As time goes by, we forget about those that helped shape the world as we know it. There has been a lot of people who were born and raised in Sweet Owen and went on to do great things and represent how wonderful it is to call Owen County home. The Wilson family from Clay Township made their mark in history but now few people have heard of them. One of my great loves is Genealogy so when I am out in the cemetery I often research families that I reset stones or photograph and that is how I learned the history of Jesse & James Wilson.
James Benjamin Wilson was born Feb 2, 1859 in Clay Township, Owen Co., IN to John Wesley & Piety Jane Maners Wilson. Below is James's Obituary:

Bloomington (Monroe County, Indiana) Daily Telephone, September 12, 1956
(Note: Article is accompanied by a photo.)

JUDGE J. B. WILSON DEAD AT 97; DEAN OF LOCAL LAWYERS

Judge James Benjamin Wilson, 97, dean of Monroe County attorneys and Judge Emeritus of the Monroe circuit court, died Tuesday night in the Gosport Nursing Home where he had been a patient since his retirement from active legal practice a year ago. His residence, one of the city's landmarks, is at 410 N. Walnut St.

Judge Wilson was the oldest member of the Monroe County Bar Association and the 
oldest living graduate of Indiana University, having earned his law degree in 1892.

His career was a colorful one. He was known as the most celebrated judge of his time in the county since his birthday was on February 22, George Washington's 
birthday, a national holiday. For the past 20 years members of the local bar had celebrated his anniversary with a party, until this year, in the county courthouse. On his anniversary last February, the party was held in the Gosport Nursing Home. 

Twice during his career his name was wide spread. Once when he was candidate for U. S. Senator from Indiana on the "Teddy" Roosevelt ticket in 1914, and during an unsolved murder case at Bedford in 1905 and 1906 when a 
story hit the newspaper front pages over the entire country after the accused murderer was found not guilty from the "bench" of Judge Wilson.

Characterized by his erect stature, his cane and his hearing aid in later years, Judge Wilson was seen daily strolling the downtown streets of Bloomington as he 
was accustomed to saying, "Keeping up with the times."

He had practiced law in Bloomington for 65 years and served two terms in the old 
Lawrence-Monroe circuit court from 1902 to 1914. He had been Monroe County and Bloomington City Attorney.

For 35 years he was a member of the Speakers bureau of the Republican Committee.

His eloquence was a mark of his success and popularity as an attorney. Each year at his birthday celebration, his philosophies of life were noted.

At his 90th year party he said "I have no dread of passing years for old age has its joys the same as youth has its pleasure."

In 1952, the Indiana Odd Fellows Lodge had honored him in services at his home chapter at Worthington, for his 65 years as a member.

Born in 1859 at a farm home five miles from Spencer in Owen County, Judge Wilson was graduated from Spencer High School and taught school at 17, obtaining his law degree at Indiana University in 1892, at which time he opened a law office here. He formed a partnership with the late Joseph E. Henley in 1896. In later years he opened a partnership law office with his son, Fred, who died in 1940.

Mr. Wilson was next to oldest in a family of 10 children of the late John Wesley and Piety Jane (Maners) Wilson of Owen County. He was married to Ona Stephenson who died in 1910, and then in 1912 to Maude E. Showers.

At Indiana University he was a member of Phi Gamma Delta, social fraternity, and Phi Delta Phi, legal fraternity.

Mr. Wilson taught a Sunday School class at the First Methodist Church here for 17 years. Earlier he had served on the school board at Spencer.

Besides his long Odd Fellows affiliation, he was a member of the Knights of Pythias Lodge and Borrowed time Club.

Survivors, besides his son, Ben Wilson, N. Walnut St., are a stepdaughter, Mrs. 
Burl Holland, N. Washington St., two sisters, Mrs. Emma Chadwick and Mrs. Effie 
Hampton, both of Danville; a brother, W. Herschel Wilson of Chicago; four grandsons, Dr. Fred M. Wilson, Indianapolis; Dr. Ben J. Wilson, Dallas, Texas, 
Dr. John W. Wilson, Johnstown, Pa., and James B. Wilson II of Huntingtonden (sic), Pa.; one granddaughter, Mrs. Nancy Dasey, Miami, Fla.; a step-grandson, Dr. Charles Holland Fowler, and 13 great grandchildren.

