OAK HILL CEMETERY
255 South Ave
Battle Creek, MI 49014
(616) 964-7321
Acres: 80
Established: 1844
No Official Website
Bella Morte Rating: 4 Tombstones
When one hears the words, Battle Creek, Michigan, it is common to think of cereal. Now…put those words and “cemetery” together and you would be correct in assuming some of the biggest names in the breakfast cereal business would rest in that place…and so it is that the graves of cereal giants J.H. and W.K. Kellogg (as well as C.W. Post) can be found at Battle Creek’s Oak Hill Cemetery. But to say that and no more would be to leave out some very interesting tales…not to mention overlooking some other famous residents.
Let’s begin with the Kellogg brothers…John Harvey and William Keith.
John Harvey Kellogg was born in Tyrone, NY on 26 February, 1852. He died in Battle Creek, Michigan on 14 December, 1943 and was buried in the earth at Oak Hill. What he did between those dates is most intriguing:
Upon graduating from medical school, John took a position as Chief Physician at the Western Health Reform Institute of Battle Creek. The institute was the brainchild of Ellen G. White (founder of the Seventh Day Adventists and also a permanent resident of Oak Hill).
Shortly after his employment began, Dr. Kellogg renamed the facility the Battle Creek Sanitarium. It is interesting to note the word “sanitarium” was coined by the good doctor who was quite fixated on keeping everything “clean.”
Prior to Kellogg’s arrival, the institute’s emphasis had been on feeding patients only “natural foods,” i.e. fruits, nuts, whole grains and legumes. But Dr. Kellogg, to borrow a phrase, “kicked it up a notch”… or two! You see, John was convinced most disease originates in the stomach and/or intestines. In order to keep these organs “sanitary,” he prescribed a daily yogurt enema for all patients. (One might wonder about his anatomical acumen and would be right to do so!) But things got much stranger than that! Aside from the alleged disease-breeding sources of unsanitary stomach and bowels, Kellogg laid the blame for all other maladies at the doorstep of…sexual acts! Indeed, so malefic did he consider sexual intercourse, and, in fact, anything having to do with sex, that Kellogg refrained from ever consummating his 40+ year marriage!
Among his more controversial treatments were chemically-produced female “castration,” immersing patients in chilled, irradiated water, forced marches before and after meager meals, and electric shock therapy.
For anyone interested in the subject, the Internet is a seemingly-bottomless source of information on this truly odd individual. For our purposes, we will only mention that John and his brother Will (about whom we shall write momentarily) began producing whole grain cereals as part of their dietary philosophy and, one day, while trying to remedy a somewhat gluey batch, inadvertently created the “flakes” which have since become a breakfast staple.
Alas, after some years of production, Will determined the addition of sugar was necessary. John violently disagreed as he believed sugar (among many other things) to be a “poison.” This seemingly trivial disagreement led to an animosity that lasted the remainder of the brother’s lives, although it has been suggested John, nearing death, wrote a 7-page letter to his younger brother in which he apologized for wronging him and asked for forgiveness and a reunion. As the story goes, this letter was entrusted to the dying man’s secretary with the instruction to post it (we couldn’t resist!); however, having her own dislike of Will, she merely tossed it in a desk where it languished until a time well after both men perished.
John died at the age of 91. No cause seems to be listed anywhere which leads one to suspect (perhaps unfairly) it was something like colon cancer, an illness which, had it taken root in him, would undermine all he stood for. In any case, he was buried in Oak Hill with only a simple, flat headstone noting his name, birth and death dates. It, along with other family member’s stones, is located near a large, rough-hewn granite block which bears the name: KELLOGG.
We turn now to William Keith Kellogg. William was eight years John’s junior. Unlike his older brother, who graduated from medical school, William ceased his educational career upon completing grade school. He worked at the Battle Creek Sanitarium as an administrator and subscribed to many of his sibling’s dietary practices.
