A while back, I did a post regarding the two grave markers for James Suddarth in the Marengo Cemetery in Marengo, Indiana. While it is easy to tell that one stone is much older than the other, I think it is highly unlikely that the old stone dates to the time of James’s death. Here is a photo of the old stone:

Recently, I was showing a colleague the photos of the old stone and the new stone and he questioned whether the stone looked like it was from 1865. The material the stone appears to be made of, the style of the stone and the fact that it is on a base all raised his suspicions. After thinking about it, I believe I agree; this stone is not from 1865. Nearby, in the same family plot is the stone of James and Malinda’s son, David B. Suddarth. I do not have a good picture of the whole stone, but here is a picture of the family plot:

The stone on the far right is that of James and Malinda. The one on the left, in the back, is that of David B. Suddarth and his wife Alsie. The small one in front on the left is Malinda A. Suddarth. David died in 1913. As you can see, the stone for him and his wife is exactly like the one for James and Malinda. I am certain that the stone for James and Malinda was erected at the same time as the one for David and Alsie, most likely around 1913. Whether or not there was ever an older stone for James and Malinda, I don’t know. It would be interesting trying to find out if there was and if there was any other information (or different information) on that marker.
What do you think? Is the marker for James and Malinda from 1865? Or was is erected much later, after David died?