With some "before-and-after" photos!
All cleaning and repair items are safe and/or formulated for cleaning and restoring historic gravestones, which we have experience in.
To read more about each member of the Otis family, please see the "Otis Genealogy" page.
The Erastus S. Otis Family Plot at Maromas Cemetery, Middletown, CT
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| The Erastus S. Otis Family Plot at Maromas Cemetery |
From right to left: Lewis Taylor Otis, Daniel H. Otis, Erastus Selden Otis, and Elizabeth Mary Young-Otis.
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| Photo by P. Welch |
Erastus Selden Otis (Father of Daniel H. Otis)
This was the state of the Erastus Otis gravestone before it was repaired.
The stone was cracked in half, leaning against a tree, and the white marble was black with biological growth. This is the gravestone that started us on the road to cemetery restoration. Originally, I hired a professional to join the two pieces and reset it. My husband and I then finished the remainder of the restoration. It took me five cleanings (over a period of several months) to return the stone to its beautiful white-colored marble. I use a specially-formulated cleaner that kills biological growth, and is safe for historic gravestones.
Look at it now! The marble is white again!
ERASTUS S. OTIS
DIED
Aug 4, 1864
Aged 50 Yrs.
We part to meet again.
Aug 4, 1864
Aged 50 Yrs.
We part to meet again.
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| Footstone of Erastus S. Otis E.S.O. |
Private Daniel H. Otis
Gravestone of Daniel H. Otis, son of Erastus S. Otis and Elizabeth M. Young
after being cleaned and reset at his proper burial site.
One summer, my husband and I gave Daniel's gravestone a good cleaning, revealing the beautiful white marble stone that his father Erastus erected as a tribute to his brave veteran son.
Daniel's grave is adorned with summer-time flowers from my own garden: zinnias, cosmos, marigolds, and snapdragons. There are also fragrant potted plants of thyme and lavender, and a little moss garden in front of his grave that I created. Some grass seed needs to be planted in front.
CO. B, 14 REG C.V.
DANIEL H.
Son of Erastus S. & Elizabeth M. Otis,
Fell in the Battle of
Fredricksburg Dec. 13,
Died in Falmouth Va,
Dec 17, 1862
AE. 15 Yrs. 8 Mo’s. & 2 D’s
“HONOR TO THE BRAVE”
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| Footstone of Daniel H. Otis D. H. O. |
For more information on Daniel's gravestone, see the page: "Daniel's Gravestone at Maromas Cemetery."
Elizabeth Mary Otis (Mother of Daniel H. Otis)
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| The broken gravestone of Elizabeth M. Otis, wife of Erastus S. Otis, and mother of Daniel H. Otis. |
Originally, there was only one piece of the Elizabeth Mary Otis (née Young) gravestone, and it was the bottom half, leaning against a tree, the once white marble all black with biological growth. That piece can be seen in the background of the above picture.
The piece in the foreground was recently discovered! (As of September 2019)
The individual who started me on the path to gravestone restoration taught me that gravestone pieces usually don’t stray too far from the original burial site. He proved it to me. He was like a diviner and walked directly to a spot beside the grave of Elizabeth Otis, plunged his shovel into the ground, and dug up the missing piece of her gravestone beneath at least 9-inches of sod and soil! That piece can be seen in the foreground of the above picture.
It was like finding a long lost treasure! As he pulled the missing gravestone piece from the ground, I was shocked to see that the marble was still a gorgeous white, albeit covered in a layer of dirt. My gosh, how long was the bottom half of that stone buried under there? It's still white!
Even more shocking, is what the remainder of Elizabeth's epitaph said (as revealed on the newly-discovered piece):
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| Spring flowers blooming at Elizabeth's grave: daffodils, hyacinths, and pansies |
ELIZABETH M.
wife of
ERASTUS S. OTIS,
died on her birth day
April 3, 1856
Aged 39 Yr's
Gone home.
Oh my goodness. Elizabeth Mary Otis died on her birthday! In all my research on the Otis family, I have never been able to locate an actual birth date for Elizabeth. And now here it is, on her newly-discovered headstone piece: she died the same day she was born: on her birth day!
The above picture was taken after setting the bottom half of her gravestone into the ground and bonding the two broken pieces together. Next, the relatively large gaps were infilled. Then it was given a good cleaning! The top part of Elizabeth's gravestone is still slightly dirt-stained from being underground so long. Hopefully time, care, and a cleaning every so often, will get it completely white again.
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| Footstone of Elizabeth M. Otis E.M.O. |
Lewis "Lewie" Taylor Otis (Nephew of Daniel H. Otis)
Lewis "Lewie" Taylor Otis was the infant son of William Y. Otis and Elizabeth V. Taylor, the grandson of Erastus S. Otis and Elizabeth M. Young, and nephew of Daniel H. Otis. William was the second oldest brother of Daniel Otis. Lewie was only 1-year, 6 months old when he died from epilepsy.
Lewie's grave was facing the wrong way, lopsided, and black with biological growth. It had no base and was just propped up all willy-nilly with two large stones (above picture).
