List, Delilah Bowland Maxson has a grave marker at the Springdale Cemetery, Springdale, Cedar Co., IA. Her husband, William Maxson, is buried in the Oak Ridge Cemetery, West Liberty, Muscatine Co., IA with Delilah's death date and age on the same marker. The dates are the same, Died Oct. 31, 1850, Aged 44 So where is Delilah really buried? Would William have had Delilah moved? Or is her name placed on his marker as a cenotaph? William Maxson attended the Springdale meeting and was host to John Brown and his men, who raided Harper's Ferry, VA in 1858 in an attempt to spark a slave rebellion. Leslie W. Saint

Based on what I can see in the Springdale MM (Iowa) extracts, William and Delilah Maxson were not members. I don't find any Maxsons in Salem Iowa records either. (Salem was Red Cedar/Springdale's parent meeting.) That's not to say they didn't worship with Quakers. Springdale was very new in 1850, and there may not have been another place of worship nearby. I'm interested in the descendants of their son Elza, who married Maria Todd. I'm going to guess that Delilah is really buried at Springdale. Here's the logic: if she were buried in West Liberty, there would be no stone for her in Springdale. Quaker burial grounds in the early 19th century would not have had family plots--whoever died next went in the next grave. I strongly suspect early burials at Springdale followed this pattern. Brown's visit to Springdale was several years after Delilah's death, so the spot next to her would have long been full by the time William died. The Maxson house where Brown's men trained is about two miles north and east of the Springdale cemetery. According to <http://www.rootsweb.com/~iamusca2/oridge_m.htm>, William did not die until 1877. By then he was more than 70 years old, so might have moved from the farm to town. This site gives some details of life in early Springdale <http://www.wvculture.org/history/jb5.html>. -- Dan Treadway P O Box 72 Gilbert IA 50105 treadway@netins.net http://showcase.netins.net/web/treadway/ -----Original Message----- From: Leslie W. Saint [mailto:SaintLesli1@naspa.net] Sent: Wednesday, April 06, 2005 10:29 PM To: QUAKER-ROOTS-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [Q-R] Burial Place of Delilah Bowland Maxson? List, Delilah Bowland Maxson has a grave marker at the Springdale Cemetery, Springdale, Cedar Co., IA. Her husband, William Maxson, is buried in the Oak Ridge Cemetery, West Liberty, Muscatine Co., IA with Delilah's death date and age on the same marker. The dates are the same, Died Oct. 31, 1850, Aged 44 So where is Delilah really buried? Would William have had Delilah moved? Or is her name placed on his marker as a cenotaph? William Maxson attended the Springdale meeting and was host to John Brown and his men, who raided Harper's Ferry, VA in 1858 in an attempt to spark a slave rebellion. Leslie W. Saint