The Story Behind The Stone

Since the article in the paper, I have spoken with several wonderful and supportive people and I have a list of some that I still need to call back. One of the greatest reward of doing this type of work is when you get to see the family and hear the stories behind the headstone. The other night a gentleman named Mr. Fogle called me and told me that his grandfathers Civil War headstone was crooked and needed cleaned. We made plans to meet on Friday in a cemetery about 40 mins from my home. After seeing the stone I knew it was gonna be a simple reset and clean and got my tools out to start the work. While I worked, Mr Fogle told me the story of his grandfather and how he had traveled to Pennsylvania to the Fort where his grandfather fought so he could stand in the same place his grandfather was over 150 years ago. He spoke of his father and how he never had a stone until about 10 years ago when his wife and himself purchased him one. How his brother Jacob quit school at the age of 13 to support his mother and himself after his father died, and his headstone was just a few rows over. He spoke of the struggle his sister had and how her stone was on top of the hill. Then finally he pointed to his own headstone that he designed and told of how him and his wife were both battling cancer and that he was the last of his siblings. While listening to this amazing story, I finished my work on the stone. I asked Mr Fogle if he knew where the Boone-Hutchison Cemetery was in the area because it was one with a lot of Squire Boones family was buried in and a smile came across his face and he said "Park your car and I'll take you there!". So off Cemetery hopping we went and in the short 45 minutes I spent with Mr Fogle I got to hear the legacy of  Corpl Jacob Fogle and I made a new friend and it all started with a crooked headstone that needed cleaned. Thanks Joe!