Old Family Cemetery… Memories to pass on…
Last week I took my grandson (Christian, 7) and my youngest daughter (Olivia, 5) to three different family cemeteries where they placed flags on the graves of their grandfathers who were veterans… a Civil War vet, WWI vet, and a WWII vet. You can hardly drive a mile in rural southern US without seeing these family cemeteries. There are nine on the five mile long Kellum Loop Road where I grew up.
I painted these two 6″x8″ (plein air) oils on two separate days at the Kellum Family Cemetery about a month ago. The fall color was in it’s prime for this area. On the day I took the kids I shared several family stories with them and explained how they each lined up in the family lineage. In fact, on two separate lines I was able to get their picture with their grandparents of five generations back for Christian and four for Olivia. Here they are pictured at the graves of their veteran ancestors.
Lewis Everette Humphrey, Company K, 61st North Carolina Infantry, CSA, War Between the States. Old Humphrey Family Cemetery, Thomas Humphrey Road, Onslow County, NC.
Raymond Lee Humphrey, 167th Regiment, 42nd US Infantry (Rainbow) Division, WWI. Kellum Family Cemetery, Kellum Loop Road, Onslow County, NC.
Joseph Robert Humphrey, 32nd Regiment, 7th US Infantry Division, WWII. Humphrey Family Cemetery, Clayton Humphrey Road, Onslow County, NC.
I always enjoy walking through cemetries… they are peaceful places to me. The Kellum Cemetery is always a stroll down memory lane for me… I see the graves of many people I knew, respected, and loved. The two different days I stood in the cemetery to paint these works I felt as if I was spending time with friends and family, especially my granddaddy and granny (Raymond and Lessie Humphrey) who I miss dearly. Granddaddy was a proud WWI vet who is the inspiration for our placing the flags every Veterans Day… he always referred to it as Armistice day… most times I still find myself calling it that. My children have been placing these flags since they were little… hopefully they will carry on the tradition. I have confidence they will.
Kellum Family Cemetery #1… 6″x8″ Oil on canvasboard, en plein aire, October 2006.
The painting below shows four graves in the foreground of children (ages 3 to 10) from one family who all died in January and February 1873 of an illness unknown to me. I can’t begin to imagine what that must have been like for the parents… they had one child survive who was two years old at the time… he was my great-great grandfather. Makes you think about how fragile (and valuable) life is…
Kellum Family Cemetery #2… 8″x6″ Oil on canvasboard, en plein aire, October 2006.
In memory of the children of Isaac and Rachel Kellum… Isaac (born February 8, 1863 ~ died January 1873), Daniel (born February 14, 1867 ~ died January 1873), Ezekel (born August 14, 1868 ~ died February 1873), and George (born April 4, 1870 ~ died February 1873). Isaac and Rachel lost two other children at an early age who are buried there as well… Merenda (born November 10, 1858 ~ died December 1863) and Eli (born August 30, 1875 ~ died September 30, 1875). Joseph ( my great-great grandfather) was the only child who survived to reach adulthood (born October 15, 1871 ~ died October 10, 1941). He married Lydia Ramsey and many descendants came from this union… including me, my daughter, and grandson who had a great memory visit with them that cool November day.
