In a quiet section of Masons Cemetery, a small grave marks the short life of Baby Adelade Norris. Born on May 12, 1901, she passed away the very next day. She was one of several children born to Walter and Garnet Norris, but tragically, she was not the only child they lost.
Beside her, in a single grave, rest three of her siblings:
đ️ Walter Lum Jr. (d. 1906, 2 months old)
đ️ Thelma (d. 1907, 3 years old)
đ️ Lucille (d. 1909, 1 year old)
At one time, round boulders marked these siblings’ resting
places, a simple but heartfelt tribute. Over the years, those markers
disappeared, but the memories of these children remain. PCA has a marker near
their graves to keep their memory alive.
The Norris family had deep roots in the area. Baby Adelade
and her siblings were the great-grandchildren of James MacKenzie Norris and
Jane Odom, who are buried next to the little ones. Through marriage, the family
was also connected to Columbus Gray, another familiar name in local history.
Losing one child was devastating, losing four is almost unimaginable. In the early 1900s, illnesses we can now prevent were often fatal for young children. Tuberculosis, typhoid, scarlet fever, and other diseases often took Lives of the young and old alike.
A full biography of the Norris family is in the works, and
we look forward to sharing more of their story soon. Until then, we remember
Baby Adelade, Lucille, Thelma, and Walter Lum Jr., four little lives, gone too
soon but never forgotten.
