Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter....

We had a relaxing day and ended up enjoying a lovely dinner with friends. Doesn't get any better than that.

During my relaxing day and bouncing between my two computers, I noticed different heritage photos on each and was shocked that I did nothing them. 

Of course there's a story that goes with them.  I know this surprises you. And more info for my Roots Journal. (And this is gonna be a long one).

Well my Great Great Grandfather, Alexander Altemus, became a fascination for me as I began to conquer leaves in my research. First, my eldest son Nick's middle name is Alexander, and I didn't realize that fact until I began my research. Second, there was more to Alexander than meets the eye. As I came upon different census, I found that he and his wife ran a boarding house. Or rather his wife did. He didn't have a job and I was all like SLACKER. However, as the census continued to roll out, I found that he had a lung ailment and died young. 

Well didn't I just feel bad and learned a thing or two about snap judgements.

And then the Civil War documents started to flow. Alexander and his two brothers enlisted, he as a Sgt at 23, and the brothers, Herman and Charles, as Pvts. 20 and 18 (thereabouts) in the 31st Regiment NJ Infantry.  They all mustered out within a year, however, sadly, Charles died in Washington DC at the age of 19, from Typhoid fever. (I do have census concerning Herman and his family too). 

It was then I found a grave for Alexander at Loudon Park National Cemetery in Baltimore, MD. I was totally excited, and wanted one day to visit as we journeyed our way to NJ and PA, but alas it never quite worked out.  However, I kept wondering how could they have afforded a burial in MD when they lived in NJ and weren't exactly rolling in the dough.

And Ancestry came through once again.

More and more cemeteries are providing photographic images of the people buried there and putting it on line. A little green leaf led me to Union Hunterdon County, NJ to Bethlehem Presbyterian church and a huge monument. Even with a close up, it was hard to read but a close up none-the-less. And there  is Alexander with Rebecca. When I looked further down the tombstone I also found Alexander's brother James was buried there as well. On one of the census, James was classified as a boarder with no occupation - but since I already judged wrong before I'm going to go the other way and figure James helped Rebecca run the boarding house. 

So now of course being the macabre person that I am, I now really wonder where the body is. 

So in pondering some morel, I think the gravesite at Loudon is a memorial to all the soldiers that served in and around that area, and Alexander is truly buried with Rebecca and James.

As a side note, I have no other names for Rebecca except Jane and her line has laid dormant for a long time. I've gotten lucky before, but I really wish people in the future would provide maiden names on the tombstones. Somehow "his wife" just doesn't help the research. 

Somewhere, there is a relative that'll hook me up.