I Found the Bell Tower AND it is NOT in Texas!

On Friday, I posted the two photos seen below. I have been looking for the bell tower and the identity of those women for 18+ years. 

Years ago, I searched for this cemetery in Texas; visiting cemeteries, writing to other genealogists in counties where my families lived, and posting these photos on a variety of websites.  All with no success. 

Hours before posting these photos on Friday, I searched Newspapers.com and GenealogyBank for old newspapers mentioning a bell tower in a cemetery. I did a Google image search and checked the Texas History Portal. Again, no success!

I need to mention that I am currently organizing all of the photos that belonged to my father's brother and three sisters.  They are spread out on the dining room table and I try to make a little progress each day. So, after posting the cemetery photos on my blog, I decided to spend a little time with the photos on the dining room table. 

I don't know how long my Aunt DeRay dated Chris,
but they certainly looked happy in her photos.
It was sad to see that he died so young. 

Dad's sister, DeRay Bryan, didn't marry, but a large number of her photos were DeRay and a man, Chris Wieland. Most were taken in or near Borger, Texas.

A quick search for Chris Wieland, came up with a wife (Mildred) on the 1930 census in Borger and his full name, Chris Boss Wieland, on his WWI draft registration in Kay, Oklahoma. Both documents indicated that he worked as a mechanic in a garage. At Ancestry.com, I found he had a large number of siblings and that his parents resided in at least three states during their marriage; Kansas, Oklahoma, and California. Chris' brother, Leonard J. Wieland, owned a garage in Borger. 

At Find A Grave, I found Chris Wieland's grave in Cowley County, Kansas. He died December 22, 1935. Very surprised at his death date, I searched several genealogy sites for information about his death with no success.  I went back to Find - A - Grave, but didn't see any additional information and just as as I was ready to close the site, I noticed the bell tower.

Memorial Lawn Cemetery, Cowley County, Kansas - Photo taken by T. Hoddy - Used with Permission

The photos were taken at Chris Wieland's funeral in Kansas! The women in the photo are most likely Wieland family or friends. Another photo mystery solved!

Chris B. Wieland is buried in section C53, along with his brother, Guy, and his sister-in-law, Nell. 

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2016

Sources

Baker, B. "Christopher B Wiland - Facts." Ancestry.com. Web. 21 Aug. 2016. <http://person.ancestry.com/tree/19875147/person/29557305504/facts>.

C B Wieland in the 1930 United States Federal Census. Ancestry.com. Web. 21 Aug. 2016. <http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?pid=29557305504&h=62720094&indiv=1>.

Cemeteries.  Cowley County. Cemeteries, Memorial Lawn Cemetery Records Search. Web. 21 Aug. 2016. <http://www.cowleycounty.org/cemeteries>.

Chris Boss Willand in the U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. Ancestry.com. Web. 21 Aug. 2016. <http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?h=1963608&db=ww1draft&indiv=1>.

Family photographs and documents from the collection of Diana Bryan Quinn.

Hoddy, T. Chris B. Wieland (1898 - 1935). Find A Grave Memorial. Web. 21 Aug. 2016. <http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=45702720>.

Mayfield, J.  Chris B. Wieland (1898 - 1935). Find A Grave Memorial. Web. 21 Aug. 2016. <http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=45702720>.

Memorial Lawn Cemetery - Google Maps. Web. 21 Aug. 2016. <https://www.google.com/maps/place/Memorial+Lawn+Cemetery,+Arkansas+City,+KS+67005/@37.1352644,-97.0429312,3a,60y,110.17h,96.35t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sCrCoLOtZ02qysSW82LSnDQ!2e0!7i3328!8i1664!4m5!3m4!1s0x87ba7efc0ffe9439:0x2ffdd111f48a6d5f!8m2!3d37.1352999!4d-97.0428446>.

Quinn, Diana. "Moments in Time, A Genealogy Blog: Friday's Photo: Another look at a Cemetery Photo."Moments in Time, A Genealogy Blog. 19 Aug 2016. Web. 21 Aug. 2016. <https://momentsintimeagenealogyblog.blogspot.com/2016/08/fridays-photo-another-look-at-cemetery.html>.