After the two accidentally invented a process to “flake” their cereals, the brothers formed the Sanitarium Food Company (later changed to Sanitas Food Company). All was well for nine years until the aforementioned sugar vs. no sugar rift drove an unbreakable wedge between the two men. It was at this time (1906) Will formed his own business…Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Company. In 1909 he changed the name to Kellogg Toasted Corn Flake Company. Not to be outdone, the elder brother changed the name of his company from Sanitas to Kellogg Food Company. And so it went for several years, with both brothers fighting for ascendancy in the cereal business until Will took legal action and won exclusive use of the family name, establishing the Kellogg Company in 1922.
William seemed to have difficulty dealing with his extreme wealth, particularly as he
attained this status during the Great Depression. He was extravagantly generous, establishing the W.K. Kellogg Foundation with a 46 million dollar grant that bore only this stipulation: “Use the money as you please, so long as it promotes the health, happiness and well-being of children.”
It is interesting to note that William, like his brother, lived to the age of 91. In his final years, he suffered from glaucoma which gradually rendered him blind. Of the time shortly before his death he said the thing that made him happiest was to sit in his company’s parking lot listening to the thrum of the machinery while sniffing the toasted grain scent in the air.
According to his wishes, William was cremated and his cinerary urn was buried in a tasteful but unassuming family plot a few yards away from the final resting place of his brother.
Now for a little more cereal history!
In 1891, suffering a second nervous breakdown due to an inability to deal with the stresses of his job as a real estate speculator (his first came on the heels of stress from overwork as a manufacturer of farm implements), one Charles William Post presented himself at the Battle Creek Sanitarium for treatment. His care was undertaken by none other than Dr. John Harvey Kellogg whose stringent dietary regimen effected what Post deemed a complete cure.
Duly inspired by whole grain goodness, Post started his own health clinic (La Vita Inn) and, later, he established his own company which initially offered a single product…Postum. This was a roasted grain beverage intended as a substitute for coffee. It seems Post, like his mentor, Dr. Kellogg, believed caffeine was “poisonous.” In any case, Postum enjoyed enormous popularity and Post made a fortune on it. Subsequently, he invented Grape Nuts and then built a cereal empire on other creations including Elijah’s Manna (subsequently renamed Post Toasties after Victorian sensibilities were offended by the alleged “blasphemy” of the original name).
Post was wildly inventive and is credited with many advertising gimmicks and techniques still in use today e.g. coupons, free samples and massive advertising!
He also started the Battle Creek Box Company so he could handle all details of packaging his foods.
Also like the elder Kellogg, Post entertained some decidedly-odd ideas. In one instance, he purchased and detonated large amounts of dynamite in the belief it would attract rain to the area. Ahhh—yes—the area in question was none other that Post City, Texas…a Utopian Community planned by Post which actually succeeded in some ways. (again, those interested should look to the Internet for some fascinating reading).
In 1914, Post began to suffer from “stomach pains.” He had himself rushed to the Mayo Clinic via private train where he was met by none other than the famous Mayo brothers who diagnosed the cereal magnate with appendicitis. Some records indicate the case was pronounced “inoperable,” others suggest Post underwent surgery. What can be agreed upon is that Charles returned home to Santa Barbara, California without having obtained any relief from his pain. On 9 May, 1914, he climbed into his bed, placed a rifle between his legs with the barrel pointed towards his face and, using his toes, pulled the trigger. Thus ended the life of this fascinating fellow.
Unlike the humble burial plots of his Kellogg neighbours, Post’s eternal resting place is a stately mausoleum composed of 630 tons of white Victoria granite. Construction was finished in 1915 at a cost of $100,000. Following completion, Post’s body was brought by train from California to Battle Creek where an elaborate funeral (attended by thousands) took place.
Although the interior of the mausoleum contains two sarcophagi, these are for decorative purposes only. The caskets of both Post and his wife lie nine feet beneath the mausoleum’s marble floor.
The exterior is sumptuously landscaped and features enormous claw-foot torchiers, the Post Coat of Arms above massive, burnished bronze doors, and eight wide stairs that draw the eye inexorably to the tomb’s entrance.
Located behind the Post Mausoleum is the grave of Sojourner Truth (a/k/a Isabella Baumfree), famous abolitionist and women’s rights activist.
