I recently visited the Raritan, Illinois, Cemetery. Simon Van Arsdale (1830-1921) and his wife, Anne Elizabeth Wortman (1832-1907) were both born in New Jersey and were apparently among those who helped settle Raritan, Illinois, where they are also buried. The cemetery sits on the top of a hill on the south of town that overlooks Honey Creek, which runs between town and the cemetery. While there, I took photos of many headstones, including all of the Simonsons, Groomes, Grooms, Neviuses, and Van Arsdales that I could find, plus many more that I thought were interesting or might be somehow related. Here are some of the photos, and perhaps I will add more later:
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| Nellie Simonson (-Aug. 27, 1863), daughter of S.V.A. and Annie E. Simonson |
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| Simonson Van Arsdale Simonson (Feb 9, 1830-Oct. 31, 1921) |
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| Susie Simonson (1897-1997) |
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| Peter W. Simonson (1857-1934), Susan Dorris Simonson (1853-1952) |
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| Percy Simonson (1885-1965) |
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| Ray Simonson, Feb. 6, 1941 |
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| Robert D. Simonson (1893-1974), Clora M. Simonson (1899-1959) |
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| Elmer Simonson (May 2, 1887-May 12, 1973), Edna B. Simonson (July 31, 1891-Feb. 19, 1965) |
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| Bessie G. Simonson (1900-1993), Simon V. Simonson (1892-1962) |
Groomes/Grooms
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| I am assuming Annie died young and was the sister of Mary C. Groome (1857-1901; wife of Dennis Nevius Simonson [1855-1930]). I could not make out all of the writing. |
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| Cora E. Groom (May 6, 1876-May 29, 1883), Joseph Avery Groom (1878-Apr. 16, 1883) |
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| Cora May Groom (May 26, 1869-Oct. 26, 1871), Henry V. D. Groom (Oct. 2, 1871-Aug. 23, 1874) |
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| Nathaniel G. Groom (Aug. 30, 1840-April 18, 1902), Annie S. Groom (June 3, 1829-) |
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| Does anyone know to whom this marker corresponds? |
The Ray Simonson mystery is solved. He was a still born child of Robert (Bob) and Clora (Hardesty) Simonson. There is another prematurely born child in the grave as well (Thomas Struble). He was the son of Helen (Simonson) Struble. Helen was Bob and Clora's oldest child. This info came from Ruby Simonson McKelvey, Bob and Clora's youngest. Ruby is 80 yrs. old and she, my Uncle Charles and Betty Brook (daughter of Maud Simonson Brook) are the last of their generation.
ReplyDeleteThe grave of Nellie Simonson (SVA and Anne Wortman Simonson) is a sad story as she drowned in the Mississippi River while the family was on a church picnic.
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