Sojourner Truth: Tombstone Tuesday

Once a month I try to write a blog post sharing a piece of Battle Creek, Michigan history.  This month I have chosen Sojourner Truth's grave site.  Sojourner Truth arrived in the Battle Creek area about 1857.  She kept a residence in Battle Creek throughout her travels where she spoke out against slavery.  She can be found in the 1860 and 1870 Census records, living in Calhoun county, Michigan.  Sojourner Truth was the first black women to win a law suit against a white man when she sued for the return of her son, Peter, who had been sold illegally.   Sojourner Truth died 26 November 1883, at her residence on College Street, Battle Creek, Michigan,

Sojourner Truth

Oak Hill Cemetery, Battle Creek, Michigan

(See below for transcriptions)

Sojourner Truth

Back of Gravestone

IN

MEMORIAM

SOJOURNER

TRUTH

BORN A SLAVE IN

ULSTER CO., NY

IN THE 18TH

CENTURY

DIED IN

BATTLE CREEK,

MICH.

NOV 26 1883

AGED ABOUT

105 YEARS

'IS GOD DEAD'

                        ST

The historical marker in the first picture says,

 Sojourner Truth

 Renowned lecturer and

 reformer, who championed

 Anti-slavery, Rights of

Women and the Freedmen,

 rests here.  Beside her

 lie two of her 5

 children. 

 Elizabeth Banks Boyd

Died Jan 6  1883

Diana Corbin

Died Oct 25 1924

and two grandsons

Samuel Banks

Died Feb 24 1875

William F Boyd

 Died Nov 3 1887"