|
|
|
|
Legend of the Woman's Face on Tombstone at the Sandlin's Cemetery in Lamar County Alabama near Sulligent, AL. There is a tombstone in the Sandlin Cemetery that appears to have the image of a woman on it. Years ago, it was noticed that this marker had an image that looked like the face of a woman. At one time people came to the cemetery just to see the tombstone with "the face". On Sunday afternoons, folks drove by for a look. After talking to descendants of T. L. Kittrell, I am updating the legend. It seems that Thomas Lumpkin Kittrell who was married to Sarah Wallace Kittrell at the time, was planning to move his family to Lamar County, in 1904, by covered wagon from somewhere near Birmingham. The night before the family was to leave, Sarah left, going to a neighbor's to buy chickens, and never returned. Kittrell remained there for about 30 days and searched for her. No clue was found as to what happened to her. He gave up the search and began his journey to this area. Hettie Duke, mother of the missing woman, and her daughter, Martha W. Seawell, sister of the missing woman, moved with Kittrell and his three sons, Ed, Luther and Joe Kittrell to Lamar County. The women moved with him to help take care of the boys. Several years later, Kittrell married Martha Jane Carden Paul, who had three children by a previous marriage. T. L. Kittrell died July 23, 1927 and Mary Jane Carden Paul Kittrell Hankins died July 14, 1941. The missing woman's mother, Hettie Duke died November 23, 1927. George W. Seawell brother-in-law of the missing woman died April 3, 1945 and his wife, sister to the missing woman, Martha Ann Seawell died April 16, 1945. About eight years after Mary Jane's death, what appeared to be the "face " of a woman appeared on her tombstone. People thought that it was the face of Sarah Wallace Kittrell trying to tell what had happened to her. . . . . . which is an unsolved mystery.
Sources: Melinda Cantrell and Elisha Byars
|