Cemetery Research

One of the things I love to do on Saturdays is spend the entire day working on the family tree.  I don't answer the phone, I don't cook, I don't do anything but work on the family tree.  Usually I've got the whole day's worth of research planned out, but right now I'm feeling a little perplexed. And burned out.  I've been working on the family tree of John Stout Drake and Lucia Cahoon Drake every night this week until about 2 in the morning.  And I feel like I'm banging my head into the wall.  On the one hand, I seem to be spinning my wheels, going over and over the same small bits of information, hoping to find something -- anything -- that I've missed.  On the other hand, I learned that Jane C Drake -- who married George Priestly -- went by the name of Jennie or Jen.  Which makes me believe that I should continue to go over and over information, beat the proverbial dead horse if you will.

And John Stout Drake and Lucia Cahoon aren't my only relatives nor my only mysteries.  Perhaps tomorrow I'll try to figure out what is up with the four sided head stone for John Stout Drake.  I was right there at the Drake/Baker Cemetery in Hillsdale, Michigan and I can't believe I didn't record Mary M. Pease's side or Elinor's.  I should also do some research regarding the customs of headstones.  I think it might have been one of Mary M Pease's kids who went to the trouble to get the stone made.  That could explain the descrepency of dates.  But where do I go to find out who had the stone cut?  I would also like to find the death certificates of both John Stout Drake and Lucia Cahoon Drake.  And, I've practically given up on ever finding out what really happened to Allison Royce Drake. And how could there be no pictures?

Here's a picture of John Stout Drake's head stone:

All it says on John Stout Drake's side is his name, died June 29, 1994.

On Lucia Cahoon Drake's side it says:  "Lucia A."  To the best of my knowledge, her middle name started with an M.  Then it has her death date of Oct. 9, 1871 and then her age in years, months and days.  Then there is a line and under it:  "Johnie S.  Son of J.S and L.A. Drake.  Died Aug 31, 1871" and then his age in months and days.

From a few documents I've seen, Johnie S.  was really Johnie C -- the C standing for Cahoon.  Also, who spells Johnie like that?  I've never seen it spelled for a boy that way. Usually it's Johnny or for a girl Johnnie.  Also, the 1870 United States Federal Census has John Stout Drake married to an Elinor.  It's a conundrum.