At Friendship Cemetery in Nile Township, Scioto County, Ohio, stands a weathered siltstone marker—its hand-carved inscription a fading testament to a woman named Margaret Burris. She died on May 1, 1843, in her 60th year.
Born Margaret Rankins, she was the daughter of Moses Rankins. In 1802, she married Ignatius Burris in Mason County, Kentucky. Although her headstone spells the surname “Burress,” historical documents such as tax records and the couple’s marriage bond—signed by Ignatius himself—consistently use the spelling “Burris.” We’ve preserved the original headstone spelling in digital records to aid in discoverability for researchers and genealogists.
The material of her marker, siltstone, was locally sourced and commonly used in the early 19th century. Its susceptibility to erosion only adds urgency to our work documenting these fragile relics of early Appalachian life.
This reading and video documentation are part of our ongoing efforts at WanderingAppalachia.org to preserve the voices of those long gone but not forgotten. Through gravestone transcription, photography, and archival research, we work to create a more complete and accessible historical record.
Epitaph:
Thirty-three years she spent in the service of the Lord,
in hope of happiness did she live, with full assurance of it.
She was *illegible* and much beloved,
for her deeds of charity to the sick and afflicted.
Her death was sincerely regretted.
Cemetery: Friendship Cemetery, Nile Township, Scioto County, Ohio
Grave Material: Siltstone
Death Date: May 1, 1843
Marriage: 1802, Mason County, Kentucky
Spouse: Ignatious Burris
Father: Moses Rankins
External Resource:
Find a Grave memorial: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/109025531/margaret-burress
