Learning to Drive in Oakwood Cemetery

I was 31 years old when I finally got my driver’s license. In high school I was unable to take Drivers’ Ed. because all elective-type classes were held only during 2nd and 5th periods, and I already had those periods filled with band, foreign language, and advanced math classes, and even had to take trigonometry and 2nd- year Spanish during the same period.

During college and graduate school I avoided the problem of learning how to drive by attending colleges in big cities and living in places that were within walking distance or an easy bus route.

During my first years as a working stiff, I took the bus and then my husband drove me to work for a short while.

When it finally appeared that we could afford a second car, he announced: “You have to learn to drive.” He was right. I couldn’t avoid it any more. And our friend Linda – kind, patient, generous Linda – came to the rescue.

Linda is a natural teacher, so despite my fears, the experience wasn’t too traumatic. We started out at Oakwood Cemetery, which is located in Falls Church near where we live. Driving the small, winding roads was even enjoyable. Venturing from there to the outside world took a bit more courage, but we managed.

My older daughter learned to drive on local neighborhood streets and our younger daughter started out at the local multiplex parking area (the multiplex was recently closed down for some “urban improvement” and may reappear in metamorphosed form in whatever yuppie-tastic residential/commercial conglomeration springs up to take the place of the comfortable, low-rent previous incarnation) and has now graduated to neighborhood streets as well.

Remains of Union Soldier Found at Antietam Battlefield

My family and I are lucky to have Stephen Potter as our neighbor. Who is Stephen Potter? You may have seen him on the Discovery Channel or History Channel. He is an archaeologist for the National Park Service and has under his purview several local Civil War battlefields. A number of you may be aware of the news item referenced above; I was not until I ran into Steve recently at our local grocery store and he filled me in on this relatively recent discovery. You can find several links to this story by just Googling Union Soldier Discovered Antietam. Perhaps the most complete account can be found at washingtonpost.com here:

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/house-divided/2008/12/a_union_soldier_found_buried_a.html

Steve is closely involved in this project and is very excited about the research they are doing based on this discovery. The shallow battlefield grave was found when a burrowing groundhog pushed some of the bone and clothing fragments to the surface; these in turn were found in October 2008 by a battlefield visitor who turned them in at the battlefield's visitor's center. Photographs were made of the fragments and then sent to Stephen Potter, who recognized immediately that the remains must have been from a battlefield burial and called in additional experts to pin down more particulars about the soldier's identity.

The Park Service sent a team including Steve to the battlefield to find the site where the bones had been discovered in the hopes of beating relic hunters to the punch. The finds and the location have helped narrow down the probable age and origin of the soldier at the very least: a young Union soldier (no more than 21, and probably younger) from a New York regiment who, despite his youth, had seen some campaign time. His age was gleaned from the state of his teeth, New York as the state affiliation from the jacket and cuff buttons, the fact that the soldier was not a raw recruit from the fact that several NY-specific buttons had been replaced by ordinary buttons, and 24 specific New York regiments among the numerous New York units present at the battle from the location of the remains.

Steve says they hope to do additional examination and tests to determine the origin of the soldier – was he born in this country, or, like many New York recruits, was he Irish or German? This might help to further narrow down the group of unaccounted-for soldiers from these regiments. When the investigation is complete, the young soldier will be given a proper burial, most likely at Antietam National Cemetery.

Tombstone of Armistead T. Thompson, Thompson Family Cemetery

"In memory of Armistead T. Thompson

Son of Lawson T. & Fannie L. Thompson
A member of Co. G, 8 Regt. Va. Vols
Who died at Point Lookout, Md.
a prisoner of war Nov. 23, 1865.
After an imprisonment of 17 months.

Aged 27 years

Mouldering though thy body be
Yet in our dreams thy form we see:
Our tears in torrents duly fall
O! thee we would but can't recall.

Thou art gone to Christ, thy God
He who bought thee with His blood
Enabled thee to run thy race:
Raised thee now to see his face."

In addition to the flag and plastic flowers, a smooth rock has been placed at the base of the tombstone.

John Compton Tobin and Laura Virginia Tobin, Thompson Family Cemetery

John Compton Tobin
Oct. 1825
July 7, 1916

He is not dead but sleepeth.

Laura Virginia Tobin
June 22, 1841
Sept. 6, 1915

Not my will but thine be done.

(On the other side of the tombstone is the inscription for Amana Abigail Tobin.)

Tombstone of Amana Abigail Tobin, Thompson Family Cemetery

Amana Abigail Tobin
Apr. 4, 1878
Feb. 1, 1904
Though lost to sight to memory dear
TOBIN

(The other side of the tombstone lists John Compton Tobin and Laura Virginia Tobin.)

Thompson Family Cemetery, Pan Am Shopping Center, Vienna, Virginia

Above are some views of the Thompson Family Cemetery, situated the area of the Pan Am Shopping Center that abuts Lee Highway. Many old graves in Fairfax County have had to be relocated when commercial development moves in, but in this case the shopping center was built around the old graveyard. The area of the cemetery rises above the level of the Center's parking lot and has timber restraining walls on most of the four sides; it is best approached from the one corner that has no restraining wall. There is a group of tall trees in the center and plantings on the shopping center side. The grass is not "manicured" but is well kept.

Only two gravestones can be seen. According to Brian A. Conley's book, Cemeteries of Fairfax County, Virginia, other persons likely to be buried here are: Henry Allen, Rita A. T. Covington, Daniel Thompson, Ellen Thompson, Fannie A. Thompson, Katie Thompson, Reverend Lawson T. Thompson, Lola Thompson, Marshall Thompson, Nat Thompson, Samuel P. Thompson, Carmey Tobin, and Mamie Tobin.

Robinson, Jack

The above tombstone is located in the cemetery of the Second Baptist Church of Falls Church located on Costner Drive, Falls Church, Virginia.

Jack Robinson
Virginia
PVT 841 Co. Trans Corps
World War I