Lot No. 40, in the extreme southeast corner of Salem Cemetery, is shown on the 1930s plat divided into halves, the north owned by J.W. Hickerson and the south, by S. Hawk with the notation after Hawk's name, "no deed."
J.W. Hickerson's wife, Elisabeth C., who died in 1899 just short of her 60th birthday, is buried at the north end of the lot, but the three graves south of hers are those of three members of the Roberts family, Noah, Betty and their son, Donald. So it would appear that J.S. Hickerson, having moved on perhaps, passed the majority of his plot on to the Roberts. According to the Lucas County Genealogical Society's 1981 "Lucas County, Iowa, Cemetery Records," Elisabeth is the only Hickerson buried in the county.
There are no marked graves, or indications of graves, in the south half of the lot, but it seems likely that there is at least one grave there.
The only hint offered by Lucas County records is a death register entry for "Unnamed Hawk," a 3-day-old male who died 20 January 1904 in Benton Township and was buried in Salem Cemetery. Unfortunately, the names of the infant's parents are not given. But it is possible that infant is buried here.
Lucas County newspapers include three reports, one under the "Salem News" header, involving the family of an S.A. Hawk. One involves a barn fire and the other two, dating from the fall of 1909 and the spring of 1910, the family's plans to move from Benton Township to Wyoming.
The 1910 census of Laramie County, Wyoming, taken during late April, enumerates the family of Stephen A. Hawk, 49, and wife, Magdalena, 44, as homesteaders near Pine Bluffs, east of Cheyenne at the Wyoming/Nebraska border. They had been married 12 years, so this probably was a second marriage for both. Included in the household were three children, daughters Nellie J. and (illegible), ages 21 and 19 respectively, and a son, Harley, 16. All members of the Hawk family gave their birthplaces as Iowa. It is tempting to conclude this was the Benton County S.A. Hawk family gone west. I have not found this family in the 1900 census.
There is no obvious reason why Elisabeth Hickerson is buried in Salem Cemetery, unless there is a connection here to another family that I've missed. So even the presence of her grave is a minor mystery.
Brief and uninformative notices of her death in late summer, 1899, were published in the Chariton newspapers, including the following from The Democrat of 1 September:
"Mrs. Jack Hickerson died at her home in this city on Saturday afternoon, August 26, after an extended illness with dropsy. Funeral services conducted by Rev. Geo. Brown were held at the Baptist church Sunday afternoon at two o'clock after which the remains were interred in the Salem cemetery."
Elisabeth's husband, John W. "Jack" Hickerson, was a coal miner and far from affluent, so it is a tribute to his affection for her that she has quite a nice stone that remains upright with a legible inscription:
WIFE
OF
J. W. HICKERSON
Sep. 18, 1839
Aug. 26, 1899
Blessed are the pure in heart
for they shall see God
Lucas County marriage records show that John W. Hickerson and Elizabeth (sic) C. Ross, no ages given, were married 2 January 1881. Elisabeth would have been 41 at the time and Jack, 32 (his birth date is given as October 1848 in the 1900 census of Chariton).
The 1880 census of Lincoln Township enumerates Elizabeth (sic) C. Ross, single, age 40, living with her parents, Joseph and Martha A. Ross, ages 70 and 66 respectively, and brothers Isaac M., 32, and B. Franklin, 29. Joseph and Isaac were laborers; B. Franklin, a farmer.
Jack was living in a rental room in Chariton when the 1900 census was taken, and there are reports in the Chariton newspapers of serious injuries he sustained in the mines in both 1901 and 1902. The accident in February of 1902 seriously injured a leg and he was taken to the county home to recuperate.
On 23 July 1904, Jack, then 55, married Rachel E. Coffelt, 20, at Chariton --- a marriage that does not seem to have been made in heaven. By 1909 Rachel had deserted him and he divorced her in March of that year.
Thereafter, no records of any sort are found in Lucas County concerning him.
Elisabeth's father, Joseph Ross, died on 10 March 1887 at the Lucas County poor farm and was "buried by his children," but no marked graves exist in Lucas County for either Joseph or Martha A., nor were their passings noted in Chariton newspapers.
Donald B. Roberts, son of Noah and Betty, occupies the grave immediately south of Elisabeth Hickerson's. He was struck by a Burlington Zephyr passenger train while walking home to Benton Township from Chariton along railroad tracks during December of 1936. There is no surname on Donald's stone, only "Their Son" in reference to Noah and Betty.
THEIR SON
1909-1936
The following report of Donald's death was published on Page 1 of The Chariton Leader on 8 December 1936:
Services for Roberts will be Wednesday
Lucas County Farmer, 27, Run Over by Crack Flyer Early Sunday
Make Transfusions
Younger Brother Gives His Blood in Effort to Save Roberts' Life
Donald Roberts, 27, Lucas county farmer, died Monday afternoon at Yocom hospital from injuries suffered when he was struck by the Burlington railroad's Zephyr train.
Two blood transfusions were made in an attempt to save Roberts' life.
The accident occurred near 4 a.m. Sunday about 100 yards south of the Braden Ave. railroad crossing. Roberts' left leg was cut off by the train. His right leg was fractured and his right hand was bruised and cut.There wereinternal injuries, Dr. A. L. Yocom said, and Roberts also suffered from exposure.
Members of the Zephyr crew notified Sheriff Miles Mason that the train had run over a man. The sheriff applied a tourniquet to the severed leg and Roberts was taken to the hospital.
A brother, John Roberts, gave blood for the transfusions.
