There are times that I am in absolute shock that I come across a grave that has been left alone, not necessarily neglected, but not often visited and it is a famous or what I like to call "famous to me" tombstone. It also always surprises me when no one has updated their Find A Grave memorial. Instead the memorial looks to be added by those that are hungry for more and more memorials and sit and type in people and dates, mindlessly, all day without a curiosity to who that person was in the living world. A visit to Central West Virginia always has me stopping by the Weston Masonic Cemetery in... Weston, WV. This is where my Dad is buried. The conditions of this cemetery really are not great. Dead mowed grass from years and years has covered so much of the flat stones along with flooding that many are buried. One day, my husband, son and I decided that we should not only clean up my Dad's memorial but his "neighbors." Some of them are family, most are not. The Weston Masonic Cemetery is truly a random mix of citizens. Once we started cleaning up the "neighbors," we realized that more and more of them needed cleaned and documented. Find A Grave must have over 300 requests for this almost 4000 space cemetery. It was during one of those days that we dedicated to cleaning up my Dad's "neighbors" that we I photo documented, Paul Edward Ebbert, Sr. If you are an old-timer from West Virginia, you might recognize the name. You might even put the face to the name. If you have watched American Pickers, you might also put the face to the name. Paul Ebbert was the WV State Policeman that posed for "SLOW DOWN" school zone sign that was used throughout the Elementary schools in West Virginia. Article from Vintage West Virginia - On June 13, 1938, West Virginia State Police Trooper Paul Ebbert was told to go home, put on a dress uniform and return to the Capitol as soon as possible. He thought he was to escort Governor Holt on an out of state trip. Instead, because at 6'3", he was West Virginia's tallest trooper, he was to be photographed. From this photo image, plywood troopers were made, painted and distributed in pairs to elementary schools in all 55 counties of West Virginia. These wooden troopers had lettering on the front that said, "SLOW, SCHOOL ZONE" 15 m.p.h.. The back had black and white stripes and said, "RESUME SPEED, THANK YOU, THE STATE ROAD COMMISSION OF WV." To the bottom of each of these wooden troopers was affixed a metal pipe that would either fit over another pipe or into a hole drilled into the center of the highway. Morning and evening, and sometimes at noon, a wooden trooper was placed by a Patrol Student at each end of the school zone facing upcoming traffic. These wooden sentinels stood guard, advising motorists to drive slowly and with caution. When not in use, the troopers were stored in the school house, usually in what was called the "cloak room". Trooper Ebbert patrolled Rt. 21 from Charleston to the Jackson County line and made friends, especially with children. In 1957, Trooper Ebbert was promoted to First Sergeant and transferred to Company A, Shinnston, WV, where he had a massive heart attack and died at the age of 50.
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Sandy PatakProfessional Genealogist. You can usually find me searching through dusty piles of papers, photographing tombstones of Ancestors and drinking lattes. Research is my life. Living in an Airstream at the Beach is my Dream. Archives
October 2022
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