Every once in a while something intrudes in our lives that we cannot ignore... such is the case with me and Jennie Rutherford. Last summer I was taking pictures in Elmwood Cemetery and knelt by a headstone for a better shot of the chapel. When finished I noticed that the grave marker was for Jennie F. Rutherford, born October 6th, 1885 and died October 31st, 1896. Eleven years old. I have a daughter of my own, healthy thank God, but we who have children know what the pain would be to lose one so young. Jennie died of the croup the undertaker was D.W. Newcomer Sons she was buried November 1, 1896... these things we know. We don't know Jennie. Every 11 year old girl has dreams of her wedding, her future husband... maybe a prince, maybe the grocery clerk... a beautiful day, a church full of flowers. Jennie, I'm sure, had those dreams... and she probably teased her siblings, did her chores around the house and longed for the day when school would let out for the summer. She admired the pretty blue dress in the store window and looked forward to the time when she would hold the hand of her own daughter on her first day of school. Thoughts like that are easy to imagine... what isn't easy to handle is that this child, but for a marker, never existed. Jennie is not in a family plot... but by herself. She is unknown perhaps to the whole world. But no more... once I read the headstone I had met the child. From now on every October 6th I will blog about Jennie... hopefully I can find out more about her family between now and then... but, if not, at least she will be remembered. A child who once ran and laughed and played and cried will again live in our memory. And Jennie, a lot has changed since you passed in 1896... the words I type can be seen around the world in an instant. I have a blog follower in New Zealand .... far, far away... but now she knows about Jennie Rutherford.... so rest in peace little girl... you are not forgotten.
That's why I like to look at old photos. Most of them don't even have names but their photos are left for us to guess who they were.
ReplyDeleteI would dearly love to have a photo of Jennie... now that we've become acquainted.. sort of.. I have many family photos dating from the mid-1800s that I have no idea who they might be. That's a shame, really.
ReplyDeleteSuch a beautiful post and sentiment. I too often wonder about such things. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeletePerhaps her family was passing through. I cannot find any local census records for her. There is one in Canada that matches the general date but I cannot access it. Now I'M curious :-)
ReplyDeleteThere are no Missouri State records on line for her and the normally reliable familysearch.org of the Mormon Church also has no records. I intend in the next few days to visit the Jackson County Court house to get the actual death certificate... that should give me a wealth of information. The just passing through idea would account for her not being in a family plot.
ReplyDeleteIt does make one wonder about this little girl; it's interesting that she died on Halloween, too. Wonderful write-up, Hyp; thanks to you, Jennie has another breath of life.
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