Last week’s Tombstone Tuesday featured John Henry Kable (1877-1957), a deceased individual without a tombstone, although he reportedly was buried in Kessler, aka Liberty Cemetery, Mercer County, Ohio.
The son of Frederick (1817-1886) and Catharine (Koch) (1837-1911) Kable, John H. grew up in Liberty Township and married Viola L. Baumgartner on 4 November 1906. [1]
By 1910 John and Viola had two children, Walter Elmer, 2, and Viola Laurina, 3 months. [2]
According to Zion Chatt’s records, Walter Elmer Kable was born 16 August 1907, the son of John Henry and Viola L. Baumgartner. He was baptized at Zion Chatt on 10 April 1908 with his parents serving as his baptismal sponsors.
Also, according to Zion Chatt’s records, Viola Laurina Kable was born 8 January 1910, the daughter of John Henry and Viola L. Baumgartner. She was baptized 24 July 1910 with her parents serving as her baptismal sponsors.
In 1913 John H. Kable and family lived in Fort Wayne, Indiana, for a short time [3] but they moved back to Mercer County by 1918. [4] And by 1918 John H. and Viola had four children.
John H. Kable’s wife Viola (Baumgartner) Kable died in Liberty Township, Mercer County, on 11 December 1918. [5]
In 1920 widower John H. Kable, 42, and his four children lived in Mercer County with John’s widowed sister, Christina (Kable) Baumgartner, 52: John H Kable, 42, widowed; Walter E Kable, 12, son; Laurina V. Kable, 10, daughter; Victor D Kable, 8, son; Bessie Kable, 6, daughter; and Christina Baumgartner, 52, sister, widow. [6]
John’s two oldest children, Walter and Viola Laurina, both died within a few weeks of each other in 1921.
According to Zion Chatt’s death and burial records, Viola Laurina Kable died from spinal meningitis on 11 November 1921, aged 11 years, 10 months, and 13 days. She was buried in the Chattanooga Mausoleum on the 13th. She was survived by her father, 2 brothers, and 1 sister.
According to Zion Chatt’s death and burial records, Walter E. Kable died from blood poisoning on 24 November 1921, aged 15 years. He was buried in the Chattanooga Mausoleum on the 27th. He was survived by his father, a sister and a brother. According to his civil death record, Walter died in Mercer County. [7]
Chattanooga Mausoleum, Chattanooga, Ohio
Although the records indicate both children were laid to rest in the Chattanooga Mausoleum, neither has a marked vault there. However, John H. Kable purchased three vaults at the Chattanooga Mausoleum between 1919 and 1925.
John H. Kable purchased compartments no. 9 & 10, Section F, in the Chattanooga Mausoleum on 10 February 1919, certificate no. 21. Were these two compartments originally purchased for John H. and his wife Viola? But she had already passed away in 1918 and according to her death certificate she was buried in the Chattanooga Cemetery. Did that mean Kessler/Liberty Cemetery? Her tombstone has not been found there.
Or did John H. Kable originally purchase the two compartments for himself and his wife Viola, but used them instead for his two children? He probably did not expect two of his children to die at such a young age.
Six years later John H. Kable purchased another compartment at the Chattanooga Mausoleum. He purchased compartment no. 11, Section F West, on 7 December 1925, certificate no. 23. Perhaps he purchased that additional compartment for himself, where he would be laid to rest next to his children?
It is also interesting to note that John’s sister Christena (Kable) Baumgartner purchased compartments no. 7 & 8, Section F, on 22 February 1918, Certificate no. 19. Christena and her husband John Baumgartner are laid to rest there and their compartments are engraved with their names.
Chattanooga Mausoleum
The Kable family has five compartments in the Chattanooga Mausoleum, compartments 7-11, all next to each other.
Records indicate that John H.’s children Walter E. and Viola Laurina were laid to rest in the Chattanooga Mausoleum. Perhaps their names were never carved on their vaults.
The father, John Henry Kable died in Adams County, Indiana, on 22 January 1957 and is reportedly buried in Kessler Cemetery, but there is no marker for him either.
[1] Ohio, U.S. County Marriage Records, 1774-1993, Mercer County, 1904-1910, p.278, John H. Kable & Viola L. Baumgartner, 4 Nov 1906; Ancestry.com.
[2] 1910 U.S. Census, Ohio, Mercer, Liberty, ED 119, p.12A [penned], dwelling 212, family 219, John Kable; Ancestry.com.
[3] Fort Wayne Sentinel, Fort Wayne, Indiana, 1 Feb 1913; Newspapers.com.
[4] U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918, Ohio, Mercer County, John Henry Kable; Ancestry.com.
[5] “Ohio Deaths, 1908-1953,” Mercer, Viola L Kable, 11 Dec 1918; FamilySearch.org.
[6] 1920 U.S. Census, Ohio, Mercer, Liberty, ED 140, dwelling 196, family 213, John H Kable; Ancestry.com.
[7] “Ohio Death Index, 1908-1932, 1938-1944, 1958-2007,” Walter E. Kable, 1921; FamilySearch.org.
2 comments
Hello, I am looking for Bill Cable or start K. he & family lived down Cable Rd. He was a Uncle of My Late husband Fred Reedy. He passed in the 70’s I know before 1979 .
Author
I believe you are looking for William Kable (1906-1982), who was married to Mary Margaret Griggs (1916-2000). His wife Mary Margaret Griggs was the sister of Esther Grace Griggs (1920-2008), who married Cail Edgar Reedy (1913-1979), your late husband’s parents. William Kable and his wife are buried at St. Paul Country Church Cemetery, Mercer County, the corner of Wabash & Oregon Roads.