My wife and I sometimes walk through old cemeteries. The old Victorian era monuments are pretty ornate. Fortunately we live near Blandford Cemetery, the most historic of Petersburg's cemeteries.

One family plot caught my attention because one of the old markers has a VMI badge on it (that's my Alma mater).

The family plot tells such a tragic story.

The center monument (see photo below) was the first monument in the family plot. It's for Peyton Wesley Wells, born 1797 and died in 1856. His wife - Sallie Wells - is buried to the left of him. She died in 1880 at the age of 78.

SHE had such a tragic life.

- She buried her husband in 1856.

- Her 1st Great-Grandson was born in 1862. 2 years later, in 1864, he died, on the SAME DAY that her 2nd Great-grandson was BORN.

- That 2nd Great-Grandson died 6 months later.

- 8 months after that, in 1865, her 3rd Great-Grandson was born.

- He died 3 months later.

- 2 months later, her Grandson died at the age of 19 (he was a VMI graduate and Confederate Veteran).

- 2 years later, in 1867, her son-in-law died at 52.

- 1 year later, in 1868, her Granddaughter died at 25.

She finally died herself in 1880, being spared the death of her own Daughter in 1882.

Assuming she attended every funeral, she was standing there, in that family plot, for the funerals for:

- Her Husband
- Her 1st Great-Grandson
- Her 2nd Great-Grandson
- Her 3rd Great-grandson
- Her Grandson
- Her Granddaughter
- Her son-in-law

The three small graves in the back of the plot for the three Great-Grandsons, laying side-by-side-by-side next to their Mother who died at the age of 25, are so tragic.