03 April 2012

Tombstone Tuesday--My Barto's and Fords

In Alton Cemetery, Vergennes Township, Kent County, Michigan several of my ancestors are buried. Somewhere here, I am convinced, is my connection to cousin Jerry. (AKA President Gerald Ford.) Many Fords are buried here, and this area is where all my Fords came from. Both my Cross line and my Allen line have Ford members and I cling to the memory of Grandma Allen saying that as a child Gerald Ford and his adopted family came to Ford Family reunions.
Anyway, Frances Clark Barto shares her stone with her husband Barlo. (I love his name: Barlo Barto.)
Their stone is on a grassy slope of the rolling cemetery. I apparently got there when the light was good. The last time I was there, with my aunts and dad, my one aunt noticed that the letters were much faded from the last time she was there.
Both Barlo and Fanny have the clasped hands symbol on the top of their side of the stone.
Their daughter Edna married Warren Ford and were the parents of my Great-grandma Carrie, the oldest relative I can remember. I have great stories about her that some of my cousins remember. I just remember her scooting around in her padded cushioned kitchen style chair on castors that served as her wheelchair.
I noticed that Warren's side of the stone is blank. Edna died at age 59 in 1898. Since Warren remarried in 1900 I am guessing that perhaps that when he died in Muskegon, about 50 miles or so from here, he may have been buried there, or at least some where his second wife chose, since she survived him.
I need to fill in this research blank left by my aunt and cousin who did most of the research on this side of the family.
Something to do while waiting for Michigan 1940 census to be loaded?

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