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!
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.
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