#22 At the Cemetery. 52 Ancestors in a year

Dowsing for Graves

One of the Gabel stories that I heard from my father-in-law involved a burial at the Huntley Cemetery by his grandfather Philip.  The story included a burial at night, outside the boundary of the cemetery of a male who, claimed my father-in-law was not wanted by his father Phillip Gabel.  Part of the story included that the male was given to the “Weber’s” to raise.

My father-in-law claimed he knew where the grave was located.  He wasn’t sure how old the male was or even what year the burial occurred.  Maybe when the Spanish flu occurred was his response.    Alas, I never got him to show me the spot.   

Since we farm the land around the cemetery, I thought he must know the location of the grave.  And I wondered if someday they would plow up the grave.

Fast-forward to a class I took at the genealogy seminar about grave dowsing.  A light bulb moment when I realized if I learned grave dowsing, I could find the grave.  (not sure what I would do if I found the grave). But it would validation to the story.  

Would it work?  Would I have the power?  I have no idea how dowsing works, but I had to try.  

My husband made my dowsers from coat hangers.  He thought I was crazy to even try because of course, dowsing does not work.

Our first class was at an unmarked cemetery at the poor farm.  There is no way to tell if we are accurate, unless unearthing occurs.  And that is no going to happen on my watch!  But somehow the rods move.  And when a headstone was discovered at the location of the rod movement, I discovered I have the “power”.  I became a believer!

Upon retirement I undertook the project of recording the Huntley Cemetery for billiongraves.com. I had an ulterior motive to find the headstone of Molly Gabel, daughter of Philip Gabel, who died in 1913.  Her name was recorded in the cemetery book published by the Yellowstone Genealogy Forum.  Members were asked where they obtained that information, but no one could remember.  No one in the family remembered a headstone.

I know there are no records for the cemetery, cemetery claims they were burned in a fire.   

I didn’t find a headstone for Molly, but several depressions indicating graves were prevalent in the cemetery.  Knowing that there are no records for the cemetery, I began grave dowsing.  When indication were that there was someone buried, my husband came with a stick and shovel and we located headstones when possible.  Many were sodded over.   

Our process of uncovering led us to a marker for ‘Henry Gabel”.  No dates.  There was a memorial marker to the left of Henry, which was sodded over too.  But no name on it.  To the left of Henry Gabel was a memorial marker with the name “Weber”.  No first name.  No dates.

I was there one day when the cemetery groundskeeper arrived and he had a book of where people were buried!  I questioned him about Gabel burials and he had 2…(1) no first name, Gabel, Female; (2) Henry Gabel, no first name.  And next to Henry… Weber.  No dates….on any of the 3. 

Do you think I found Molly Gabel, and the male from Gabel family?  And who is Weber and how is he related or connected??