Tombstone Tuesday - More From The Bean Cemetery

Yet another stone from the Bean Family Cemetery located near Waiteville, in Monroe County, West Virginia.

We have been discussing the Bean Family Cemetery for several Tombstone Tuesday's now. We have discussedthese possible burials in this cemetery thusfar:

William Bean

Rachel Wiseman Bean

Nancy Bean

Emily Bean Long

Thomas Long

Today we will discuss yet another possible burial. That of William and Rachel's grandson, William B. Long.

William B. LONG was the eldet son of Thomas J. and Emily [Bean] LONG.

Born 1834 in Monroe County, Thomas died at a very young age, on 24 May 1859, at his parents home on Back Valley from "Consumption" [the popular term for tuberculosis at the time].

It is believed William was never married and had no children.

His death record

...gives us no indication as to where he was interred, only that his mother reported the death.

Sme say he was probably buried here, as the first known buials had taken place shortly less than three years prior, with the death of Emily's mother, Rachel,  and sister, Nancy. It only made sense to lay her son next to close family members.

However the trek from Back Valley to Waiteville would have been a long one by wagon, and was in May, whenthe weather was warmer. Some say that due to the naure of his death [tuberculosis], there would have been a speedy burial closer to home so as not to spread the contagion. It is my belief that these individuals were little aware of just how contagious the disease was at the time, as no separation had been made nation-wide at this early state for individuals stricken with the disease. It is my belief we should postulate more toward the former speculation rather than the latter.

The stone, as seen above, remember, is not identified in the cemetery. No one today remembers where any individual lies in the cemetery. Only these broken, fragmented and lichen covered stones, with no visible engravings remain.

The stone above is clearly a grave marker, and was once qute thick compared to some of the others. One can see the traditional lines of a tombstone, but again, there are no visible engraving to identify the occupant of this grave.