When Ella Fariss died in 1887 one month after her 16th birthday, her father Thomas (Ella’s mother had died seven years earlier) marked her grave with a beautiful tall marble gravestone. At the foot of the grave, he placed a large bouquet of flowers carved from marble. The bouquet was anchored to a piece of stone. Thomas apparently was intent on making certain there would always be flowers on his “darling Ella’s” grave.

At some point, the bouquet was knocked off its stone base, and for the past many, many years it has laid in the ground by Ella’s headstone. Thanks to the work of three Society members – Jerry Prouhet, Ralph and Dave Reckamp with an assist from Ralph’s son Justin - the bouquet is back standing upright at the foot of her grave. Ralph and his wife Cindy donated a piece of granite, and Ralph cut it to fit the space. A hole was then drilled in the middle of the stone, and a stainless-steel rod was placed in the hole and secured with epoxy. The bouquet of flowers and its marble base was reset on the rod with restoration mortar. The new piece of granite is wider than the original stone, and the bouquet sets within the width of the granite. It should no longer be in danger of being struck by a mower.

Thank you, Jerry, Ralph, Dave and Justin for returning Ella’s flowers to their proper place on her gravesite.

Persons can learn more about Ella, her father and the entire Fariss family during the upcoming Cemetery Walk Sunday, September 24. The Fariss’ family story is one of six that will be told by costumed actors. The walk begins at 2 p.m. We hope you can join us!

You can see Ella’s gravestone near the southeast corner of Block 2 west of the flagpole.