Here is Lewie's gravestone after his tiny, child-sized base was located under the soil, reset and cleaned. Look at the difference!
OUR LEWIE
Son of
Wm. Y. & Elizabeth V.
Otis.
died Jan. 17, 1866
AE 1 Year, 6 Mo's.
Wm. Y. & Elizabeth V.
Otis.
died Jan. 17, 1866
AE 1 Year, 6 Mo's.
Our loss is Lewie's gain
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| Footstone of Lewie Otis L.O. |
The Robert S. Otis Family Plot at Old Farm Hill Cemetery, Middletown, CT
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| The Robert S. Otis Family Plot at Old Farm Hill Cemetery |
From right to left: Robert S. Otis, Charlotte E. Burdick Otis, Charlotte Agnes Otis, Sidney B. Otis, and Mary L. Boden-Otis. The central pillar is engraved with an epitaph for each person, and they are buried at their respective grave-markers.
Gravestone of Robert S. Otis, and his wife Charlotte
Robert S. Otis was the son of Erastus S. Otis and Elizabeth M. Young, and the eldest brother of Daniel H. Otis (Robert was older than Daniel by 11 years).
ROBERT S. OTIS
DIED
MAY 21, 1894
AGED 58 YRS.
4 MOS.
CHARLOTTE E. OTIS
HIS WIFE
DIED
FEB. 20, 1937
AGED 92 YRS
& 26 DAYS
AGED 92 YRS
& 26 DAYS
Grave-marker of Robert S. Otis.
R.S.O.
R.S.O.
Grave-marker of Charlotte E. Otis.
This is so sweet that her marker says, "MOTHER."
This is so sweet that her marker says, "MOTHER."
Gravestone of Sidney Burdick Otis, and his wife Mary L. Otis.
Sidney Burdick Otis was the son of Robert S. Otis and Charlotte E. Burdick, the grandson of Erastus S. Otis and Elizabeth M. Young, and nephew of Daniel H. Otis.
SIDNEY B. OTIS
DIED
FEB. 23, 1943
AGED 73 YRS.
MARY L.
HIS WIFE
DIED
APR. 17, 1910
AGED 37 YRS.
Grave-marker of Sidney B. Otis.
"SIDNEY"
"SIDNEY"
Grave-marker of Mary L. Otis
"MARY"
"MARY"
Gravestone of Charlotte Agnes Otis.
Charlotte Agnes Otis was the daughter or Robert S. Otis and Charlotte E. Burdick, the granddaughter of Erastus S. Otis and Elizabeth M. Young, and the niece of Daniel H. Otis.
C. AGNES
DAUGHTER OF
ROBERT S. &
CHARLOTTE E. OTIS
DIED
DIED
JUNE 5, 1896
AGED 24 YRS.
Grave-marker of Charlotte Agnes Otis.
The Mary E. Otis (Risk) Family Plot at Spring Grove Cemetery, Hartford, CT
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| The Mary E. Otis (Risk) family plot at Spring Grove Cemetery in Hartford, CT |
Burial from right to left: Allen Risk, Mary Otis (Risk), their son Charles A. Risk, and their daughter Antoinette M. Risk (Seidler). I really like how each of the family member's nicknames are engraved on the top of their respective gravestones.
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| Gravestone of Mary E. Otis Risk. Nickname: "MAY" |
Mary Elizabeth Otis was the first-born of Robert S. Otis and Charlotte E. Burdick. The granddaughter of Erastus S. Otis and Elizabeth M. Young, and the niece of Daniel H. Otis.
MAY E. RISK
1862 - 1949
1862 - 1949
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| Gravestone of Allen Risk Nickname: "AL" |
Allen Risk was the husband of Mary E. Otis. In his time, he was a well-known hotel mogul in Connecticut. Read about the colorful Mr. Risk on the Otis Family Genealogy page. (Just scroll down to the subheading, "Mary Elizabeth Otis-Risk."
ALLEN RISK
1860 - 1910
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| Gravestone of Charles A. Risk Nickname: "CHARLIE" |
Charles A. Otis was the son of Mary E. Otis and Allen Risk. The grandson of Robert S. Otis and Charlotte E. Burdick. The great-grandson of Erastus S. Otis and Elizabeth M. Young, and the great-nephew of Daniel H. Otis.
Poor Charles died at the young age of 25. He was a musician.
CHARLES A. RISK
1882 - 1906
1882 - 1906
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| Gravestone of Antoinette M. Risk (Seidler) Nickname: "NET" |
Antoinette M. Risk was the daughter of Mary E. Otis and Allen Risk. The granddaughter of Robert S. Otis and Charlotte E. Burdick. The great-granddaughter of Erastus S. Otis and Elizabeth M. Young, and the great-niece of Daniel H. Otis.
Antoinette married Frederick Agusta Seidler. She died at the age of 48/49.
ANTOINETTE RISK
SEIDLER
1885 - 1944
SEIDLER
1885 - 1944
The William Y. Otis Family Plot at Quinnipiac Cemetery, Southington, CT
The gravestone of William Young Otis and his wife Elizabeth Vashti Taylor Otis.
Notice the Masonic “Square and Compasses" on their gravestone.
