Eliza, wife of Franklin Edo…, Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Mercer County, Ohio. (2011 photo by Karen)
This is the tombstone of Eliza, located at the far end of row 1 of Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Chattanooga, Mercer County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed:
ELIZA
Wife of
Franklin Edo [?]
Died
Aged
30 ys. 4 mo. 18 da.
Unfortunately, this stone is broken at a very important place, eradicating Eliza’s date of death. As if that isn’t enough, there is a chunk of stone missing, making the name of her husband only partially visible.
And the bad luck continues.
Some burials recorded in Zion’s records no longer have a corresponding tombstone in the cemetery. And there are a few tombstones in the cemetery for which there is no burial record. Eliza’s marker is one of the latter.
Comparing this tombstone to similar ones in the cemetery, it likely dates to between 1870 and 1885.
There is nothing in Zion Chatt’s records of an Eliza or an Elizabeth who was 30 years of age during that time period. There are few Franklins mentioned in Zion’s records but none of them seem work with this tombstone.
At Eliza’s young age, she may have died in childbirth.
Eliza, wife of Franklin, aged 30 years, 4 months, 18 days. Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Mercer County, Ohio. (2011 photo by Karen)
Eliza is buried between Andrew E. Leistner and Carrie W. Friedell, which may or may not mean anything.
Eliza’s husband’s first name was Franklin. The last name, or perhaps his middle name, begins with the letters EDO. Very few surnames in Zion’s records begin with an “E.” EDO could be the first three letters of his middle name if his surname was very short.
Who was Eliza? If only there were a few more clues on the tombstone.
I have looked through some Mercer County probate death records on FamilySearch.org. I have searched there for a marriage between a Franklin and Eliza. I have found nothing conclusive. Not even a good guess. It is like looking for a needle in a haystack.
And, they could have lived in Indiana since Chatt is nearly on the state line.
Who were these people? Who were Eliza and Franklin?
We may never know.
