For a change of pace this month, I am going to turn the blog over to a guest contributor for two articles written by Matt Van Winkle from Aledo, Illinois. I first contacted Matt when I was working on my article about Henrietta Cooley's bridge game:
I found out that the person I was writing about, Edyth Cabeen Griffin, was interred in Aledo, Illinois, a small town in Mercer County, about 200 miles southwest of Chicago. I considered driving out there myself to take the grave photos but it would take me about 3 1/2 hours each way so I decided to try to find someone to photograph the grave for me. I checked the listings for the cemetery in Aledo and found that quite a few grave photos had been taken by a man named Matt Van Winkle. I reached out to Matt and he graciously agreed to photograph Edith Griffith's grave for me. Over the next few days we emailed back and forth and I told him about this blog and how much fun I had doing the research and writing the stories. Matt told me that he enjoys doing research on people who have lived in Mercer County and has posted over 1,600 of his Mercer County grave photos to Find a Grave.
I had decided a while back to open the blog to guest contributors. There are so many stories out there waiting to be told. People might be reluctant to take on the responsibility of having their own blog but would be very happy contributing a story or two to my blog. After corresponding with Matt I decided he would be a perfect contributor and after asking him, he responded enthusiastically that he would love the opportunity to contribute. I have asked Matt also to tell us a little about himself, so you will find his bio at the end of the two stories he provided. So, without further ado, here are two Under Every Tombstone articles written by Matt Van Winkle of Aledo, Illinois:
REV. FRANK JACOB MEDFORD
The man that history forgets, or never knew
By: Matt Van Winkle
Interesting things you find when digging through some old boxes, papers, and documents that people have either long forgotten or never knew about. I decided one cold, gray, wintry day that I would dive into the church’s messy unorganized archives just for fun. I particularly love looking at the old photos of times past and the people that once walked the halls of old buildings. Old buildings can speak a thousand words if given a chance. College Avenue itself has seen its fair share of memories and people that have come and gone before its eyes.
On this particular cold wintry day College Avenue’s walls and memories spoke to me, and they had a lot to say. I stumbled upon a man that these walls knew all too well, a man whose voice rang out through the sanctuary for almost 23 years. This man was the Reverend Frank Jacob Medford. To an average person today, Frank Medford would be just another person, or just another pastor that served College Avenue, but something caught my eye as I kept digging through College Avenue’s history. I kept seeing Frank pop up in places where all the other pastors didn’t. The more I dug, the more I would find until I finally had pieced his term as Pastor together, and what I found was astonishing. Frank Medford had served College Avenue through some of its best times and some of its darkest times.
Frank started his call with College Avenue in 1926 with the opening of a brand new church which we still call home today every Sunday. Frank took an already proud and flourishing congregation and grew it more by getting the church more involved with the community by working together with the other churches in the area. At one point he got most of the denominations together and would hold a community service with all the congregations. By doing this, Frank became a big staple in the community and everyone loved and admired him.
Then, on December 6, 1941, news came that the empire of Japan had attacked Pearl Harbor; everyone’s lives changed forever, and some of the darkest days in Aledo and United States history would come. But because of one man, his tolerance of all faiths, and his strong faith in Jesus Christ, he was able to keep everyone’s hope alive, even when fear and sadness struck when the male membership in the congregation was decimated. When man dropped the Atomic bomb on Japan and the war ended, life started to come back to normalcy and resume where it left off prewar.
But tragedy again would strike on September 23, 1948. Frank Medford, the rock and strength and reason of College Avenue, had fallen. On an errand at the church, Frank fell and collapsed while talking with church members on the front steps. His heart had given out, and he passed in an ambulance on the way to the hospital. The congregation had lost their beloved minister that had given them leadership and spiritual guidance through the best of times and the worst times. But because of him, they were able to push through this hard time and band together and be as strong as before. Because they all loved and admired him, they gave him one of the most memorable memorials anyone could remember.
Having researched all this, I grew a bond with this man even though he was before my time. His story reminded me of what the teachings of Jesus Christ are all about. Frank is buried in Aledo Cemetery with just a plain and simple headstone. I went to his gravesite and said a prayer, and I felt very uplifted at a time when I was melancholy. If you ever feel the need to go and say a prayer at his gravesite, you will come away feeling very uplifted as if he is still here for us beyond the grave. Frank may be in the beyond walking alongside Jesus, but he will live on in all of us at College Avenue, even years after his passing, because of the impact he had on this community.
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| Rev. Frank Jacob Medford |
Here's a wonderful anecdote Matt discovered while researching the life of Frank Medford:
Here is the second of Matt's stories:
SGT. MYRON LINDOR GREGORY
“A Memorial to Hard Work and Dedication”
By: Matt Van Winkle
I stumbled upon Myron Gregory while taking photos for the website Find a Grave in Aledo Cemetery. I found his story interesting, with he and his wife being faithful members of College Avenue Presbyterian Church and members of the community, I believe everyone should know his story and take a moment to remember him.
