Thursday, March 08, 2012

Adele

I mentioned before how I was having trouble finding out what happened to Adele Miller. She disappeared between in 1880 and 1900 Census and the 1890 Census was lost in a fire. I was stuck until something came up on familysearch.org. It turns out that Adele married Francis X. Jardon on December 5, 1883. About the same time, I found an entry in the Complete Tombstone Census of Douglas County, Kansas:
Jardon, Adele, wife of F.X. Jardon, Apr. 8, 1839 - Age 29 y. 2 m. 15 d.
I originally thought that it was a typo. That the year should read 1939 which meant the 29 years was wrong. I've seen many tombstones and a 7 can definitely look like a 2 if it's faded enough. She was buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Baldwin City so I went out there and found her grave. I was expecting something simple and not at all fancy but instead, I found this:
This massive monument was for Adele (Miller) Jardon and no one else. I outlined the inscription on the stone and it indeed was correct in everything written in the Tombstone Census book except for one thing. Adele died in 1889. Only 29 years old and just over five years of marriage. I am glad I now know what happened to Adele, I just wish it could have ended on a happier note.

In other news, it's the 900th Born Loser post and I am a little saddened that it is occurring on a day where The Born Loser makes a pun. A very bad pun.