Did you know? Marshall County cemeteries

It is understandable that no one likes to talk about cemeteries, but if one is going to bring it up, Halloween is a good as time as any. The very spooky and spiritual nature of Halloween is for the most part centered around cemeteries.

Marshall County does not reallyhavemanywell-known statues or memorials that remind the world of previous generations. However, Pickens County Indian Territory, which is the location name long before Marshall County ever came into the picture, was the exact location chosen to bury the deceased. Marshall County is pleasantly decorated with a monstrous number of graveyards.

Find a Grave states that Marshall County has 21 cemeteries and Oklahoma Cemeteries lists 46. That is impressive considering Marshall County is the smallest county in Oklahoma. Many people know that there are even more cemeteries that aren’t listed. Many of these cemeteries or graveyards bare the resting spot of unnamed souls with no indication of who was buried other than a rock.

An interesting fact about Marshall County cemeteries is that most are on private land and are managed by private funding, plot, and burial fees. The county does maintain many of these graveyards and provides burial grave prep at no charge.

Most of the time, cemetery maintenance involves a ledger book of who purchased the plot, who was buried in it, and grass mowing, but not much more. This little bit of information often leaves the largest burden of evidence upon the headstone or marker.

As in all things in nature, stones and grave markers deteriorate with time and it would seem that these markers are left alone to do as they may - simply fading away beyond recognition. Thanks to a few philanthropists, restoration and preservation of many is underway.

Marshall county has a real special person, Chris Huff, who has taken on the job of cleaning and preserving headstones. Huff has cleaned over 250 veterans and 150 of the oldest headstones in cemeteries in and around Marshall County.

Huff said he has really experienced some almost spookyinstancesandremembered one time while wearing headphones and thought he was all alone. He heard a womenscreamingandlooked up with relief to see it really was a woman trying to get his attention in hopes he worked at the cemetery and could help her locate a grave.

Huff added that other things have happened while he was at lonely cemeteries. Huff said he cleans the headstones to keep the essences of the passed on loved ones alive.

“A person isn’t really gone until they are completely forgotten, and cleaning headstones keeps them legible,” Huff said.

Huff said that many have deteriorated beyond repair and seem to be forgotten.

Many people may wonder why headstones look so different in size and design. The differences have much more meaning than simply choice. For instance, the Civil War veteran headstones have two distinct shapes. Union headstones are arch topped and Confederate headstones are pointed.

Thesecivilwarheadstones have much information pertaining to shape and design but an easy way to distinguish the North from the South fighting fallen soldier is the top of the stone design. A very common headstone seen in Marshall County cemeteries is The woodman of the World design and can reallyleadapersontowonder as to the nature of the design.

In 1890, Joseph Cullen Root founded Woodmen of the World as a fraternal organization providing life insurance to the common worker for burial costs. The Independent Order of Odd Fellows is one of the oldest fraternal organizations in the United States, established in 1819. The design of an Odd Fellow headstone is also easy to spot as it stands about four feet tall with and narrow ending with a gable top and inscribed with many symbols including oak leaves, links of chain, and a dove.

The meaning of the symbols simply is “wisdom, strength and endurance”. Other designs found around Marshall County cemeteries vary greatly from simple flat granite and limestone squares to even more primitive local rock with hand etched initials and dates. Sadly, many graves are marked with a stone and no inscription at all.

In Marshall County, a link to the past is most observed in the cemeteries and graveyards, some are well maintained, and some are out of the way and seemingly forgotten. Some are totally overlooked and bear the evidence of what is called progress and paved over or have homes built right over the top to be forgotten forever.