William Young Otis was the second eldest son of Erastus S. Otis and Elizabeth M. Young, and the older brother of Daniel H. Otis. (William was 8 years older than Daniel).
WILLIAM Y. OTIS
DIED APRIL 21, 1886
AGED 47
AGED 47
_________
ELIZABETH V. TAYLOR
HIS WIFE
DIED MAY 10, 1896
AGED 56
BEYOND THE SHADOWS
Grave-marker of William Young Otis.
"W. Y. O."
"W. Y. O."
There was no grave-marker for William's wife, Elizabeth Vashti Otis. Perhaps it's buried beneath the ground? William has one of the most haunting epitaphs: "Beyond the Shadows." I wonder if this has some hidden Masonic meaning? I bet it does.
On the back side of the William Otis family gravestone is their son, Lewis', cenotaph, as his remains are buried in Maromas Cemetery. See above gravestone for Lewie Otis. (Ignore my black parasol in the back ground. Sorry)
LEWIS, THEIR SON
1864-1866
I have not been able to locate the final resting place of William and Elizabeth's second son, Ervin Lewis Otis (Born: May 2, 1869 / Died: October 11, 1915 in Newark, NJ). While working in Newark, Ervin Lewis Otis was hit and killed by an automobile. He was only 46 years-old. Incidentally, Ervin died on the birthday of his first cousin, George Otis. George was born October 11, 1855.
I will create my own epitaph for Ervin, here:
ERVIN LEWIS OTIS
DIED
OCTOBER 11, 1915
AE. 46 Yrs. 5 Mo's. 9 D's.
The Burial Plot of George C. Otis at New County Home Cemetery, Tallmadge, OH
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| New County Home Cemetery in Tallmadge, Ohio Photo by David Homsher |
George Calvin Otis was the youngest son of Erastus S. Otis and Elizabeth M. Young, and the younger brother of Daniel H. Otis (Daniel was 8 years older than George).
There is no headstone or grave-marker for George Otis, as he is buried in New County Home Cemetery, which is a type of potter's field with no grave-markers, except two!
I will create my own epitaph for George, then:
GEORGE CALVIN OTIS
DIED MARCH 21, 1933
AE. 77 Yrs. 5 Mo's. 10 D's.
"IT IS SO MUCH DARKER WHEN A LIGHT GOES OUT THAN IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IF IT HAD NEVER SHONE."
Hats off to the New County Home Cemetery for cleaning up their act! I have an older photograph of the cemetery and it was a forgotten, overgrown jungle. I'm glad they brought some dignity back to those who are buried in these grounds! I updated the photo here September 2023.
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| Memorial at New County Home Cemetery in Tallmadge, Ohio Photo by David Homsher |
The Charles S. Otis Family Plot at Spring Grove Cemetery, Hartford, CT
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| The Charles S. Otis family plot at Spring Grove Cemetery in Hartford, CT (in the background, my little son cleaning off old grass from gravestones, giving such tender care to the dead). |
Burial from right to left: Charles S. Otis. His wife, Florence I. Otis. His sister, Elizabeth S. Otis, and his mother, Susan Otis.
Gravestone of Susan Otis
Susan Smart Otis was the estranged wife of George C. Otis, and the mother to Charles S. Otis, Elizabeth S. Otis, and Frank M. Otis. To read more about their "estranged marriage," please see the page, "George C. Otis: His Two Lives."
SUSAN OTIS
1853-1919
Elizabeth "Bessie" Smart Otis was the youngest child of George C. Otis and Susan Smart, the granddaughter of Erastus S. Otis and Elizabeth M. Young, and the niece of Daniel H. Otis.
To read more about Elizabeth S. Otis, please see the "Otis Genealogy" page, and scroll down to the subheading "George Calvin Otis."
ELIZABETH S. OTIS
1886-1909
1886-1909
Charles Selden Otis was the middle child of George C. Otis and Susan Smart, the grandson of Erastus S. Otis and Elizabeth M. Young, and the nephew of Daniel H. Otis.
To read more about Charles S. Otis, please see the "Otis Genealogy" page, and scroll down to the subheading "Charles Selden Otis."
CHARLES S. OTIS
1876-1944
1876-1944
Gravestone of Florence I. Otis
Florence Irene Miller Otis was the wife of Charles Selden Otis. They married each other later in life and never had any children together.
FLORENCE I. OTIS
1878-1957
Frank M. Otis, Died in East Hartford, CT; Cremated at Springfield, Mass.
Frank Morgan Otis was the eldest son of George Calvin Otis and Susan Smart, the grandson of Erastus S. Otis and Elizabeth M. Young, and the nephew of Daniel H. Otis.
Frank opted for a cremation instead of a burial, so I cannot share a gravestone for him, marking his final resting place. Therefore, I opted to share his obituary here. To read more about Frank, please see the "Otis Genealogy," page and scroll down to the subheading, "Frank Morgan Otis, Sr."
FRANK M. OTIS
SEPTEMBER 25, 1874 — FEBRUARY 27, 1948
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| Obituary of Frank Morgan Otis, Sr. Hartford Courant, February 28, 1948 |
