Clara W. Gnewuch
It was a cold blustery day that first week of December. It had begun
snowing and as Charles walked up the hill south east of the place, he
thought of nothing else but the task at hand. He knew the ground would be
frozen but he had no choice. He had to dig the hole.
Baby Clara, not yet two years old had died on December 2, 1886. The
neighbors and kinfolk would be coming by the house soon to pay their
respect. He needed to be there with Minna his wife. Her grief was consuming.
This was not an uncommon scene for the pioneers of Knox County. Baby
Clara Gnewuch is buried on the land that her father, Charles homesteaded in
1880. Once a grand spread of buildings, it has now fallen ruin to the
elements of nature. Soon there will be no trace of the once beautiful farm
place, but the head stone and burial of Baby Clara will always be a reminder
of what once was.
Little did Charles know when the grave was dug, that highway 84 would
pass right through the grave of Baby Clara. At least that is what the
original plan was, until the burial was discovered. The stone had fallen
over into the tall grass and was not noticed by the surveyors. Some
adjustments were made and the grave was left undisturbed.
You may have driven by this grave of Baby Clara and not realized it was
there. Next time you have to drive to Center on hwy 84, look to a hill on
the north side of the road, about 9 ˝ miles west of Bloomfield. The
abandoned ruins of the homestead are still visible in the valley. If you
look back towards Bloomfield at the highway, you will see a slight curvature
in the road. This was done for Baby Clara.