Memorial services for Judge Wilson will be conducted at 1 PM Thursday at the Day Funeral Home Chapel, Rev. Merrill B. McFall will officiate and burial will be at 
Rose Hill Cemetery.

Active pallbearers will be Horace Karsell, David Rogers,Sylvan Tackitt, Nat U. Hill, Len Bunger and Lloyd Griffin.

Honorary pallbearers will be Herman B Wells, George Henley, Frank Regester, Donald Rogers, Q. Austin East, Eugene H. Johnston, George A. Chandler, James 
Regester, Charles Waldron, James H. Ferguson, K. Edwin Applegate, Leroy Baker, R. I. Black, James Cotner, George Gregory, George E. Huntington, Sr., James 
Kent, Robert McCrea, Norman Neely, Sam F. Sirois, William Henry Snyder, George M. Tomey, Richard L. Wilder, Harrell E. Young, Frank Beck, Dean Wampler and Arthur Rariden.

The body remains at the Day Funeral Home where friends may call.


The information below on Jesse E Wilson was taken from the Indiana County History Preservation Society

Jesse E. Wilson. This well-known attorney at law of Rensselaer, Indiana, like many of our prominent public men, began life on a farm and worked his way up from teaching a country school to the study of law, and from the bar to a prominent place before the public. He first saw the light of day in Clay Township, Owen County, October 4, 1867, and is a son of John W. and P. J. (Maners) Wilson. His father was a native of North Carolina, but moved to Owen County, this state, when about eight years of age. Here he became a prosperous farmer and married Miss P. J. Maners, whose father was a native of Tennessee. She is still living. John Wilson, the grandfather of our subject, came to Indiana in 1833, and was one of the pioneers of the state. He was formerly a slave owner, but, realizing the injustice of such bondage, he lived up to his convictions and set his slaves at liberty.

Jesse E. Wilson was the sixth child in a family of eleven children. They grew up to be a credit to their early teaching, and are now useful and honored citizens of Indiana, as follows: John F. is a farmer of Spencer, Indiana; James B. is an attorney at Bloomington, Indiana; Frank A. is Postmaster at Stinesville, Indiana; Charles E. is a traveling man from Indianapolis; Jesse E. is the subject of this sketch; Emma is the wife of B.B. DeMarcus, of Danville, Indiana; William H. is a traveling salesman of Indianapolis; Mack D. is a druggist at Spencer; and Effie resides in Danville. The other two children are dead and buried in the family lot in a cemetery near their old homestead, where also is the resting-place of their father.

The childhood and early youth of Mr. Wilson was spent on the farm in Owen County, where he attended the common schools. Later he entered the High School at Spencer, and after that engaged in teaching school for a period of four years. He then became a clerk in a dry goods store, remaining until he had secured sufficient means to defray his expenses through the State University at Bloomington, Indiana, from which he graduated in June 1895. He came to Rensselaer the 20th of the following month, and formed his present partnership with Mr. Ferguson. They are engaged in general practice, and have built up a clientele that bears favorable comparison with the old-established firms of the city. He appears to be particularly adapted to the legal profession and promises to occupy a high place in the legal fraternity. He belongs to the Uniform Rank of the Knights of Pythias, and is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons.

Mr. Wilson has been reared in the pure atmosphere of Christianity, his people being worthy members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, with which he affiliates, although his name is not on the roll of membership. He is a young man of pleasing address and far more than ordinary ability, and his worth as a public speaker was soon recognized and taken advantage of by the Republican Party, in which he is an active and intelligent worker. He has gained an extended reputation as a stump speaker, having been called upon by the Central Committee to make political speeches in different parts of Indiana. He has a large fund of information and has entire confidence in the position he takes, giving unanswerable reasons for his views, and thus bringing his audience into sympathy with himself and his subject.

