A quarter-century ago, members of the Piper family purchased a small piece of land in New York, where they discovered an abandoned cemetery. A West Coast relative took one of the fallen stones home to California, thinking he might use it in the stone work on his patio. However, his wife objected and the stone was propped up against a tree in the couple’s yard.

The stone was inscribed “ROSA J. / daughter of / GEORGE & CYNTHIA / CARTER / DIED / June 11, 1861 / Aged 8 mo.”

After both the husband and wife died, their son Will Piper brought the stone to his home in Fort Lupton, Colorado. He contacted friend and genealogist Arliss Monk of Greeley to find out more about Rosa. Her research found the family in the 1860 census (shortly before Rosa’s birth) and other records.

This last summer Will Piper and his wife Linda returned Rosa’s stone to the still-neglected cemetery near Canisteo, N.Y.

More details of this story can be found in “Traveling tombstone gets a final resting place,” Greeley Tribune, 24 October 2005, page 1, columns 1-5 and continued on page 12. You can register to read an online version.