado grave of ancestors I've been able to find, but Robert Jones and/or his wife Eliza Jane would beat it - maybe around Fountain both in 1873? The dates found were on Ancestry.com but don't have sources cited, so who knows?
4 comments:
This is really nice and interesting that you are keeping record or at least tracing your ancestors. I am also keen to figure out the link between me and my ancestors, trying to find chronology trees around and to compile them. There have been many migrations (forced and voluntary) so that makes it more interesting.
It is rare that people dwell in such activities in these times, so, I appreciate what you do.
Keep up the good work!
With du'as
Zain
Asalaam Alaaykum
thanks a lot for the comments and encouragement. I find it very interesting to think about how my ancestors may have lived and how a piece of them is in me, how they have somehow shaped me in ways we barely understand. I don't know why I feel it is important and fascinating, but it seems like a needed work not to forget our history and to make connections with the past and see where we come from. Best wishes
Fascinating photos. I love the name "Purley Foote", especially for a man! Not many people can say that they are a 5th generation Colorado native. I'm glad that you and your parents can share the interesting task of finding graves of your ancestors.
My great-grandfather's ranch was between Elbert and Table Rock, CO. His occupation was listed as "Motive Engineer", so, steam tractor or train. his children, my grampa's siblings, numbered 14. Their surname on the ranch, Wright, and my great aunt and her husband lived there too according to the census, Mclean was their name.
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