ANOTHER PIONEER GONE ( 1899) Died----On Saturday, February 11, at 6 0'clock p.m. after a few days illness, George Babcock, aged 68 years and 4 days. Mr. Babcock was born in the state of New York on February 7th, 1831. At the age of five years, he with his parents moved to Missouri, living in the state of Illinois until 1854, when he joined a party of hunters and trappers coming to the Rocky mountains. He afterwards bought a ranch of 320 acres on the St. Charles, twelve miles from Pueblo, Colorado. There he engaged in stock raising-horses and cattle-in company with B. B. Fields of Huerfano. In August 1866 he married Miss Mary A. Eason, and for a number of years was one on the prosperous citizens of Pueblo county, his prosperity being valued at from $50,00 to $75.000.
Reverses came and he lost all. After traveling over portions of New Mexico, Arizona and California, he came to San Juan county five years ago, where he has resided until his death. He was always honorable and just in his dealings. He was a true friend, ever kind, charitable and hospitable. He was never too poor nor his house too full to share with any one his hospitality. He leaves a wife and ten children to miss his kind presence and the loving words, of which he had an unusual supply, always looking on the cheerful side of life.

George William Babcock’s Gravestone in the Aztec, New Mexico Cemetery

Metal Marker of George WilliamBabock Taken in 2002

My daughter Lori and I traveled to Aztec, New Mexico in 1996 in search of Conder family information. We knew that many of the members of the Conder family were buried in the Aztec, Cemetery. When I got home to Idaho, I realized that not only were the Conder's buried in Aztec, but that my Great Grandfather, George William Babcock, was buried in the same Cemetery.
In April of 1997, my daughter Angie wrote the New Mexico Genealogical Society requesting the obituary o George W. Babcock; whose death was in 1899. They told her that the University of New Mexico recently added a new microfilm that covered his death dates. The records contained the obituary from the San Juan County Index, Aztec, NM, dated Friday,17 February 1899 (Vol X, No.2,P.4) for George Babcock. The records included additional information relating to George Babcock.

In 2002 my husband Andy and I were able to take a trip back to Aztec in search of my Conder heritage. Despite determined efforts to find George Babcock’s gravestone in the Aztec cemetery, we were unsuccessful. Discouraged and disheartened that we would not be able to find his grave stone, we headed back to our car. Steps away from the vehicle, Andy happened to look down and noticed a small piece of metal lying on the ground. Curious, he took out his pocket knife and scraped the debris from the metal, miraculously revealing the name, George William Babcock.

After cleaning the metal marker, Andy returned it to its original resting place, near another marker with the name Emma Babcock Tamm. We arrived at the cemetery anxious to find George Babcock’s marker, but left with a strong desire to discover the connection between George and Emma. Further research revealed that Emma was George’s daughter who had died of cancer at the age of forty.


After our visit to the cemetery in Aztec, and the discovery of the small tin marker, I had a great desire to place a proper tombstone to mark my great Grandfather’s resting place. A request was sent out to family members for donations in order to purchase this long awaited memorial.

My cousin Zang Wood and his wife Pat, who live nearby, graciously agreed to obtain the tombstone and place it on the grave.

Zang has been very helpful with my research into the Babcock’s that are buried in Aztec. He was able to obtain more information after speaking with Joe Price, the cemetery manager, who told him that George Babcock and his daughter Emma Babcock Tamm are both buried in Row F Block 3 of the Aztec cemetery. The two plots were purchased by Nina E. McCollum for George and Emma on November 14, 1962. Zang told me that neither he nor Joe Price had any idea who Nina was or why she bought the plots. George died in 1899 and Emma in 1925 and as Joe put it,“That’s a mystery” as to why it took that long for the purchase to occur.

Zang and Pat were visiting the Cemetery on September 14, 2005 and sent me this letter which reads, “Saturday we were up at the Aztec Cemetery checking the graves for any sinking and weeds. I was showing Pat the stone for George. I picked up the marker for him that Andy found and Pat (Zang's wife) suggested that I save it and send it to you. She said that the only person interested in it was you and I better save it before somebody got rid of it.

The glass in the face was broken and the rest of the metal marker was rusted and in bad shape so I threw it away and saved the plate. Here it is.”

Too many years had passed in this quiet Aztec cemetery without the recognition of the Babcock family. The tombstone that we commissioned had the names of George and his wife engraved on one side and the names of their children on the other. The winds may blow through this sandy little cemetery, but future generations will forever be able to walk the rows of markers and find the resting place of the Babcock family.




BURIAL: Dear Zang Wood,

This is the information that I needed to send you for the tombstone for my great-grandfather George William Babcock. Thanks so much for helping me with this.

I would like the 20" long 10" tall 3" thick tombstone. The price quoted was $225.00.

On front of tombstone I would like engraved :
George Babcock
Born 7 Feb 1831
Died 11 Feb 1899
Married to Mary Ann Eason
On back of tombstone
Children
George K.
Franklin R.
John E.
Ellen Ida
William L.
Mary Ada
Sarah Alice
Jessie Pearl
Emma Aurilla
Earl L.
Georgia Estella

Thanks Patricia Ruth Major Miller