Louise Gregory (1903-1903) - Infant

 

PCA Archives

Louise was the only child of Walter T. Gregory and his wife, Augusta Frances “Gussie” Russell.   She was born around July or August and died in Yuma on December 20, 1903, of “stomach and kidney trouble”.   Her parents brought her little casket to Phoenix for burial, because that had been Mrs. Gregory’s home and her parents were still living there.

By the time of Louise’s birth, her father Walter had already had a rather colorful life.  The son of a hotelier, he had been born in frontier Cheyenne, Wyoming, in 1873 and had grown up in California, Tombstone and Tempe, Arizona.   Walter was working as a newspaper reporter in Phoenix when the Spanish American War began, and he enlisted immediately in Company B, 1st U. S. Volunteer Cavalry, otherwise known as the “Rough Riders”. 

That short war had scarcely concluded when Gregory reenlisted in Company K, 4th U. S. Cavalry to serve in the Philippines.  Although generally in good health, he suffered recurrent bouts of malaria from his military service in the tropics.  Upon his discharge, he went to New York for a brief period but returned to Arizona when his father died in Tucson.

Thereafter, Walter moved back to Phoenix where he met and married Augusta Frances “Gussie” Russell.  In 1903, Walter’s former military commander, Alexander O. Brodie , by then territorial governor of Arizona, appointed Walter secretary of the territorial prison in Yuma.  It was there that little Louise was born and died.  Walter and Gussie divorced within the next few years.

Disillusioned with life out West, Walter moved back to New York, where he found work with his brother Will’s theatrical booking agency.  Unfortunately, he succumbed to pneumonia on April 16, 1909.  Because of his military service, he was interred in Arlington National Cemetery outside of Washington, D. C.

The parents of Walter’s ex-wife had by this time relocated to southern California, and she had joined them there.  Gussie, or Frances as she was now calling herself, met and married Edmund J. Mulvihill, Jr., a railroad telegrapher.  However, she died still relatively young in Los Angeles on May 31, 1927.

 - by Donna L. Carr

 

The Lost Children of the Norris Family - Masons Cemetery

"Days Events" Arizona Republic, May 1901

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:

🕊️ Walter Lum Jr. (d. 1906, 2 months old)

🕊️ Thelma (d. 1907, 3 years old)

🕊️ 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.

Hayden Burial Map Late 1930s 

Lot 1 of Block 24 in Masons Cemetery

PCA Marker for Norris Children

PCA Archives

 

"Our Baby" - The Transformation of a Small Grave Marker

PCA Archives

Half Buried, Now Fully Remembered – While doing preservation this month, we brought back to life a small grave marker half buried in the dirt, the words “Our Baby” inscribed on the top. A heartbreaking yet beautiful reminder of love and loss from long ago.💓

Time, weather, and the shifting environment partially hid this precious marker, but our preservationists restored it, honoring the memory of this little one and ensuring they are never forgotten.

Stay tuned for the results!

 

 

Forgotten Grave of a Little One - The Shadow Archives

Bing AI/Val Wilson Prompt

As I delve into various histories and family stories, I often uncover articles, photographs, and fragments of history that are both unusual and forgotten. During my research on a pioneer in Rosedale Cemetery, I stumbled upon a hidden tale in Porter Cemetery. An old newspaper article revealed the existence of an unknown infant buried there. According to the article, the infant, a child of Mr. and Mrs. White, passed away in January of 1899 from a mysterious illness. Further investigation by Patty revealed that Mr. and Mrs. Fred White were the brother-in-law and sister of James McNeil, a merchant in Tempe. This discovery adds a new layer to the rich tapestry of our history. Welcome to our cemeteries, where the past continuously unveils its secrets.  You can read the article below.  

 Arizona Republic, Phoenix, Arizona, Tue, Jan 31, 1899