Thacker Family Marker

Found this wonderful marker at Park Cemetery in Carthage, MO. If you look close you can even see the watch chain and buttons.

Beneath is towering monument of clay

Our ever sacred dead are laid away

JESSE THACKER

Died Nov 14, 1887

Age 67Y 7M 19D's

TO FATHER

This is the sacred spot where Father lies

Here sleeps his dust the soul,

Triumphant Flies

Above the boundless blue & starry skies

Celestial bands of angels with him shine,

Kept pure and white by highest powers divine.

Eternal heaven his spirit eyes shall see,

Redeeming love his endless theme shall be.

JANE W. Wife of

Jesse Thacker

Died Oct. 16, 1878

TO MOTHER 

Sleep on dear Mother in thy lonely bed

Though thou art silent still by thee we're led

Although thy cheerful smiles we cannot see

Yet we shall never cease from loving thee,

And by and by when transient life is o'er

We'll meet in heaven and meet to part no more

Information from Find-A-Grave Contributor.

About Jesse Thacker:

Jesse Thacker spent his early life in Illinois and accuired wealth in farming and various business activities.

He came to Carthage, Missouri in 1866 and bought a large farm north of the city for himself and his family. By 1872 his many business interests included being president of First National Bank, being a mine owner,

He owned some 4,000 acres in Jasper County, part of which was mining ground. In 1873 he opened his hardware store in his new building. While running his hardware store should have been a full time job, he had also opened the Grand Opera House with Mr. Chambers, making the City of Carthage home to two opera houses. Mr. Chambers left the partnership, so Jesse Thacker was probably one of the busiest men in town, as well as one of the wealthiest. In 1879 his very prominence caused him to be brutally assaulted by a man looking to rob him, however, he recovered from the incident.

The hardware store sold everything in the hardware line, woodenware, glassware, notions, wagon material, corn shellers, steel goods, fence wire, oak, cook stoves and more. When the fire of devastated the north side of the square occured in January of 1880, it was this brick building that stopped the fire from consuming the entire north side of the square.

In 1881 Jesse Thacker built another building and was also building a new brick residence on Central St. just north of the square during this period. In September 1881 the new building was ready of occupancy and it was annount that it had been rented to wealthy merchants from Tennessee for a dry goods establishment which was opened on October 1, 1881.

Originally he was a member of the Methodist Church but, according to the sketch of his life in the 1883 history of Jasper County, "more recently he has joined the band known as the Holiness people." The book he is holding apparently indicates this religious interest of his later years.

In November of 1887 Jesse Thacker went out to his stables to saddle his mare and in the dark she apparently did not recognize him and kicked him, once in the bowel and once in the knee. The kick proved fatal, and on November 14, some 38 hours after the incident, Jesse Thacker died.

About the Monument:

The children of Jesse Thacker also erected the most expensive monument ever to grace Park Cemetery. From a full length portrait of Jesse, a life-sized statue was carved of carrara marble in Leghorn, (Livorna) Italy by Italian sculptors working from the photograph.

The base of it is of Scottish marble and the work was done in Aberdeen, Scotland, By Scottish carvers. The base and pedestal are of Scotch granite, the base being 4 feet square. The total height of the monument is 15 feet 8 inches. It weighs 20,050 pounds and was completed at a cost of between $1,500 and $2,000 and took 8 months to construct. The base and the top were shipped separately and assembled in Carthage.

The lot purchased was large enough for all five Thacker children.

DOROTHY

Baby Dau. Of

Frank & Pearl

Haven

Mar. 18, 1904

Feb. 12, 1908

--

FREDDY Son of

C. & L. Haven

Died Nov. 17, 1871

Aged 8 Y's 3 M's 15 D's

McKINDREE P. THACKER

Born Oct. 18, 1839

Died Mar. 4, 1903

CARRIE P.

Dau. of

J. L. & Josie Thacker

Born Mar. 22,1880

Died July 14,1880

ANNA T. DREISBACH

Born Aug. 29, 1852

Died June 1,1894

Tho lost to sight, to memory dear

BABY T. Dau. of

W & A. T. Dreisbach

Died July 31, 1879

Aged 10 D's

To Baby

Upon this lonely spot so dear

Our little darling lies

Shes not dead, she sleepth here

She lives beyond the skies.