Subterranean Celebrity: George Milner
Died July 24, 1846
George Milner, son of David and Lydia Frances Crockett, lived only 2 months, dying of unknown causes during the summer of 1846. He is the only person with the last name Milner recorded as buried in Eastern Cemetery. Though he has no marker, the general area of his grave can be found by following a complicated path.
Published records state that he was "buried at the foot of Benjamin Crockett's child's grave.” Just our luck—Benjamin and Martha Ann Milner Crockett had 3 children buried at Eastern Cemetery, and they don’t have surviving markers either. We could assume that this child was Francis Ellen who died in March 1845, as Georgianna died in October 1846, and Henrietta in 1848, but we don’t know for sure.
Though they do not have official numbered burial plots, the records say the Crocketts were laid to rest in a row in front of the Dupee family (photo above). Our luck is changing—the Dupees have surviving markers. Henry (d. 1811), his wife Abigail (d. 1813), and their son John (d. 1821) have slate markers set next to each other in a row, and these stones are the starting point we will use to locate George Milner. The 3 Crockett children are said to be laid to rest immediately in front of the Dupees, so George Milner’s grave must be located here as well—at the foot of one of the unmarked Crockett graves in front of the Dupees.
It is common for graves to be unmarked in Eastern Cemetery. Though we boast more than 2,500 surviving stone markers, records show that over 7,000 people were interred on the site at one time or another (some have been moved). Whether they were buried without family, belonged to a family of little means, or their grave was marked with something that no longer exists, many buried here are simply markerless. We are lucky to have records, descendants, historians, and stories that make sure many of them will still be known, with or without markers.
Special thanks to Ron Romano for his sleuthing around George, the Crocketts, and his photos of the Dupees.
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