Article below is taken from the book Courts and Lawyers of Indiana, Volume 3

One thing about doing genealogy, you never know what you will dig up. I have been working on verifying burials at Asher Cemetery north of Gosport in Owen County and it led me to another story. Edward Winfred Truax was born August 20, 1875 to Edward Combs & Mary Asher Truax. In 1896, Edward W married Cora Shields. Cora passed away in 1932 and Edward remarried August 27, 1934 to Gladys Hensley McCarty. Gladys was formally married to William C McCarty. On February 12, 1935, Edward was murdered and the below is a copy of newspaper articles from the Owen County Democrat & Hammond Times reposted by Debbie Jennings on sweetowen.net:

HOUSEWIFE FREED BY VERDICT

Hammond Times; 23 July 1935

Spencer, Ind., July 23-- (I.N.S.) -- Mrs. GLADYS TRAUX, housewife, charged with the second degree murder of her husband, EDWARD TRAUX, was freed here by a direct verdict order by Circuit Court Judge Donald A. Rogers. The prosecution had charged that Mrs. Traux shot her husband in order to collect insurance policy benefits. Judge Rogers granted a motion of S, C. Kivett, of Martinsville, defense attorney, for a directed verdict, stating that the state had not presented a case. The judge ordered the prisoner released immediately. Mrs. Traux thanked the jury and the judge. Evidence produced during the trial had been only circumstantial, Attorney Kivett contended. Traux was found shot and allegedly beaten to death at his farm home north of Gosport on the afternoon of Feb. 12.


COURT FREES GLADYS TRUAX OF SECOND DEGREE MURDER CHARGE Owen County Democrat July 25, 1935 Instructed Jury to find for Defendant at Close of Presentation of Evidence by State Motion Filed by S.C. Kivett, Defense Attorney, Shortly After Noon Monday. Trial of Mrs. Gladys Truax, 51, charged with second degree murder in connection with the fatal shooting of her husband, Edward Truax, 59, at their home north of Gosport on February 12, 1935 was brought to a sudden and dramatic close in Owen circuit court Monday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock when Judge Donald A. Rogers halted proceedings and instructed the jury to return a verdict of acquittal for the defendant. Judge Rogers gave his instructions to the jury after granting motions of S.C. Kivett, defense attorney, that the case be dismissed on the grounds of insufficient evidence to convict. Kivett prepared and presented his motion shortly after noon at the close of the State's presentation of a long list of witnesses that had filed in and out of the witness box for more then ten days and at 2:30 Judge Rogers called the jury before him. In instructing the jury, Judge Rogers made John Loy, foreman and told him that it was his duty to sign the acquittal verdict prepared regardless of his belief concerning the guilt or innocence of the defendant. Acquittal of Mrs. Truax of the charge on which she was being tried did not come as a surprise to those who followed the case closely. After the first few State witnesses had testified with nothing of great importance being disclosed, the belief gradually grew that the defendant would be found not guilty. That the case was brought to an abrupt end with close of evidence presented by State witnesses however, came more or less unexpectedly to many. Submitted by Debbie Jennings on the sweetowen.net site.

After the trial, Gladys took back her former married name and passed away in 1950 and is buried in the Hudson Hill Cemetery. 

How often are we in the cemetery and come across something on a headstone that makes us scratch our head? Well it happens a lot to me. So was the case when I came across the marker of Glenn Holsapple. I guess after looking at so many military stones, you come to know what most of the abbreviations stand for but this one threw me for a loop. After finding Glenn's headstone in Riverside Cemetery on Tuesday  I thought with all those abbreviations that Glenn must of had a very high position in the military. So I get home and look up his application for the marker and here is what I found. Glenn enlisted March 26, 1917 and was discharged May 16, 1917. He was a Musician 3rd Class, Company D 2nd Indiana Infantry. Now after that it says NG and the best I can come up with is National Guard? With Memorial Day right around the corner, take a few extra seconds when your in the cemetery and make sure markers for those that served are clean and free of grass and dirt. GOD Bless our military

While working in River Hill Cemetery on Monday I came across Harry Riley Skinner. Harry's headstone was in the far north west corner and had fallen over. After I got the stone reset and cleaned I wondered what happened to Harry and where his family was. So today I went to the library and found his obituary.

Harry R Skinner, the little son of Theodore & Edith Skinner, was born August 5, 1907, died February 6, 1908, being 6 month and 1 day old. His death being caused by measles.


