Category: Others’ Families
Wordless Wednesday: Unknown
Portrait of an Unknown Woman
I saw this picture in the antique store down the street from my house the first time I visited about a year and a half ago. And every time I have been in the store since I have been drawn to it. I don’t know why. The picture was tagged at $45, and I knew that I didn’t want to pay that much for it. After thinking about it and finally offering to purchase it if they came down on the price, I was able to walk out the door with it ten dollars cheaper, $35.
When people purchase items to resell from estate sales they usually go for items from which they can make quite a bit money. And when pictures are involved, especially of this size, the person will look at the frame, not the picture. I don’t really care about the frame, I care that someone had decided to sell a portrait of their ancestor rather than keep it in the family. It actually kind of distresses me a bit. Why? Why would someone decide that these portraits are not important enough to keep in the family? Maybe there is no more immediate family, but there is always some blood relative out there somewhere that would love to see pictures of their ancestors.
I don’t know who this woman is. The picture is mounted on an old canvas and it is slowly trying to detach itself. I’m going to try to find a frame to put it in, or build one, in an attempt to save it from further damage.
Wordless Wednesday: Unknown
Wordless Wednesday: Unknown
Gumm Cemetery, Baldwin County, Ga
My husband and I have passed this cemetery many, many times on the way to visit the lake house and I always wanted to stop, but never really had the chance until this last week. There are few headstones (only nine) and one footstone without a headstone. Two of the headstones are blank and there is an unmarked crypt (crypt? is that what it’s called? I dunno!).
The first of the unmarked headstones is really neat. At first I thought it had just slumped over or had at some point been leaned up against the tree, but then my husband pointed out how the tree had kind of grown up around it. 
Next to the first is the second unmarked grave. I sure wish I knew who they are! 
The next headstone is for Gladys Binford Stacey. Her headstone reads: JAN 22 1920, JAN 16 2006, OUR ANGEL. I looked her up, but was unable to find anyone matching her names and those dates. 
The next headstone is for Jacob Gumm. His headstone reads: Horton’s GA, Mil. War, 1812. He had fought in the Creek and Mexican wars. Jacob Gumm’s wife was Katherine Hightower. His father, also Jacob Gumm, was a Revolutionary War soldier. The local chapter of the DAR and the Baldwin County government ceremoniously donated his headstone and footstone in 1916. There is a lot of information about him and his father all over the internet. 
Nearly directly behind Jacob Gumm is a tiny headstone that is quite unreadable. I felt along the front and was able to make out what it reads: Carrie Burnette, Jan. 29, 1895, May 6, 1896, In heaven. No further information. 
Just beside Carrie is another grave, this one without a headstone, but there is a footstone. 
In front of the footstone is a headstone for Edith Long Binford. Her headstone reads: Mar 28 1899, Oct 17 1981. She was the daughter of Lena Long, no father listed. She had several siblings (according to census records). No further information. 
Next to Edith is the headstone for James M Gumm. His headstone reads: Born, Dec 14 1809, Died, June 2 1872, A Christian Gentleman. The first thing I found on James M Gumm was that he was a signing witness on the will of Martha Yates Babb. Robert Gumm was the executor of her will and is stated as her friend. James was a trustee of the Black Springs Academy in Baldwin County. No further information. 
The last grave is the unmarked crypt. I tried to brush off some of the leaves and “stuff” on it, but it was a lot of moss and fungi, so I left it. I didn’t want to ruin anything. 
I sure wish I knew who the unmarked are. I don’t think that the Binfords are related to the Gumms, though I can’t say for certain. According to the census records that Edith was on the area was called “105 District Gumm”. I can see Edith on the census records in that area from 1900 to 1920. In 1910 there is a Gladys Burnette living with the Long family.
I wonder how many others are buried in this cemetery? Does anyone out there have any further information on these families?