Hello,
I am posting this for the descendants of Chad and Elizabeth Smith Cary of Johnston, RI
for your records.
Thanks to directions from Harry Cary and John Sterling of the RI Cemeterey Database, I
was able to locate the cemetery lot of Elizabeth Smith Cary in Johnston, RI. It is in
the Manton Family Lot on Newman Ave. opposite telephone pole #4, just off Greenville Ave.
Newman Ave. leaves Greenville east and turns north and then rejoins Greenvile further up,
so it is a little confusing to follow Newman. The cemetery is closest to the south
intersection of Newman and Greenville, only about 100 yards from Greenville Ave. There
are two lots, on each side of Newman. Elizabeth's grave is in the more northerly and
lower lot. Sadly both lots have suffered greatly from time and vandalism over the years.
I quickly estimated that perhaps 50-75% of the gravestones are toppled over, broken or
disappeared. In places there were literally piles of boken headstone pieces.
Elizabeth's graves is practically in the exact center of the lot if you take your
bearings from diagonals from the lot corners. It stands pretty much alone with a large
headstone and a small footstone. The stones are surprisingly in OK shape, given the rest
of the cemetery. It is one of the oldest stones still in good shape. The top of the
headstone is starting to split and the poetry is getting difficult to read. I would
expect that given the ravages of age and vandalism that it won't be available too much
longer, hence I wanted to post the inscription for any of your recrods. It reads as
follows:
Sacred to the memory of
Mrs. Elizabeth
Carey, wife of
Mr. Chad Carey, who
Departed this life June
the 5th in the year of
Our Lord 1817, aged
44 years, 7 months &
28 days. She left 13
children, 5 sons & 8 daughters
Weep not for me my Friends if life no more
Admits the sweet Return of even or morn
Though thoughtles gay Survivors rang secure
And flowers my native Hills and vales adorn
Remember! I exist in Realms of Joy
Where sense and Hapeness find no Alloy