June 31st - Gravestone

       CLACKUM

William Clackum  |   Jane Clackum

June 31, 1850      |   Sept 13, 1852

May 28, 1904      |   May 10, 1931

    Gone, but not forgotten

Gravestone located in Citizens Cemetery, Marietta, GA

William's birthdate according to this gravestone is June 31, which is not a real date. I think it should say June 3, 1850. In the book The First Hundred Years: A Short History of Cobb County, in Georgia by Sarah B. G. Temple, published in 1934, there is a transcription of all graves in this cemetery, Citizens Cemetery, Marietta, at that time. She transcribes this grave as: "W. R. Clackum June 3, 1850 May 28, 1904". 

Although the book was published in 1934, the author undertook the task of trying to compile and publish a comprehensive transcription of all cemeteries in Cobb County at the time, which likely took several years to accomplish.    Jane Clackum's grave is not listed in the book despite dying in 1931.  It is reasonable to assume she died during the same time period as the author was transcribing these graves and therefore didn't make the book. Perhaps there was a different headstone at that time for William, and it was replaced when Jane died to give them a joint headstone. Reasons I think there was a different headstone is because the birth date differs, and secondly, his name is not transcribed in Temple's book as being written out William as it is in the above pictured headstone. Instead his initials are given, whereas his middle initial does not even appear on the present gravestone.