Originally buried without a marker, a stone was finally placed in 1890 (7 years following her death) after sufficient donations were collected. It bore her name, age and date of death along with the words “Is God dead?” The story behind this rather curious quote is actually quite interesting. Here is a report from the Coldwater Republican, 4 March, 1892:
The phrase, "Is God dead?" inscribed on Sojourner's tombstone can be traced back to an encounter between Frederick Douglass and Truth at a meeting held in Akron, Ohio, in August 1852. Douglass was delivering an eloquent, if despairing, speech and had brought his audience to a "high pitch of excitement," when Truth interrupted and asked, "Is God gone?" Her remark was later incorrectly reported as "Frederick, Is God dead?" in an article Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote for the New York Independent in 1860…
Fifty-five years after the first marker was placed, another collection was taken in order to replace the original stone with a grander monument to this remarkable woman. It took one year to raise sufficient funds, but in June, 1946 the new stone was placed. The Battle Creek Enquirer & News reported on 2 June, 1946:
The new monument replaces one which has stood for more than 60 years. It is of Georgia marble and is of the same stone that was used in the monument that was used on the grave of President Franklin D. Roosevelt at Hyde Park. The inscription gives her age as 'about 105,' but her actual age was not known. Also inscribed on the monument is a quotation from Stephen A. Douglas: 'Is God Dead?'
Amazingly, the paper perpetuated the misquote and then, to add insult to injury, misattributed it, too! Quite sad…
An historical marker near Truth’s grave offers this information to visitors:
In memoriam, Sojourner Truth, Renowned lecturer and reformer who championed Anti-Slavery, Rights of Women and the Freedmen, rests here. Beside her lie two of her five children: Elizabeth Banks Boyd, Died Jan. 6, 1893; Diana Corbin, Died Oct. 25, 1904, and two grandsons: Samuel Banks, Died Feb. 24, 1875; William F. Boyd, Died Nov. 3, 1887; Sojourner Truth Memorial Association, 1961.
Without doubt, the most lovely monument in Oak Hill is also one to which is attached all manner of ridiculous (and, in some cases, ignorant) tales. We refer to the grave of Johannes Decker which is watched over by the life-size bronze figure of a woman in flowing Grecian robes, her eyes downcast, a laurel wreath in each outstretched hand. Her expression is one of unbearable grief.
Locally (and in circles where tales of ghosts and “supernatural events” abound) she is most-commonly (and ignorantly, we might add) referred to as “Weeping Mary,” the proper name referring to the mother of Jesus. Of course, to anyone with even the slightest bit of knowledge in the realm of art, it is immediately obvious that the woman is hardly intended as a work of religious art…or, if she is, she would belong to the pantheon of ancient Greece or Rome.
In any case, the legend varies in the telling, but all agree the statue of “Mary” weeps—either every Sunday night, or every full-moon night, or every other Sunday night, or…you get the picture. Of course, the truth of the matter is that as the bronze oxidizes it creates a verdi gris patina. In those places where water would tend to run in greater concentration (i.e. the folds of a gown, the curve of a face) there will be areas of a darker cast. When this occurs on the face, it can appear as a trail of tears.
As is often the case, the actual story is far more engaging than many of the tales which have been invented about the monument. In truth, the statue is the creation of Nellie V. Walker, a sculptor from Chicago who was commissioned by Ruth Decker (Johanne’s wife) to create a monument as a tribute to their love. The statue is called “Woman with Two Wreaths” and it was cast in 1911 by the American Bronze Art Foundry of Chicago, Illinois.
Johannes Decker married Ruth Whitmore on 4 September, 1867. He was a travelling salesman who sold dry goods . The couple had two children, a daughter who died in her third year of life after contracting scarlet fever and an infant who did not survive beyond the day of his/her birth. Johannes died on the 19th of January, 1910 at the age of 71. Ruth, who followed him in death 15 years later, is said to have never recovered from her grief. The beautiful bronze is a testament of one woman’s eternal love for her husband.
At the time of our visit, the bronze was marvelously restored to its original golden hue, a fact that also prevented her from “weeping.”
