Hamilton Sandridge

Several times Eric and I have talked about episodes that we refer to as 'serendipity'. Eric isn't quite used to it yet - it freaks him out a bit. I take the events of 'serendipity' for granted. These events happen to everyone who researches their family history. It happens to us at the Park. It is very much like the people at the Park are asking us to tell their stories. To oblige we use information that is easily found online in the Oregonian files, courtesy of the Multnomah County Library, and at ancestry.com.

Today, as an example of some of the serendipity events we experience, Eric was looking for a specific grave and was wandering around looking for it, but couldn't see it. He stopped, put his probe in the ground and it hit a buried temporary marker. Many of the temporary markers, which are pretty plain cement markers, are buried under up to several inches of sod and are not visible. After uncovering the temporary marker that his probe hit he realized that he had just found the marker he had been searching for.

This week someone sent me a link to a story on CNN about 'invisible graves' in Northwest Georgia. Please take some time to read the story - now, before finishing this posting.

When Eric and I fulfill photo requests on Find A Grave we look at all of the markers in a Lot. Sometimes there may only be 4, normally 6, sometimes 10 and maybe more depending on how many infants are buried in the lot. Today while fulfilling a photo request I found a buried temporary marker that was hidden by several inches of soil. It was just another one of the many temporary markers the are at the Park that are hidden under the soil.

While we were enjoying a post cemetery coffee at Starbucks Eric asked me if I had a headstone I wanted to write about for this week's memorial. I didn't at the time, but thought about a cool surname that I came across today in the Park. While looking for Alice Petrie in Section H I located and photographed the temporary marker for Hamilton Sandridge. I hadn't heard of the surname Sandridge before and thought it sounded cool!

Hamilton Sandridge, born ~1879 Virginia; died Oct 28, 1940, Portland

According to the Oregon Death Index Hamilton died in Portland on 28 Oct. 1940. He was buried five days later on Novemeber 2, 1940 at Multnomah Park Cemetery according to the funeral notice on page 10 of the November 2nd issue of the Oregonian. He lived at the time at 6410 SE 60th. No friends were invited to his funeral, or burial. No flowers were not asked for. No next of kin were listed.

We do not yet know the cause of death, or who is parents are. However, we do know that in the 1930 U.S. Census Hamilton is recorded living in Portland on SE 9th. He is about 51 years old, he is listed as a roomer and is single. His occupation is listed as "Car cleaner" working for the railroad co. It must have been dirty work cleaning out rail cars. Both of his parents were born in Virginia and he can read and write but has not attended school within the last 5 years. His race is listed as "Nig".

We do not yet know if Hamilton's parents, or his grandparents, were forcibly removed from their ancestral homes to work the plantations of the south. We don't yet know how the surname of Sandridge came to be. This morning Hamilton's temporary marker was hidden from view - it was an invisible grave. This afternoon it no longer is hidden from view. We know more than we did, but not by much.

Two of the people for whom I was fulfilling a photo request for will have their story told. It will be told with sensitivity and care, but it is going to be a difficult story to tell since it involves love, a tormented soul, and unclaimed cremains.

In the meantime we honor Hamilton Sandridge.

98 Year Old Tragedy

Many a time when Dave or I are just walking through the cemetery that our attention is called to a certain stone or a group of stones. The spirit of the cemetery want their stories told, and here is a story that is very sad indeed.

Such is the case of the Strang family. On May 10, 1913, at approximately 7pm, Mrs. Lillian Strang had a complete lapse of sanity and poisoned and then shot her children. The poison was bisulfide of mercury, a deadly toxin. Apparently, Mrs. Strang "came to her senses" after she shot her baby and then herself with a .22 rifle and tried to give her children emetics. It didn't work.
Mrs. Strang's husband, Earl, arrived home at 10:30 p.m. and phoned the doctor telling the doctors that "something is very wrong with my wife and children and you'd better come quick." The doctor arrived and immediately summoned the police and Mrs. Strang and her children were taken to Good Samaritan Hospital where they lingered for a time before death mercifully claimed them. The youngest child, Oakley, only 6 months at the time, was not given the poison, but was shot through the head and survived. Not surprisingly, Mr. Strang left town soon after and moved to Roseburg where he began a new life and later a new family. His son, Oakley, who survived the attempt on his life by his mother, died in 1971.

A Demise of an Untimely Nature: 1915

Little Lloyd Hallett was probably enjoying the warm sun on the deck of the houseboat near Hayden Island where he lived with his family when he accidentally fell into the Columbia River. His body was recovered several days later downriver.

Headstone of the Week

This is one of the only upright arched marble stones in the cemetery. It is a style found abundantly in the cemeteries in New England. Featured prominently is the arch of oak leaves and acorns representing sacred eternity and the Corinthian columns on either side holding up the over-arching protection of God. I celebrate the memory of Mr. James Wilson who, after living 68 years died peacefully in his sleep. Now he sleeps under the maple trees in Multnomah Park Cemetery.

An Untimely Demise

On February 21, 1920, 13 year-old Gilbert Kuehl was riding his bicycle near the intersection of N.E. 17th & Glisan when he was struck by a car driven by Mr. William Daughtrey. About a month after his untimely death, Gilbert's father, Albert, who ran a boarding house, filed a wrongful death suit against Mr. Daughtrey for $7,500. There were no further entries in the paper about this suit, so it may have been settled out of court, as these things usually are.