Myron was born in Walcott, Wayne County, New York, on July 31, 1841. In 1844, Myron and his family migrated to a farm in Delavan, Wisconsin. When war came in 1862, Myron enlisted in the 22nd Wisconsin Infantry, also known as “The Abolition Regiment.” On March 5, 1863, the 22nd Wisconsin, part of a brigade of about 1,850 men led by Colonel John Coburn, was in a two-day running battle with Confederate Brigadier General William H. "Red" Jackson’s Cavalry Division, which included a brigade of about a thousand men led by Nathan Bedford Forrest. Deployed on a hill just north of the town of Thompson’s Station, TN the 22nd Wisconsin took part in charges and counter charges of the Confederate forces.
At some point in the battle, confusion struck the brigade, and their artillery and cavalry retreated from the field, leaving the rest of the men outnumbered and outgunned. With the artillery being the only firepower to beat back any counter charges, and the Cavalry protecting the rear supplies and retreat route, Bedford Forrest saw an opportunity. He took a force of men and led them northeast, using the hills as cover in an effort to surround and cut off any chance of retreat for the Union brigade. Seeing what was happening to his brigade, Colonel Coburn decided to hold his ground. After severe fighting for 5 hours, during which the men held out against charges from all sides, Colonel Coburn decided further fighting was futile and surrendered his brigade. Myron Gregory was one of the 1,150 men taken prisoner at the battle.
He and 200 comrades of the 22nd Wisconsin, as well as Colonel Coburn, were taken to the dreaded Libby Prison in Richmond, Virginia. He stayed there until exchanged on May 8, 1863, at which point he met up with the rest of the 22nd Wisconsin in St. Louis as they reorganized. After reorganizing, the 22nd served as garrison troops until they got redemption in 1864 under General Sherman during his Atlanta campaign and his famous march to the sea. At the end of the war, Myron saw the final surrender of Joe Johnston’s army in North Carolina and then marched in the famous “Grand Review” in Washington D.C. before being discharged. Along with the Battle of Thompson’s Station, Myron Gregory took part in many battles ranging throughout Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and the Carolinas. Some of the battles were Perryville, Stones River, Chickamauga, Resaca, Cassville, New Hope Church, Kolb’s Farm, Kennesaw Mountain, Peach Tree Creek, The Siege of Atlanta, Lawtonville, S.C., Averysboro, N.C. and Bentonville, N.C. as well as several other minor engagements. Depending upon several factors—which theater of war, wounds, or illness—a Union soldier could expect to be in a couple of big battles a year and maybe a few minor engagements. Sgt. Myron Gregory took part in at least 24 battles and minor engagements.
Upon his return home to Wisconsin, he married Irene Williams on Sept. 16, 1865, and had two children, a son Charlton and daughter Anna. He and his family moved to Millersburg, IL in 1880 and then to Aledo, IL 7 years later. In my research I was able to find out a little bit about their lives while they were here. As well as being a faithful member of College Avenue Presbyterian Church, Myron worked in a flour mill. His wife Irene was blind the last 7 years of her life, and after her son tragically died during surgery for acute appendicitis, she took ill probably due to a broken heart. Irene died July 19, 1919.
Their daughter Anna married a Mr. Wyman Smith, and she survived both her brother and her parents. Their son Charlton was a prominent citizen in Aledo, serving as superintendent of schools in Mercer County and as chairman of the examining board of the Grand Lodge of the Freemasons, but died at the age of 50 on September 12, 1918.
Here is Charlton Gregory's grave in the Aledo Cemetery:
Seeing both his son and wife die within a short time of one another, Myron died on November 20th, 1920. He is buried in Aledo cemetery with a simple Civil War Veteran’s headstone that took the remaining family 7 years to buy.
Although not born and raised in Aledo, Myron showed and shared the hard working values and dedication that the people of Aledo and Mercer County have embodied since their beginning.
As promised, here is Matt Van Winkle's bio:
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| Matt Van Winkle |
I was born and raised in Moline, IL to a German immigrant mother and a blue collar father. I grew up with a strong love of baseball and history. I’ve been married since 2017 and have a son who is virtually my mini me. I’ve lived your typical Midwest City life, but have traveled all over the United States and visited many countries in Europe.
I’ve been an American Civil War reenactor; I served as the 3rd Iowa Cavalry unit historian for a time. I’ve also been a genealogist for 10 years and have been writing baseball and history articles for the past two years. I currently live in Aledo, IL where my wife serves as a Presbyterian minister for two churches in Mercer County. For the last two years I have taken over 1600 photos of headstones for Find-a-Grave for the many cemeteries around Mercer County. .
A big thank-you to Matt Winkle for being our first guest contributor and providing two Aledo stories for my blog. I have a feeling we'll be hearing more from Matt in the future.
May Rev. Frank J. Medford and Myron L. Gregory rest in peace.
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