Finally, we turn to the strange case of the Hamilton Mausoleum, or, more accurately, Oak Hill Abbey. For those familiar with the grounds, the question
may arise as to the location of this structure. After all, there appears to be no such place on the grounds and, in fact, that is quite true. And yet…at one time…such a building did occupy the hallowed ground of Oak Hill Cemetery…
It was back in 1911, the same year the “Woman With Two Wreaths” was installed on the property, that one William H. Hamilton approached the Board of Oak Hill and requested permission to construct a community mausoleum on the grounds. The structure, Hamilton said, would be his own business venture, but in return for the favour, he would give the sum of $3,000 to Oak Hill. The deal was struck and Hamilton had crews begin work almost immediately. He endowed the project with $6,000 of his own money.
The Abbey featured 338 crypts set inside a hulking rectangular fortress which had a tower at each of its four corners. Soon, it was opened and private citizens paid Hamilton directly for crypt space.
The mausoleum was a money-maker and it wasn’t long before Hamilton moved to California in search of a better life. Unfortunately, the abbey began to fall into disrepair in the early 1950s. At that time, the Board of Oak Hill contacted Hamilton who informed them of his recent bankruptcy. Unable to fund repairs, the building was closed to the public in 1955.
So, where is it today, you ask?
Well, let’s just say the structure began crumbling as the years passed. In the mid- 1970s, the Board of Oak Hill contacted known relatives of those entombed within and offered them plot space on the cemetery grounds or, if they desired, the release of the remains for burial or cremation elsewhere. The removal was carried out in October, 1978 and this, it turns out, was none too soon as the north tower collapsed just one month later! The mausoleum was razed in 1979 and on that site in 1981 a maintenance building and (second) crematory were built. Today, if you visit Oak Hill and search near this service building, you will find a large monument consisting of two low grey granite slabs flanking a central, upright stone of the same material. It is inscribed (front and back) with the names of over 150 individuals and declares its purpose as such:
In memory of the following deceased who were removed
from Oak Hill Abbey Mausoleum during October, 1978
Dedicated by Oak Hill Cemetery May, 1979
(Photo: Hamilton Mausoleum)
-----------------------
One final note on the tragic history of Oak Hill Abbey remains.
At the time of construction, one crypt was set aside and designated as a “time capsule” to be opened on the building’s 1,000th anniversary in 2911! The obvious irony is that the mausoleum was so poorly constructed (more on that in a moment) that is didn’t even last 50 years before beginning its horrific slide into ruin. But the Fates were crueler still. You see, the Time Capsule captivated the imagination of Battle Creek residents who commissioned histories of clubs, organizations, businesses and churches to be written and sealed within the crypt along with photographs, baubles and various paraphernalia particular to the time. But in 1960, thoughtless vandals, having no care for such things, broke in and removed the contents of the crypt in its entirety.
Oh yes…about that construction…as it turns out, Hamilton was so unscrupulous that, in the interest of saving money, he cut all sorts of corners during the building of the mausoleum. The structure’s Achilles Heel was revealed when cemetery officials, seeking to remedy the situation before the mausoleum was too far gone, discovered the brickwork was merely a veneer laid over wood! Indeed, the building was doomed from the start!
Finally, we turn to the chapel and crematory. The English Gothic building, featuring a granite and limestone exterior was designed by Lewis J, Sarvis. Inside, it boasted walnut pews, a recessed organ and stained glass windows designed by Francois Grenier of the Beaux Arts Studio, Detroit. The chapel opened in 1927 but suffered severe damage in subsequent years owing to the lack of a heating system. By 1948 the organ had crumbled and the pews that survived the ravages of moisture and extreme cold were sold. And so the chapel remained sealed until the 1980s when the Board undertook major renovations. It was rededicated in 1990.
According to current cemetery staff, the crematory adjacent to the chapel has been in use since the 1930s. Another, more modern crematory was added near the service building and this, too, is still in use today.
Oak Hill Cemetery is definitely worth a visit—especially knowing what you know now! The gates are open daily at 8AM and remain so until dusk. Office hours are M-F from 9AM to 4:30PM and staff members we have spoken to are both knowledgeable and enthusiastic about answering questions!
