On the back side of that tree and also leaning also against the tree barely visible here resides the broken stone of Ellen Stanley wife of Nathaniel Stanley. We can also see here the stone of Maria L. Stanley wife of Joseph H. Stanley on the left. I wonder if on the right is the base part of the Nathaniel Stanley memorial who is the husband of Ellen Stanley. Nathan & Ellen Stanley are the original Stanley progenitors of this family. It is Nathaniel & Ellen Stanley who likely came here first. However, since the stone without inscription is also in the vicinity of Maria L.'s memorial it might be the base of her husband's memorial who was Joseph H. Stanley.
This fracture offers detail of the missing bottom part of the death date that is broken off of the stone. I can clearly see from the contours of the letters June. Also 28 is visible, 1843 as clear as if it were all there. How certain am I. At least 99.9%. All of these stones have been broken off since the 1950s when I lived nearby (800 yards south east) to this cemetery. I came thru here while hunting many times as a boy. I don't recall any broken stones in those days. Biggest enemy lost cemeteries have is trees and limbs falling on them from storms. Second is vandals. Also just the expansion and contraction of stone in wet and cold weather can cause fractures. The above break was clean and may have been from a tree or limb falling or a cow pushing on the stone. Nevertheless the bottom part can be found nearby somewhere. Epoxy glue applied to this part and added back on the base would yield a standing stone again with some effort.
STANLEY, Ellen, 30 Oct 1780 - 28 Jun 1843. "Wife of Nathaniel Stanley."
Inscribed as: "ELLEN wife of NATHANIEL STANLY, BORN Oct 30, 1780 DIED June 28, 1843."
Added here 8 Dec 2009, from the photos of Wayne Austin dated 19 Nov 2009.
