You Never Know What You Might Find

 This has been an odd and difficult year, which is why I haven't written many blog posts lately.  Hubby and I have been mostly staying home and mostly staying away from other people, but somehow, I haven't had the energy to do much research or writing.  And there have been lots of other things besides genealogy taking my time and attention.

A few weeks ago, we took advantage of a beautiful day and went for a drive around Delaware County, Indiana.  Our "goal" was to drive on roads we'd never been on before and so we just wandered the county roads for several hours.

So we are just driving around looking around and we turn a corner and see this:

Our immediate reaction was "What in the world is that?"  This is a little country cemetery and a small church and that structure really stuck out.  So we pulled in and I got out and took more pictures.

Once home, I decided to do some research to see what I could discover about the fancy monument and the three Neeleys buried there.  Find-A-Grave has a photo of Basil and of Hester.  

Basil Neeley and Sarah Suman Neeley were the parents of Hester A. Neeley.  I found a lot about the building of the "elaborate monument" and a bit about Hester and her parents.  

It looks like Basil Neeley was born in 1810 in Virginia.  On 21 March 1833, he married Sarah Suman in Montgomery Co., Ohio.  Sarah was born in 1795.  They appear in Madison Co., Indiana on the 1840 census.  Daughter, Hester, was born 4 July 1835 in Indiana.  She seems to have been their only child.  The family were farmers in Madison Co.  Sarah died in 1855 and was buried in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery near Daleville, Indiana.  Eventually Hester moved to Anderson, Indiana, where she made some wise real estate investments and became very wealthy.  Her father went to live with her shortly before his death.  He died in 1894 and was buried in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery.

In 1901, Hester began the planning and construction of the elaborate monument.  There are many newspaper articles about it - too many to include them all.  The first one I found is dated 17 January 1901 from page 3 of the Elwood Free Press, Elwood, Indiana:

"ELABORATE MONUMENT -- Will Be Erected in a Cemetery in Richland Township.       Hester Ann Neely has let an order with McCarty & Son, of Anderson, monument builders, for a monument to cost $10,000.  The monument is to be erected to the memory of the parents of Miss Neely in the Mt. Pleasant cemetery in Richland township, where they are buried.  The monument will be by far the prettiest and most expensive ever erected in this section of the state.  It is to be fifteen feet high and fifteen feet square and will be of bronze and of canopy shape.  Miss Neely is probably the wealthiest lady in Madison county.  There is no one who seems to know exactly what she is worth."

And here are some others:

From The Indianapolis News of April 20, 1901 (this includes a photo of Hester):  "RICH WOMAN'S TRIBUTE --- BUILDING A $10,000 MONUMENT TO HER PARENTS. -- It will be Erected Over the Graves in Delaware County -- Ordered by Hester A. Neeley.    (Special to the Indianapolis News).    ANDERSON, Ind., April 20 -- Work is progressing in this city on the $10,000 monument, ordered by Miss Hester A. Neely, of this city, to mark the last resting place of her parents in a rural cemetery in Mt.Pleasant township, Delaware county.  McCarthy & Son are the contractors, and they expect to finish their work in two months.  It will be unlike any monument ever erected in the State, and it is on a plan suggested by Miss Neely.  She outlined her views in advance, and sketches and plans were submitted by a number of competitors, and she selected the one designed by Mr. McCarthy.  It was estimated that the cost would be $10,000, but this was a secondary matter to Miss Neely.     The drawings represent a canopy monument of granite, marble and bronze.  It will be fifteen feet square, and fifteen and one-half feet in height.  Inside of the pillars is a space twelve feet square, to be occupied by three white Italian marble vaults.  In two of the vaults the bodies of her parents will lie, while the third is reserved by Miss Neely for herself.     These vaults are under ground.  Around the base of the canopy of the monument will be two ranges of bare granite.  On this rests the bronze work, beginning with twelve pillars, surmounted with Corinthian caps; the pillars joined with the cornice of the canopy.  The roof will be of Gothic style, beautifully carved and frescoed.  At the center top will rest a dome surmounted by a Corinthian cross.  Around the canopy, resting on the granite range, will be the railing and bronze flower and scroll work, and the railing will be carved in original designs. There will be a gate four feet wide leading to the interior and the vaults.  An idea of the mass of material and work required is shown by the fact that two carloads of granite will be used in the base of the monument.     The building of this magnificent monument can not be regarded as representing extravagance or an attempt at public display for Miss Neely is amply able to build many such monuments.  Furthermore, she never loved any one so dearly as she did her parents.  She was the only daughter of Basil and Sarah Suman Neely, and was born July 4, 1835, in Union township, Madison county.  She removed with her father from the old homestead, June 14, 1893, to this city.  Her mother died in 1856, and her father soon after coming here.  Miss Neely built a commodious home on West Sixth street, which she has furnished comfortably but not lavishly.     She has quite a collection of old China, some rare books and many quaint implements in her house.  While she is reputed to be the richest woman in Madison county, she is modest and unselfish.  She has done many acts of charity which never became public.  At one time she assumed a large indebtedness on a young church and gave the congregation a start.  Miss Neely has also aided  the Free Kindergarten Association.  She manages her own business affairs and remains close at home.  Much of the time she is alone, but apparently very happy.  During the last month her health has declined, and she has not been able to leave the house." 

The monument was completed in late August 1901.  An article from the Muncie Star Press includes this information:   "The old Neely homestead two miles northwest of Daleville is just across the line in Madison county.  I presents a desolate appearance.  The house has not been occupied for four years and is going to decay.  The barns and other outbuildings are falling down and the orchards are a wilderness.... Until two years ago Miss Neely owned a piece of property in Daleville but she sold it and except a heavy interest in zinc mines at Joplin, Mo., all her property holdings are in Madison county.  Miss Neely is the only survivor of her father's family.  Her father, Basil Neely, was comparatively a poor man when he died.  He retired from his farm to Anderson where some lucky investments laid the foundation for Miss Neely's great wealth."

Apparently all the attention given to the monument led to Hester being deluged with offers of marriage.  The papers stated that she had been "greatly annoyed" by the many suitors.

An article from the Muncie Star Press dated April 27, 1902 (page 3) gives a detailed description of Hester's home along with a sketch of the farm house where she grew up.  Here is that article:

By 1910, Hester was ill.  One of her cousins sued to have her declared insane in order to take control of her money.  The cousin was not successful.  She continued to manage her own affairs.  She died November 11, 1911 and was buried between her parents under the elaborate monument.