[F]
255 South Ave
Battle Creek, MI 49014
(616) 964-7321
Acres: 80
Established: 1844
No Official Website
Bella Morte Rating: 4 Tombstones
When one hears the words, Battle Creek, Michigan, it is common to think of cereal. Now…put those words and “cemetery” together and you would be correct in assuming some of the biggest names in the breakfast cereal business would rest in that place…and so it is that the graves of cereal giants J.H. and W.K. Kellogg (as well as C.W. Post) can be found at Battle Creek’s Oak Hill Cemetery. But to say that and no more would be to leave out some very interesting tales…not to mention overlooking some other famous residents.
Let’s begin with the Kellogg brothers…John Harvey and William Keith.
John Harvey Kellogg was born in Tyrone, NY on 26 February, 1852. He died in Battle Creek, Michigan on 14 December, 1943 and was buried in the earth at Oak Hill. What he did between those dates is most intriguing:
Upon graduating from medical school, John took a position as Chief Physician at the Western Health Reform Institute of Battle Creek. The institute was the brainchild of Ellen G. White (founder of the Seventh Day Adventists and also a permanent resident of Oak Hill).
Shortly after his employment began, Dr. Kellogg renamed the facility the Battle Creek Sanitarium. It is interesting to note the word “sanitarium” was coined by the good doctor who was quite fixated on keeping everything “clean.”
Prior to Kellogg’s arrival, the institute’s emphasis had been on feeding patients only “natural foods,” i.e. fruits, nuts, whole grains and legumes. But Dr. Kellogg, to borrow a phrase, “kicked it up a notch”… or two! You see, John was convinced most disease originates in the stomach and/or intestines. In order to keep these organs “sanitary,” he prescribed a daily yogurt enema for all patients. (One might wonder about his anatomical acumen and would be right to do so!) But things got much stranger than that! Aside from the alleged disease-breeding sources of unsanitary stomach and bowels, Kellogg laid the blame for all other maladies at the doorstep of…sexual acts! Indeed, so malefic did he consider sexual intercourse, and, in fact, anything having to do with sex, that Kellogg refrained from ever consummating his 40+ year marriage!
Among his more controversial treatments were chemically-produced female “castration,” immersing patients in chilled, irradiated water, forced marches before and after meager meals, and electric shock therapy.
For anyone interested in the subject, the Internet is a seemingly-bottomless source of information on this truly odd individual. For our purposes, we will only mention that John and his brother Will (about whom we shall write momentarily) began producing whole grain cereals as part of their dietary philosophy and, one day, while trying to remedy a somewhat gluey batch, inadvertently created the “flakes” which have since become a breakfast staple.
Alas, after some years of production, Will determined the addition of sugar was necessary. John violently disagreed as he believed sugar (among many other things) to be a “poison.” This seemingly trivial disagreement led to an animosity that lasted the remainder of the brother’s lives, although it has been suggested John, nearing death, wrote a 7-page letter to his younger brother in which he apologized for wronging him and asked for forgiveness and a reunion. As the story goes, this letter was entrusted to the dying man’s secretary with the instruction to post it (we couldn’t resist!); however, having her own dislike of Will, she merely tossed it in a desk where it languished until a time well after both men perished.
John died at the age of 91. No cause seems to be listed anywhere which leads one to suspect (perhaps unfairly) it was something like colon cancer, an illness which, had it taken root in him, would undermine all he stood for. In any case, he was buried in Oak Hill with only a simple, flat headstone noting his name, birth and death dates. It, along with other family member’s stones, is located near a large, rough-hewn granite block which bears the name: KELLOGG.
We turn now to William Keith Kellogg. William was eight years John’s junior. Unlike his older brother, who graduated from medical school, William ceased his educational career upon completing grade school. He worked at the Battle Creek Sanitarium as an administrator and subscribed to many of his sibling’s dietary practices.
