Ralph Gerald Lawton

Let’s begin with Joseph Pratt Lawton, born in 1833, and his wife the former Jane Wilson, born in 1835, both of Jefferson County, New York.  After their marriage in 1856 they were the parents of 11 children, among them my grandfather Will born in 1866, and his younger brother Charles born in 1875.

Charles married Mary (Malina) Noody in 1900, and they had 14 children, among them a son Ralph Gerald Lawton born May 7, 1904.

Will married, as a second wife, Cora Baker, and they had three children together, among them the first born Lloyd August 27, 1905.  Thus Lloyd, my father, was a first cousin to Ralph.

On June 20, 1925 my father Lloyd wed the former Alice Halladay born May 1, 1906, and raised also in Jefferson County.  Not to be outdone, the following month, July 17, 1905, first cousin Ralph married Alice’s younger sister Grace.

Just bear with me.  After all, this tale started in 1833, and already we’re up to 1925.

The accompanying photo is of Ralph Gerald Lawton and his new wife Grace in 1925.  She is holding her oldest sister Elsie House’s first born child, Evelyn, born March 4th the previous year.

Ever onward.  About the year 2000 I was traipsing through a cemetery one day when what should I spot but a tombstone with Ralph’s name on it.  I previously knew he had been killed in a farm accident in 1930, but had no idea where he was buried.  Now I knew.

Maybe three years or so later Ralph and Grace’s son Eugene asked me if I had any idea where his father was buried, and if so would I give him that information.  He had no knowledge of his father’s final resting place as he was only two years old at the time of his father’s death, and had been raised by his mother and stepfather in another county.  Knowing the exact place of burial, I drove Gene to the cemetery about an hour away from my home, and pointed out the tombstone to him.  Tears rolled down his face as we stood there gazing down, and then we drove back to my home.  I never saw nor spoke with him again before his death nearly two years ago.

About three years ago I realized I had never photographed that gravesite or tombstone in either of my visits so I set out one day to do that.  I drove to a cemetery in Plessis, NY where I recalled the site to be, but I could no longer locate it.  I paid a return visit later with my grandson as a helper, and we yet couldn’t locate it.  I mentioned this to my daughter Donna, and she did some sleuthing on her own to discover he was not supposed to be in the Plessis Cemetery, but in one located in La Fargeville, Jefferson County.  I realize due to my advancing age my memory is not as good as it once was so I have, as of now, spent several hours searching the cemetery in La Fargeville all to no avail.  I am unable to locate that which I have previously seen, and knew its exact whereabouts.  As somewhere around a decade has passed since I last sighted it, it is possible the tombstone has been removed or covered in some manner.

Does anyone know where Ralph’s grave is located?