Theodore Skinner (1880-1952) & Edith A Cannon Skinner (1884-1966) were married January 14, 1905. They had 5 children: William Herschel 1906, Harry 1907, Marshall 1909, Genevive 1911, & Maxine 1913. Harry doesnt have any family in River Hill with him but they pick a great spot just up the hill from White River for him to rest. RIP Harry

Since my mother had to work Sunday morning, I decided I would go to River Hill Cemetery and work on some headstones. I came upon the grave of Margaret A Moore and it became one of my projects for the day. Now I don't know if Margaret was a mother but I do know she had a mother and her mother wouldn't have liked the condition of her stone. The base of the stone was split in two and had sunk in the ground causing it to fall over. Me and my trusty shovel went to work and began the task of leveling up the base. After the bottom part of the split base was set I pieced the two base pieces back together. Next I cleaned the mud off the other two pieces and got them set. Then I found the top buried in the dirt so I unearth it and placed it on top. Lastly I cleaned the face of the stone. Now this didn't take me more than 30 mins and the use of a few back muscles that will remind me tomorrow that i'm not 20 years old anymore. So in honor of my mother, Margaret A Moore's mother, and all mothers out there, one more stone is back in place like it should be. Happy Mothers Day!

Some people just accept what they see or hear and leave it at that but i'm not one of those people. A cemetery is full of unknowns and mysteries mostly do to  time that has passed. When I am in a cemetery I always seem to come across a headstone that make me question when, how, where, etc. Last week I stopped by Samaria Cemetery in Morgan Co and was surprised that the older part of the cemetery was allowed to fall into very poor condition. I guess I expect an active congregation to maintain beyond just mowing but sadly that isn't always the case. Anyway back to my original thought, I went to Asher Cemetery north of Gosport today. I had been there before and it left me with a lot of questions so I made a return trip to try to figure it out. There are 40 graves listed there and only 10 stones standing. Now 27 of the 40 graves listed are Asher descendants but not one of the 10 stones standing belong to a Asher. Now its very possible that some of the graves were left unmarked or the stone that marked it has deteriorated away but ALL 27?? So I figured that there has to be some stones there and they just need found. Well after giving it a good hard look today I have a sinking feeling that they have been taken. There is a couple rocks that may have been placed there for markers. Tracy Wilson suggested that maybe they was moved due to the road or other reasons. This led me to Samaria Cemetery which is a couple miles away and there is 40 Ashers there. I cross referenced the names and I didn't find any duplicates, same for Little Mount South Cemetery. Most the Ashers in both those cemeteries have nice stones so I don't think that all 27 Ashers buried in Asher Cemetery were too poor to afford a headstone. So where did they go? There is a sink hole to the north of the cemetery and I looked it over good and didn't see any.  So the question remains and I know the mystery will keep me chasing the unknown. Any suggestions?

Several years ago I had to go to Memphis, TN for business. In an area close to Graceland, I passed a cemetery and was shocked. The appearance was painful to see and really showed a huge lack of maintenance and care. I remember saying to myself how I was happy our cemeteries in Indiana didn't look like this. In 2012 I became a volunteer for findagrave.com and started traveling to the cemeteries around my home in Owen County. That is when I got a rude awakening to how bad the situation was here. I started studying cemetery preservation and spent a lot of time learning proper techniques. On findagrave.com forum I noticed that most of the people who had been doing this for awhile was very adamant about never touching a headstone unless it belonged to a member of your family. So early in my volunteer work I would photograph and record headstone information and leave the stone the way I found it. That didn't set well with me to see a stone in deteriorating condition due to lack of care and to walk away from it and not make a difference. One day I was in Old Riverside Cemetery photographing and recording information when I came across what appeared to be a small stone. Upon closer examination, I realized that what I was seeing was the back of the base on the bottom of a headstone. I start to scratch the soil away and to my surprise I realize there is a very large headstone there. That was the moment that I remembered everything I had read about never touching a stone if it wasn't in your family. I decided right then and there that all of mankind was family and it wasn't right to continue to walk away from these headstones that was in need of attention. So I start to dig with my fingers keeping in mind that the stone may be very fragile, I stand the stone back up. Wiping the dirt away with my hands I start to make out a name and date, Mary I Anderson - Died July 4, 1863. I secured the stone and I went home to get some water and a nylon brush. I came back and cleaned the stone and the beauty of its carving came to light. Next week I bought some concrete and secured the base. I don't know how long Mary's stone had laid face down but there was at least 2" of soil over the top of it when I found it. That was the beginning of me working on all of Old Riverside Cemetery and being able to record 71 stones that hadn't been recorded before. Many of those were on or under the ground and had to be reset. So the next time your in the cemetery and you see something wrong, from a flower arrangement knocked over to a stone broken into pieces, remember that someone has to take the time to care to make it right.

