Willard W. Blood, Killed in Vera Cruz, Mexico, 1918

This tombstone was photographed at the Blood Cemetery in Dunstable, Massachusetts.

Willard W. Blood

1869 – 1918

Spanish War Veteran

Merchant Marine World War 1

Killed in Vera Cruz, Mexico

Willard Washington Blood was the son of Washington Eli Blood and Lydia Ann Hersey, born 10 November 1869 in Dunstable, Massachusetts.  He died 22 November 1918 in Vera Cruz, Tamaulipas, Mexico.   I couldn't find any details of his death in military or civilian records.  I wondered if he died of the 1918 Spanish flu epidemic.  I did finally find this news paper clipping online:

From Genealogybank.com

Times-Picayune, Tuesday, December 17, 1918, New Orleans, Louisiana, page 9

“Ship’s Engineer

Slain in Tampico

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Business Man Gives Further

Details of Attacks on

Crew of Monterey

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Further reports of attacks on members of the crew of the American steamship Monterey, the chief gunner’s mate of which was attacked by Mexican customs guards at Tampico, resulting in a conflict between the Mexicans and the armed navy guard of the ship, were made in New Orleans Monday by an American business man of Vera Cruz, temporarily in the city.

According to his statement, about seven days before the attack at Tampico, which took place November 28, the third engineer of the Monterey was found in Vera Cruz with his skull crushed and all valuables removed from his person.  He had gone ashore on leave, while the Monterey was in port at Vera Cruz, and was discovered next morning not more than a square from his ship."

Willard Blood's death record can be found on Ancestry filed as "Guillermo W. Blood" from Vera Cruz, Mexico.  Here is an image from Ancestry.com.  Thank you to Laurie Stevens for helping me to find this image at both the Ancestry and at the FamilySearch websites.  This document describes the autoposy, the hospital where he died, and the cause as a blow to the head at the base of the cranium.  It also says that he was buried in Mexico, so the stone in Dunstable, Massachusetts is just a cenotaph or memorial (doesn't mark the place of burial).  The description on the death record sounds like the same man described in the newspaper article.

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To Cite/Link to this post: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Willard W. Blood, Killed in Vera Cruz, Mexico, 1918", Nutfield Genealogy, posted Nutfield Genealogy, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2018/08/willard-w-blood-killed-in-vera-cruz.html: accessed [access date]).

Tombstone Tuesday ~ The Peter Blood "toomb", Dunstable, Massachusetts

This tombstone was photographed at the Blood Cemetery in Dunstable, Massachusetts

Peter Blood, son of James Blood and Mary Gilson, was born 26 August 1755 in Groton, Massachusetts; married first to Sarah “Sally” Perkins, daughter of Captain Ichabod Perkins and Sarah Whittier, on 14 February 1790 in Sunapee [Wendell], New Hampshire.  She died on 22 May 1813 in Dunstable during the “spotted fever” pandemic [see History of Dunstable, page 166], and he married second to Abigail “Nabby” Bancroft on 23 March 1819.   He died 7 January 1832 in Dunstable.

Peter Blood was one of the first settlers of the town of Dunstable.  There is no list of who is buried here in his “toomb”.  His wife died during the year of 1823, so she was probably the first to be buried here. 

Children:

  1.  Sarah b. 17 March 1791 m. 1, David Jewett; m. 2, Isaac Sundersen

        2.   Jesse b. 13 January 1793, d. 2 September 1821, Dunstable

        3.   James, b. 3 February 1795, m. Mary Jones

        4.    Levi, b. 30 October 1797, m. Adah Blood

        5.    Luther, b. 3 February 1801, m. Abigail Hewes

        6.    Susan, b. 4 October 1804, m. Moses Simmons

        7.    Eli Upton, b. 24 April 1808, d. 25 February 1848

A previous blog post about Blood Cemetery:
https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2014/10/halloween-visit-to-blood-cemetery.html 

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Tombstone Tuesday ~ The Peter Blood "toomb", Dunstable, Massachusetts", Nutfield Genealogy, posted August 21, 2018, (  https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2018/08/tombstone-tuesday-peter-blood-toomb.html: accessed [access date]).

Friday Funny ~ Cemetery Challenge for Halloween

Here are three cemeteries I've visited with weird body part names:

Hooksett, New Hampshire's Head Cemetery

and

Sterling, Massachusetts  Leg Cemetery

and don't forget

Dunstable, Massachusetts has a Blood Cemetery

It's almost Halloween and I'm wondering if we can put together a collage of cemeteries named after body parts.  After all, there might be a Foote Family Burial Ground, or even a cemetery named Hart, Cheek, Nail, Soul, etc. 

If you have a photo, email it to me at vrojomit@gmail.com before October 23rd, and I'll put something together for Halloween!  Don't forget to send your name so I can give you full credit on the blog post! 

UPDATE-  Many people have posted names of cemeteries and links to their "Find A Grave" photos on my Facebook page.  This doesn't count. I'm looking for individuals to send me their own (non-copyrighted) photos via email or Facebook.  I can't use Find A Grave photos on my blog (and you shouldn't use them on your websites, social media or data bases either!). 

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Published under a Creative Commons License
Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Friday Funny ~  Cemetery Contest for Halloween", Nutfield Genealogy, posted October 2, 2015, ( http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/10/friday-funny-cemetery-contest-for.html : accessed [access date]).