Saturday, April 26, 2014

Stories from Bovina's Cemeteries - This is One of the Many Neat and Artistic Monuments

This is more a story about a monument than the people.  James and Lizzie Coulter were a prosperous Bovina couple. And they were generous to the town - James provided the building that became the Bovina Public Library and generously endowed the library in his will.

James also appears to have been a good planner. In December 1904, the Andes Recorder reported that "J.W. Coulter has purchased a fine monument of sarcophagus design having rounded columns on corner of die with artistic carved caps." The paper went on to note that it weighed nine tons. The recorder the following May reported that the monument was being placed on the Coulter plot. And somehow it gained weight - the paper noted that "it weighs 12 tons."

The company that installed the monument was John A. Woodburn in Delhi. In August 1907, he placed an advertisement in the Delaware Republican highlighting the Coulter monument.


The plot at the monument did not stay empty for long. Mrs. Coulter died on September 11, 1909 from tuberculosis, from which she had suffered for several years. Her husband survived her by a bit over seven years, dying in January 1917.

Here's what the monument looks like now. As you can see, it is in fine condition. Thanks to Ed and Dick Davidson for the photograph.

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