In the last month the Tivoli Theatre in Spencer, Indiana was renovated and reopened after almost facing the wrecking ball several years ago. The Tivoli Theatre was built for a man named Ernest Moore Viquesney and opened in 1928. E.M. Viquesney was a local sculptor who is best known for his World War 1 statues like "The Spirit of the American Doughboy". With all the excitement with the Grand Opening Gala planned for the Tivoli, Im reminded of the statue that stands on E.M. Viquesney's grave. I visited the grave this past winter after an article in the newspaper about his former home being demolished to make way for a new commercial building. Ernest Moore Viquesney was born Aug 5, 1876 in Spencer, Indiana and passed away in Spencer, Indiana on Oct 4, 1946 from suicide. The statue on his grave is called "The Unveiling" and was created in 1934 as a memorial to his first wife Cora. With the reopening of his Tivoli, E.M. Viquesney is Unveiling himself to an entire new generation of fans.

As I visit different cemeteries, I mostly see a lot of names and dates. Some stone contain words of wisdom or bible versus. A lot of times you don't even know it says anything below the names and dates until you clean the stone. As I was working in Old Riverside Cemetery in Spencer, Indiana, I came across a stone for a William Pugh. The stone had sunken in the ground to where you couldn't read the date of death so I pulled the stone and cleaned and reset it. After I cleaned it I read the bottom of the stone and the words have stuck with me ever since. It says:

Remember man as you pass by
As you are now so once was I
As I am now so you must be
Prepare for death and follow me


Now I don't know where the words originated but I read where it's believed that the orign is from the tomb of Edward the Black Prince (1330-1376). When I read the words at the bottom of the stones it felt like the deceased was speaking to me directly and no doubt there is a lot of truth in these words. So next time you are in the cemetery and rushing around recording or cleaning stones, remember the words that William Pugh left for us to read and remember that these are not just decorative rocks but people that was just like us and we will someday be like them. 

In early April 2013, I was working on improving the conditions of Old Riverside Cemetery in Spencer, Indiana. I started working on this project in February which included cleaning, resetting, repairing, photographing & mapping the entire cemetery. One saturday morning I was set to clean and reset the stone of Salome Price. The stone had been laying on the ground for many years and the lawn mowers had helped it sink to the point that the grass was beginning to grow over it. So I got all the soil loose around the stone and lifted it up and upon looking at the backside, that had laid in the dirt for many years, I discovered names and dates. I found the broken piece and unearthed it, brushed off the dirt, and put the puzzle together to read:

Sarah B Price - Dau of E.B. & S.J. Price - Born Oct 21, 1871 - Died Apr 9, 1875

Well I knew right then that I had to make sure the stone was reset for the right person that was laid to rest there. So I wrote down all the information and when I got home that evening, I began researching the names. It just so happens that my friend and fellow Find-A-Grave Volunteer, Paula "Whispers from the Graves" Jackson had made the recording for Salome on Find-A-Grave so I contacted her and told her of my findings. Paula said to email her my photos and she would see what she could find out. A couple days later Paula emails me with wonderful news! Paula had been researching and came across a newspaper article for Sarah B Price. What we believe happened was that when Salome passed in 1857, she was laid to rest in Barnes Cemetery, just a couple miles south of Old Riverside

When Salome's husband Daniel passed in 1868, he was laid to rest next to her and a new stone was put in place so that both of thier names was together. Not sure where the old stone was stored but when lil Sarah B Price, granddaughter to Salome & Daniel, passed in 1871, the family used the backside of her grandmothers old stone. When the stone fell over, it landed with Salome's name up and so was recorded as Salome being buried there instead of Sarah. Now that the mystery was solved I preceded to clean, repair, & reset the stone. On a side note, Sarah's maternal grandparents had lived in Pennsyvania all their lives and when her maternal grandfather passed away, her maternal grandmother Elizabeth Boadwee moved here and when she passed away, was laid to rest beside Sarah. So Sarah has her paternal grandmother's old headstone and she lays to rest beside her maternal grandmother. Big Thanks to my friend Paula Jackson for helping me make things right for Lil Sarah B Price.