After the two accidentally invented a process to “flake” their cereals, the brothers formed the Sanitarium Food Company (later changed to Sanitas Food Company). All was well for nine years until the aforementioned sugar vs. no sugar rift drove an unbreakable wedge between the two men. It was at this time (1906) Will formed his own business…Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Company. In 1909 he changed the name to Kellogg Toasted Corn Flake Company. Not to be outdone, the elder brother changed the name of his company from Sanitas to Kellogg Food Company. And so it went for several years, with both brothers fighting for ascendancy in the cereal business until Will took legal action and won exclusive use of the family name, establishing the Kellogg Company in 1922.
William seemed to have difficulty dealing with his extreme wealth, particularly as he
attained this status during the Great Depression. He was extravagantly generous, establishing the W.K. Kellogg Foundation with a 46 million dollar grant that bore only this stipulation: “Use the money as you please, so long as it promotes the health, happiness and well-being of children.”
It is interesting to note that William, like his brother, lived to the age of 91. In his final years, he suffered from glaucoma which gradually rendered him blind. Of the time shortly before his death he said the thing that made him happiest was to sit in his company’s parking lot listening to the thrum of the machinery while sniffing the toasted grain scent in the air.
According to his wishes, William was cremated and his cinerary urn was buried in a tasteful but unassuming family plot a few yards away from the final resting place of his brother.
Now for a little more cereal history!
In 1891, suffering a second nervous breakdown due to an inability to deal with the stresses of his job as a real estate speculator (his first came on the heels of stress from overwork as a manufacturer of farm implements), one Charles William Post presented himself at the Battle Creek Sanitarium for treatment. His care was undertaken by none other than Dr. John Harvey Kellogg whose stringent dietary regimen effected what Post deemed a complete cure.
Duly inspired by whole grain goodness, Post started his own health clinic (La Vita Inn) and, later, he established his own company which initially offered a single product…Postum. This was a roasted grain beverage intended as a substitute for coffee. It seems Post, like his mentor, Dr. Kellogg, believed caffeine was “poisonous.” In any case, Postum enjoyed enormous popularity and Post made a fortune on it. Subsequently, he invented Grape Nuts and then built a cereal empire on other creations including Elijah’s Manna (subsequently renamed Post Toasties after Victorian sensibilities were offended by the alleged “blasphemy” of the original name).
Post was wildly inventive and is credited with many advertising gimmicks and techniques still in use today e.g. coupons, free samples and massive advertising!
He also started the Battle Creek Box Company so he could handle all details of packaging his foods.
Also like the elder Kellogg, Post entertained some decidedly-odd ideas. In one instance, he purchased and detonated large amounts of dynamite in the belief it would attract rain to the area. Ahhh—yes—the area in question was none other that Post City, Texas…a Utopian Community planned by Post which actually succeeded in some ways. (again, those interested should look to the Internet for some fascinating reading).
In 1914, Post began to suffer from “stomach pains.” He had himself rushed to the Mayo Clinic via private train where he was met by none other than the famous Mayo brothers who diagnosed the cereal magnate with appendicitis. Some records indicate the case was pronounced “inoperable,” others suggest Post underwent surgery. What can be agreed upon is that Charles returned home to Santa Barbara, California without having obtained any relief from his pain. On 9 May, 1914, he climbed into his bed, placed a rifle between his legs with the barrel pointed towards his face and, using his toes, pulled the trigger. Thus ended the life of this fascinating fellow.
Unlike the humble burial plots of his Kellogg neighbours, Post’s eternal resting place is a stately mausoleum composed of 630 tons of white Victoria granite. Construction was finished in 1915 at a cost of $100,000. Following completion, Post’s body was brought by train from California to Battle Creek where an elaborate funeral (attended by thousands) took place.
Although the interior of the mausoleum contains two sarcophagi, these are for decorative purposes only. The caskets of both Post and his wife lie nine feet beneath the mausoleum’s marble floor.
The exterior is sumptuously landscaped and features enormous claw-foot torchiers, the Post Coat of Arms above massive, burnished bronze doors, and eight wide stairs that draw the eye inexorably to the tomb’s entrance.
Located behind the Post Mausoleum is the grave of Sojourner Truth (a/k/a Isabella Baumfree), famous abolitionist and women’s rights activist.