There were no witnesses at the scene of the accident other than members of the train crew. They were quoted as reporting that Roberts had fallen and was lying beside the track with one leg over the rail.
He is believed to have been on the way to his home about three miles southeast of Chariton.
Surviving Roberts are his mother, Mrs. Noah Roberts, two brothers and a sister.
Funeral services will be Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. at Salem church.
Funeral services for Donald B. Roberts, who died Monday afternoon from injuries received when he was struck early Sunday morning by a Burlington Zephyr train, were held Wednesday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock at the Salem church, conducted by Rev. W. A. Purdy, of the Chariton Christian church, and burial was in the Salem cemetery.
Donald Bruce Roberts, son of Noah J. and Betty F. Roberts, was born in Chariton, Iowa, on July 5, 1909, and died on December 7, 1936. He grew to young manhood in Chariton. He graduated from the grammar school and attended the Chariton high school two years. He was well known in this vicinity and a large circle of friends deplore his tragic death.
Surviving him are his mother, Mrs. Betty F. Roberts, of near Chariton; two brothers, William J. Roberts, of Joliet, Ill.; and John L. Roberts, of Chariton; one sister, Mrs Bessie Coop, of Mabton, Wash.; a grandmother, Mrs. Julia Wells, of Chariton; and seven nieces and nephews. His father preceded him in death several years ago. (Chariton Herald-Patriot, 10 December 1936)
The graves of Betty and Noah Roberts are located immediately south of Donald's grave, marked by a large granite stone with two inscriptions, as follows:
BETTY F.
1875-1963
NOAH J.
1864-1932
Obituaries for Noah and Betty are as follows. Note that there are significant differences between the first and second of Noah's obituaries.
Resident of Chariton for Fifty Years Died at Home Thursday, Aged 67 years
The Chariton Leader, Tuesday, 26 January 1932
Funeral services for Noah J. Roberts, for fifty years a resident of Chariton, were held from the Salem church at 2 o'clock Sunday afternoon, conducted by Rev. Harry Secor, pastor of the Baptist church in Chariton. Burial was in the Salem cemetery. Mr. Roberts died at his home here last Thursday. He was 67 years of age.
He was born in Johnson county, Tennessee, August 24, 1864. With his parents he came to Chariton in 1881 and has lived here since that time, with the exception of one year spent in Douglas county, Missouri.
Mr. Roberts is survived by his wife, three sons, William J. of Joliet, Ill., John L., and Donald B., both of Chariton, and one daughter, Bessie F. Coop of this city.
The Chariton Herald Patriot, Thursday, 28 January 1932
Noah Joseph Roberts, son of Alfred and Sarah Roberts, was born August 24, 1864, in Johnson county, Tennessee, and died January 21, 1932, at his home near Chariton, at the age of 67 years, 4 months and 28 days.
At the age of 13 years he moved with his parents to Ablingdon, Washington county, Virginia. There he grew to manhood and on May 6, 1894, was married to Betty F. Wells.
Four years later they moved to Chariton, Iowa. Mr. Roberts has resided here ever since, with the exception of one year, 1905 to 1906, when they resided in Douglas county, Missouri. To this union were born five children, Bessie F. Coop, of Chariton; William J., of Joliet, Ill.; Johnnie L. and Donald B., both of Chariton; and Noah Frederick, who died in infancy.
Besides the widow and four children, Mr. Roberts is survived by four grandchildren, Pearl, William and Betty Ann Coop, of Chariton; and Kenneth Scott, of Joliet; two brothers, Tommy, of Chariton,and Briton, of Woodburn, and one sister, Mrs. Polly Caldwell, of Chariton.
Mr. Roberts was a member of Cherry First Baptist church of Ablingdon, Virginia, which he joined as a young man.
A funeral service, conducted by Rev. Harry Secor, minister of the First Baptist church, of Chariton, was held at the Salem church, on Sunday, January 24, at two o'clock, with interment in the Salem cemetery.
Undated clipping, Lucas County Genealogical Society collection
Betty F. Roberts, daughter of John W. and Julie V. Wells, was born in Abington, Va., Dec. 3, 1875, and departed this life March 1, 1963, at the Dice Nursing Home at the age of 87 years, two months and 27 days.
In 1894 she was married to Noah J. Roberts and moved to Iowa in 1898. To this union five children were born: Bessie Roberts, William J., Johnnie Lee, Donald Bruce and Noah Frederic.
In 1892 she joined the First Baptist church of Abington, and on coming to Iowa joined the First Baptist Church of Chariton. Although she did not attend church regularly she read her Bible daily, until her eyesight failed, but she still kept her faith in the Lord.
She leaves to mourn her passing her daughter Bessie of Willmina, Ore., son Johnnie of Chariton, daughter-in-law Frances of Lockport, Ill., sister Emiline Mickles of Abington, Va., and Savanah Ryan of Murray, a brother, Robert Wells, of Leon; 14 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, three sons and five sisters. She was a loving mother and will be greatly missed by all.
Services were held Sunday, March 3, 1963, a 1:30 p.m. at the Downs Funeral Home, with the Rev. John Bauserman officiating. Interment was in the Salem cemetery.
3 comments:
Noah & Betty are my great grandparents! Johnnie Roberts is my grandfather! Terry Lynn Roberts is my father! All laid to rest here at Salem cemetery! Paula is my mom!
Twila is my grandma!
Are there any plots available any where at Salem cemetery for me to buy for myself? I love the location and peacefulness there & whoever is keeping it up = it always looks beautiful!
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