A stone placed after 144 years

By Sheila Wood

A tombstone has been set, finally, after all these years, for James and Asseneth Buckner, who didn’t have a stone you could read. For the past 144-years, just a lot of fieldstone rocks had marked their graves. I spent some money and bought a flat stone to mark the graves, with some financial help from Bill (a great-great-grandson) and Sheila Wood, and Ray (great-grandson) and Judy Buckner.

I contacted Salem Monument Works to do the work for the Buckner stone. It seemed to take a long time to get a stone made, and the virus didn’t help. Then the monument company didn’t know where Mitchell Cemetery was located in Texas County. I contacted Linda Mondy of Licking to help, and what a help she was! She had them follow her out to the cemetery and, when the job was completed, she went back to take pictures. Now who would do all of this? It wasn’t her family, but she was glad to help people that needed help. I live in Rolla and don’t walk cemeteries any more, so I needed help.

I know some of the family will not agree on how the names are on the stone. You will always have someone disagree, but just think how long they have been dead with no stone. You see James with the middle initial K or C, so I just left the middle initial off the stone. Also a small stone to correct the death date for Emily Catherine Sullivan Canoy Buckner will be set in the Mitchell Cemetery when it warms up.

A big thank you to all who made this possible.

When you can go to the Mitchell Cemetery, do so. Yes, it is out in the country, but a nice drive from Licking. It’s located down the gravel road past the end of the blacktop of AT Highway; turn left and Mitchell Cemetery is at the end of the road.

The Buckners are an interesting family. James Buckner (1801-March 20, 1866) was in Texas County before 1845. His wife, Asseneth “Cenith” (nee Riddle) lived from 1814 through September 1877. They were married April 3, 1828, in Illinois. I began researching the Buckner family in 1975. We lived in the town of Rolla, Kan., where Mary Cenith Buckner Grace settled. There are cousins still living there.

I wrote a book about the Buckners around 20-years ago that is for sale. I may be contacted at 573-308-7937 or swood@rollanet.org.

Editors Note: Linda Mondy is a volunteer photographer for the website “Findagrave,” the website helps people find their lost ancestors. If you have a tombstone on private land, Mondy respectfully requests contacting her at 573-674-3798 so that a photograph of the stone can be taken for “Findagrave.”