Originally buried without a marker, a stone was finally placed in 1890 (7 years following her death) after sufficient donations were collected. It bore her name, age and date of death along with the words “Is God dead?” The story behind this rather curious quote is actually quite interesting. Here is a report from the Coldwater Republican, 4 March, 1892:
The phrase, "Is God dead?" inscribed on Sojourner's tombstone can be traced back to an encounter between Frederick Douglass and Truth at a meeting held in Akron, Ohio, in August 1852. Douglass was delivering an eloquent, if despairing, speech and had brought his audience to a "high pitch of excitement," when Truth interrupted and asked, "Is God gone?" Her remark was later incorrectly reported as "Frederick, Is God dead?" in an article Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote for the New York Independent in 1860…
Fifty-five years after the first marker was placed, another collection was taken in order to replace the original stone with a grander monument to this remarkable woman. It took one year to raise sufficient funds, but in June, 1946 the new stone was placed. The Battle Creek Enquirer & News reported on 2 June, 1946:
The new monument replaces one which has stood for more than 60 years. It is of Georgia marble and is of the same stone that was used in the monument that was used on the grave of President Franklin D. Roosevelt at Hyde Park. The inscription gives her age as 'about 105,' but her actual age was not known. Also inscribed on the monument is a quotation from Stephen A. Douglas: 'Is God Dead?'
Amazingly, the paper perpetuated the misquote and then, to add insult to injury, misattributed it, too! Quite sad…
An historical marker near Truth’s grave offers this information to visitors:
In memoriam, Sojourner Truth, Renowned lecturer and reformer who championed Anti-Slavery, Rights of Women and the Freedmen, rests here. Beside her lie two of her five children: Elizabeth Banks Boyd, Died Jan. 6, 1893; Diana Corbin, Died Oct. 25, 1904, and two grandsons: Samuel Banks, Died Feb. 24, 1875; William F. Boyd, Died Nov. 3, 1887; Sojourner Truth Memorial Association, 1961.
Without doubt, the most lovely monument in Oak Hill is also one to which is attached all manner of ridiculous (and, in some cases, ignorant) tales. We refer to the grave of Johannes Decker which is watched over by the life-size bronze figure of a woman in flowing Grecian robes, her eyes downcast, a laurel wreath in each outstretched hand. Her expression is one of unbearable grief.
Locally (and in circles where tales of ghosts and “supernatural events” abound) she is most-commonly (and ignorantly, we might add) referred to as “Weeping Mary,” the proper name referring to the mother of Jesus. Of course, to anyone with even the slightest bit of knowledge in the realm of art, it is immediately obvious that the woman is hardly intended as a work of religious art…or, if she is, she would belong to the pantheon of ancient Greece or Rome.
In any case, the legend varies in the telling, but all agree the statue of “Mary” weeps—either every Sunday night, or every full-moon night, or every other Sunday night, or…you get the picture. Of course, the truth of the matter is that as the bronze oxidizes it creates a verdi gris patina. In those places where water would tend to run in greater concentration (i.e. the folds of a gown, the curve of a face) there will be areas of a darker cast. When this occurs on the face, it can appear as a trail of tears.
As is often the case, the actual story is far more engaging than many of the tales which have been invented about the monument. In truth, the statue is the creation of Nellie V. Walker, a sculptor from Chicago who was commissioned by Ruth Decker (Johanne’s wife) to create a monument as a tribute to their love. The statue is called “Woman with Two Wreaths” and it was cast in 1911 by the American Bronze Art Foundry of Chicago, Illinois.
Johannes Decker married Ruth Whitmore on 4 September, 1867. He was a travelling salesman who sold dry goods . The couple had two children, a daughter who died in her third year of life after contracting scarlet fever and an infant who did not survive beyond the day of his/her birth. Johannes died on the 19th of January, 1910 at the age of 71. Ruth, who followed him in death 15 years later, is said to have never recovered from her grief. The beautiful bronze is a testament of one woman’s eternal love for her husband.
At the time of our visit, the bronze was marvelously restored to its original golden hue, a fact that also prevented her from “weeping.”
