Broken markers

I was reminded of an old broken tombstone marker recently when I was looking for a family photo. My wife and I found the grave of her ancestor, Thomas Longacre several years ago in Alabama.

He is buried in the Longacre Cemetery in Jackson County. There are only two Longacres there so I assume he owned the land.

Thomas Longacre was born in Virginia in 1788 but like many in his generation migrated to Indian lands when the government moved them west. He settled in the northeastern corner of Alabama and obtained a homestead grant in Jackson County. On the 1850 census he owned 1200 acres and it also showed he had 9 slaves.

He died in 1863 and was buried next to his wife Judith Ireson Longacre who had died five years before.

Over the last hundred and fifty years, the grave marker has been broken into many pieces. The section with most of the inscription has been placed upright against his stone tomb and you can barely make out a few of the words.

"Tears of her….(not legible)
... was devoted
to the service of the
Lord during which time
he was a member of
the Regular Baptist"