Bayview & St. Joseph Cemetery Searching

After doing my genealogical research on August 3rd, it was time to see if we could find four children that I had no information on in my Bacon research and also try to find grave stones of any other relatives in Door County so after going to Schopf's Hilltop Dairy Farm we headed into Sturgeon Bay to walk through Bayview Cemetery.

Scott and I drove in to Bayview Cemetery from Gordon Rd and really got turned around until drove out and found the correct older section we were looking for.  This was a most confusing and complicated cemetery.  Even the stones in each section had stone facing any which way.  If I didn't have my map from the library, we'd have never found the stones.

Web Photo
Our Graves were in the upper right corner of Section B

We finally found the correct section of the Bacon Graves but it took a long time and two walk throughs to find these 5 little children I was looking for.  It was important to find these children because they died well before death certificates (or birth certificate) were issued in Door county.  If I hadn't found records in the library from a cemetery book, I'd have never known they existed!  The stone of the 4 siblings were so lichen infested that we couldn't read the stone at first go around.  Even the book I found their information in only had small letters of their names and couldn't read the stone.  We didn't have any paper and pencil to try an etching, so we decided to get some from church the following day and we came back and tried again.

The next day, after church, we came back to the cemetery but the paper and crayon etchings wouldn't take.  I was devastated.  I really needed to read these graves.  So, I asked Scott what he had in the truck that we could clean these stones with.  All he found was 1 plastic grocery sack, 1 pair of nibbed gloves that he uses to pump the diesel into the truck and a plastic fork.  So, I took the grocery sack and found that when I wadded it up and used a circle rotation, the lichen started coming off easily.  Hmmmm.  So, when the grocery sack was gunked up and couldn't use it any more, I put on the gloves and they worked even easier - and cleaner - that the grocery sack.  Scott used the folk to get into the carvings while I worked on the external lichen.  The cemetery had water and buckets (thank heaven) and every few minutes I poured water over the stone so we could see the progress!  Amazingly, a stone that was unrecognizable 15 minutes earlier was stunningly beautiful and looked like new and I could see the wording perfectly!

After this stone, 3 year old Myra Minna Bacon's stone was next to work on.  Her stone was right by her baby nieces and nephews.  You can see those photos at the top of this post.  I left her stone darker in areas because it was easier to read than totally cleaning Myra stone.

Before Restoration

After Restoration

Here's what I did find in the records at the library.  With unsure information, that's why I HAD to read the stones!  Then, I went back to the library and filled in the missing information in the books!

After I cleaned these stones I went back to the rig and combed the old Door County newspapers and was able to find death or burial dates for all of these children.  I felt so accomplished!  After going to Bayview Cemetery, we also drove over to St. Joseph's Cemetery and found 2 more stones I needed.  This cemetery was a much better layout that Bayview.

You can see the Bayview Cemetery on the corner of Gordon and Bay Shore
and St. Joe's is where the red marker is.

I was looking for Wallace Ives, my 2nd cousin on another of my dad's lines and his wife Louise and their son, Billy (William Leon) who died at age 10 when his belt that was around his neck got caught on a nail and he was accidentally hung.  The story broke my heart.

Obituary, Door County Advocate, p 1, 9 Aug 1935

BOY, 10, VICTIM OF FREAK ACCIDENT
Belt, Caught on Nail in Cellar Way, Hangs Him

Hung by his belt which he playfully put around his neck while he went to put a screen on his bedroom window at his mother's request, Billy Ives, 10-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Wallace Ives, was killed Sunday at his home on the corner of Garland and Church streets.  Mrs. Ives found her son hanging in the outside cellar stairway when she went out to go to church, and her screams attracted her husband and neighbors who rushed to her assistance.

When the boy fell, the strap had caught on a bolt used to hold the cellar door in place in the winter.  Leonard Slattery, one of the first on the scene, removed the strap, and Mr. Ives tried artificial respiration until doctors arrived and pronounced the boy lifeless.  It appeared that the direct cause of death was the breaking of a vein in the neck that caused a considerable loss of blood.

Billy had long been an infantile paralysis patient but he recovered nicely and was able to run and play like other boys without artificial aids that he wore for some years.  He was a pupil in the Holy Guardian Angel school here.

Besides his parents, the boy is survived by an infant sister.

The funeral was held from the St. Joseph's church Wednesday morning at 9 o'clock, the Rev. A. J. Koerfel officiating.  Pallbearers were William Bushman, H. A. Bangert, Sylvan Baudhuin and Walter Kramer.

Those from outside attending were Mr. and Mrs. Allie Ives, Mrs. Al Manke, and Henry Ditzman and daughter Ethel, all of Green Bay.

Stones are just left of this statue.

It was a good day finding these stone and learning more about my relatives.  After needing a restoration kit, I went out and bought a small holder, a set of small nibbed gloves, some plastic forks and some Q-tips and put everything in the case.  I'll be ready for the next cemetery fix.  I wish I had this when I visited my grandpa Bacon's stone in Illinois.  It was very hard to read...nearly impossible. Next trip, that's on my bucket list to do!  I think I need a bucket, too...