A Rainy Day at Wildwood

I have known of the final resting place of my natural father, Albert Hersel Pounds, for about 18 months now. I was excited to finally get the opportunity to visit his gravesite back on April 15. It would have been a struggle to find the actual marker, but thanks to the accurate directions provided by my stepsisters and stepbrother, it was easy to locate.

Despite the severely overcast skies and immanent threat of rain on the morning of my visit, I was struck by the idyllic setting of the Bethel Church and Cemetery at Wildwood, Missouri as something straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting. The church was apparently built back in 1875 and is still in operation today. According to my stepsiblings, this is the ancestral family church and cemetery where many of their family members (including Al) are buried.

After a short drive into the cemetery, I found Al’s grave next to the grave of his second wife, Marie M. Augustine (above). She remarried after his passing, hence the name “McLain”. I had to pull a few weeds and brush off the grave markers, but the heavens cooperated so I could take a few photos. In fact, just as I snapped my final shot and placed the cap on the lens, it began to rain.