Subject: Groton Cemetery Inscriptions From: Martha Altemus Date: Sun, 30 Apr 2006 07:10:56 -0400 To: Barb Dodge , Norman Dodge Hi, Barb, You may recall a few months/weeks ago we "talked" about the inability to read all four sides of the monument in the Groton Cemetery for Levi and Susanna Dodge. Yesterday was lovely, and Betsy and I went down there armed with a wire brush and other supplies. We cleaned off the stone and here is what it says: Side 1: Levi Dodge died Mar. 3, 1860 age 69 and Susanna A. Wooley. Wife of Levi Dodge died Apr. 22, 1873 age 72 years 6 months Side 2: Catherine Dodge 1835-1900 (probably their daughter who resided in Colorado) Side 3: Charles E. Dodge Jan. 3, 1825-Nov. 9, 1905 (undoubtedly their son Charles) Side 4: "Lost on Lake Erie by the sinking of the steamer Atlantic Aug. 20, 1852 Eliza A. Dodge age 30, Mary J. Smith age 29 daughter of Levi and Susannah Dodge. Also by the same calamity George W. son of Milo and Mary Smith age 11 months" Norman, I do not think you have all of these death dates in the data base. There appears to be a missing stone beside that of Charles Edward of Shirley 1825-1905, probably that of his wife Emma J. Barb, the black stone we questioned, when cleaned up reads: George Dodge died Apr. 28,1864 67 years 7 months, and the other black stone reads Anna P. Dodge died Nov. 4, 1888, age 87. Those stones were lying in the ground for several years. I had them reset a few years back, but they were never cleaned up. Lichen grows well in these parts. I have been in touch with the cemetery caretaker for the Groton Cemetery, and regrettably some of the earlier records are incomplete and inaccurate. For example they do not have the record of Samuel and Mary as being in that plot, but they do have a record of a "Fred". Barbara, do you remember the photo we have of "Fred Dodge" whom we thought might have been Franklin. Well, apparently not. It seems that a "Fred Dodge is also buried in this section, but his gravestone is missing! The mystery continues. Norman, We then went over to the Old Burying Ground looking for one of our Patch ancestors. While there we found the gravestone of Isaac Dodge, Jr. (You remember our discussions about Isaac). Well, guess what, right beside of Isaac Jr's stone is another stone, a rather crude field stone with the initials I. D. The Prudence Wright Chapter of the DAR in Pepperell has taken it upon themselves to mark various graves in that cemetery as the stones are deteriorating due to age and are quite historic. There is a marker on the I.D. stone which says "Isaac Dodge, Second Lieutenant Captain Joseph Moor's Company, Col. William Prescott's Regiment Apr. 19, 1775". Now we know where Isaac Sr. is buried. Betsy has pictures of it which when she gets to it, we can forward to you for the cemetery collection. Martha