Finally, we turn to the strange case of the Hamilton Mausoleum, or, more accurately, Oak Hill Abbey. For those familiar with the grounds, the question
may arise as to the location of this structure. After all, there appears to be no such place on the grounds and, in fact, that is quite true. And yet…at one time…such a building did occupy the hallowed ground of Oak Hill Cemetery…
It was back in 1911, the same year the “Woman With Two Wreaths” was installed on the property, that one William H. Hamilton approached the Board of Oak Hill and requested permission to construct a community mausoleum on the grounds. The structure, Hamilton said, would be his own business venture, but in return for the favour, he would give the sum of $3,000 to Oak Hill. The deal was struck and Hamilton had crews begin work almost immediately. He endowed the project with $6,000 of his own money.
The Abbey featured 338 crypts set inside a hulking rectangular fortress which had a tower at each of its four corners. Soon, it was opened and private citizens paid Hamilton directly for crypt space.
The mausoleum was a money-maker and it wasn’t long before Hamilton moved to California in search of a better life. Unfortunately, the abbey began to fall into disrepair in the early 1950s. At that time, the Board of Oak Hill contacted Hamilton who informed them of his recent bankruptcy. Unable to fund repairs, the building was closed to the public in 1955.
So, where is it today, you ask?
Well, let’s just say the structure began crumbling as the years passed. In the mid- 1970s, the Board of Oak Hill contacted known relatives of those entombed within and offered them plot space on the cemetery grounds or, if they desired, the release of the remains for burial or cremation elsewhere. The removal was carried out in October, 1978 and this, it turns out, was none too soon as the north tower collapsed just one month later! The mausoleum was razed in 1979 and on that site in 1981 a maintenance building and (second) crematory were built. Today, if you visit Oak Hill and search near this service building, you will find a large monument consisting of two low grey granite slabs flanking a central, upright stone of the same material. It is inscribed (front and back) with the names of over 150 individuals and declares its purpose as such:
In memory of the following deceased who were removed
from Oak Hill Abbey Mausoleum during October, 1978
Dedicated by Oak Hill Cemetery May, 1979
(Photo: Hamilton Mausoleum)
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One final note on the tragic history of Oak Hill Abbey remains.
At the time of construction, one crypt was set aside and designated as a “time capsule” to be opened on the building’s 1,000th anniversary in 2911! The obvious irony is that the mausoleum was so poorly constructed (more on that in a moment) that is didn’t even last 50 years before beginning its horrific slide into ruin. But the Fates were crueler still. You see, the Time Capsule captivated the imagination of Battle Creek residents who commissioned histories of clubs, organizations, businesses and churches to be written and sealed within the crypt along with photographs, baubles and various paraphernalia particular to the time. But in 1960, thoughtless vandals, having no care for such things, broke in and removed the contents of the crypt in its entirety.
Oh yes…about that construction…as it turns out, Hamilton was so unscrupulous that, in the interest of saving money, he cut all sorts of corners during the building of the mausoleum. The structure’s Achilles Heel was revealed when cemetery officials, seeking to remedy the situation before the mausoleum was too far gone, discovered the brickwork was merely a veneer laid over wood! Indeed, the building was doomed from the start!
Finally, we turn to the chapel and crematory. The English Gothic building, featuring a granite and limestone exterior was designed by Lewis J, Sarvis. Inside, it boasted walnut pews, a recessed organ and stained glass windows designed by Francois Grenier of the Beaux Arts Studio, Detroit. The chapel opened in 1927 but suffered severe damage in subsequent years owing to the lack of a heating system. By 1948 the organ had crumbled and the pews that survived the ravages of moisture and extreme cold were sold. And so the chapel remained sealed until the 1980s when the Board undertook major renovations. It was rededicated in 1990.
According to current cemetery staff, the crematory adjacent to the chapel has been in use since the 1930s. Another, more modern crematory was added near the service building and this, too, is still in use today.
Oak Hill Cemetery is definitely worth a visit—especially knowing what you know now! The gates are open daily at 8AM and remain so until dusk. Office hours are M-F from 9AM to 4:30PM and staff members we have spoken to are both knowledgeable and enthusiastic about answering questions!
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