By Jessica Gorman
Sarah Grace Liffe was born 17 June 1817 in Devonshire, England. She was married to George Cole and the couple had five known children: Mary Ann, George, William, Sarah Jane, and Stephen. In the fall of 1853, the Cole family set sail for the United States aboard the Warbler. Sarah’s brother William Life, along with his wife and daughter, Charlotte and Jane, also made the voyage. They arrived at the port of New Orleans on December 23rd and began their journey to North Louisiana.
By this time, Minden was already home to several immigrants from Devonshire. The first of those was Mr. John Chaffe who paid for passage for others who followed, including the Coles and Lifes who arrived in the town in January 1854. George Cole went to work as overseer for John Chaffe.
We know so little about Sarah’s life – her birth, marriage, children, and death. She had reportedly not been in the best of health before the family’s departure from England. Sadly, she died 20 October 1854, less than a year after the family’s arrival in Minden. She was buried in the Minden Cemetery. A resident of our community for only a few short months, her headstone is all that remains. It reads, “In Memory of Sarah, Wife of George Cole born in Devonshire, England Jun 17, 1817 died Oct 20, 1854. Gone from our home but not from our hearts.”
At some point, possibly during the 1933 tornado that inflicted so much damage upon the cemetery, Sarah’s headstone was broken. It is now embedded in concrete. While it may have been thought to be the best option at the time, and has likely afforded some level of protection, the concrete causes irreparable damage to the headstone. Not only is a proper repair now impossible, the concrete accelerates deterioration of the stone itself. It causes chemical damage. It creates a barrier preventing the movement of moisture out of the stone. It increases the effects of freeze-thaw cycles. Concrete is among a number of materials that should never be used in the repair of gravestones.
Sarah’s headstone is not just a memorial to her life. It now serves as a lesson in what to avoid in the care of our cemeteries. Today, we know better. We have access to so much information that not knowing something is no longer a valid excuse. If we don’t know, it’s probably because we didn’t make the effort to find out. It is of utmost importance that anyone interested in repairing and preserving our cemeteries first take the time to properly educate themselves in the use of proper materials and procedures and to be sure that all information in this regard comes from reputable sources such as the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training. The most important principle in cemetery conservation is that we “do no harm” and we can’t do that without the proper knowledge.
(Jessica Gorman is Executive Director of the Dorcheat Historical Association Museum, President of the Minden Cemetery Association, Webster Parish Historian, and an avid genealogist.)