JC England Remains Laid to Rest-75 Years Later

WWII Pearl Harbor Sailor to be laid to rest, Evergreen Cemetery, August 13, 2016

The England family, Evergreen Cemetery, and the Evergreen Cemetery Benevolent Society cordially invite you to join us in honoring John Charles England, whose remains will be laid to rest after 75 years.

John Charles England,  a 20 years old Navy ensign, woke that Sunday morning filled with anticipation. His young bride and three week old daughter, who he had yet to meet, were on their way to visit  from the states.  The exact date was December 7, 1941.

JC England was stationed aboard the USS Oklahoma when Pearl Harbor was attacked.  JC rescued three of his shipmates before he perished.

His remains rested in an unmarked grave in the National Cemetery in Hawaii for 75 years. Through the diligence of his granddaughter Bethany and others involved in the long process of identifying those remains, JC will finally be laid to rest next to his parents buried at Evergreen Cemetery.

Join us on Saturday August 13th, as the John Charles England family, Evergreen Cemetery and the Evergreen Cemetery Benevolent Society turn back the clocks of time to 1941 as we honor the bravery of JC England and the persistence of his family and celebrate the greatest generation.

Refreshments and celebration of JC England to follow at the Evergreen Chapel

When:  Saturday August 13th, 2016

10:00 am

What: JC England Graveside Interment

Where: Evergreen Cemetery

Evergreen Cemetery

Evergreen Cemetery Benevolent Society

1005 Hancock Expressway

Colorado Springs, CO 80903

719-385-6251

Walking Tour June 18th!!!

Memorial Day Commemoration 2016

Looking for Mr. Charles H. Pratt

Beneath the grounds of Evergreen Cemetery  80,000  stories are waiting to be told. Many of those secrets are easily discovered.  Others take a little bit more digging and may prove more elusive than we planned.
While researching burials during the 1930's, I discovered  Charles H. Pratt who died in 1930. He is buried with his son, Eugene Pratt who died in 1939. Eugene Pratt served during WWI and has a Veterans stone.

His father, who rests behind him also served in the military, but unfortunately is
unmarked.

Charles H. Pratt enlisted on March 12, 1875 and was discharged on April 6th, 1881. He served in the 10th US Cavalry. What makes Mr.  Pratt so unique and so special is he was a Buffalo Soldier. Sharing the history of the Buffalo Soldiers has been an  integral part of Evergreen Cemetery Benevolent Society events for many years. Each Memorial Day the local 10th US Cavalry Buffalo Soldiers pay tribute to George H. Mason, who served during the Spanish American War.

To obtain a headstone for Mr. Pratt, proof of his service must be documented. The NARA (National Archives Records Administration)  requests detailed documentation.  Colorado Veterans Grave Registration was submitted, however, it is not considered the necessary information needed to prove his military service. After speaking with numerous sources both in Colorado as well as in Washington DC, and running into brick walls, we are sharing this story , in hopes, a descendant of Mr. Pratt, will be able to provide the necessary information we need to be able to place a VA marker on his grave.

Following is the Pratt Family information.
Charles H. Pratt   DOB  1858 Maryland. He is listed as a Mulatto- he worked as a barber in a local hotel

Bettie Pratt (wife) was born in Missouri in 1865-she is listed as a dressmaker. Her parents were both born in Virginia.

Eugene Pratt was born in 1886 in Colorado (son)
Sarah Pratt Spouse
Eugene Pratt-Son born in 1918

Myrel Pratt was born in 1898 in Nebraska
Myrel Pratt Scott (married) was buried in 1931

Mr. Pratt and his family lived in Colorado Springs for many years.

It was our plan for this Memorial Day to honor Mr. Charles H. Pratt with an unveiling of his Veteran's Marker. He has lied unmarked for 86 years.

Please help us locate Mr. Pratt's family by sharing this story.
Please contact us via email at
evergreencemeterysociety@yahoo.com

Death Records for 1879

Stopping to Smell The Roses

 I  love nothing more than taking  time to stroll through the cemetery.  Taking the time to stroll through the blocks themselves will allow you to discover little known treasures  you may not have noticed simply driving through or staying on the main roads.

However this treasure was not hidden at all.

The Dough Boy statue in Evergreen Cemetery is situated  along the main road and located in front of the historic chapel. Needless to say is it very noticeable.

 At the foot of the statue is a vase with what are now dried flowers, since they have been sitting there since December.




Visitors to the cemetery oftentimes place flowers and such on graves whether they are family or not. I didn't pay much attention to this as I figured it was someone  placing the flowers for no particular reason.

As I was walking past, I stopped, turned back around and decided to just see what this vase was about.



There was a note attached.

So next time you are at the cemetery, allow yourself to wander and take time to find those little hidden treasures.