Orris James McCracken family

Profile manager: M. researching McCracken [send private message]

The goal of this project is to find the family ancestors and descendants of a pair of siblings that have earned a special place in my heart. They are Laura and Orris McCracken, with Tennessee origins. I'd like to understand how and why they and their mother, and possibly one brother, ended up in a very small ... not yet incorporated town ... of Morgan Hill California.

Laura died at age 17, and is believed to be the first person buried in the newly established local cemetery. She was removed from her original burial site from about 7 miles away.

Just a few years later two of Laura's brothers went to Manilla to fight the Spanish American War. They arrived towards the offical end. Brother Orris was killed in action on the first day of the Philippine Insurrection on 5 Feb 1899. His body arrived in Morgan Hill a year later. He was buried next to his sister.

Their mom went back to Tennessee when she heard of the death of her son Orris.

Orris lies in an unmarked grave on one side or the other of his sister. We are working to (1) identify which gravesite (2) have his name added to the local Veterans Memorial plaque memorializing residents who were KIA in the Spanish & Philippine wars and (3) obtain a proper headstone (government provided????) to mark the grave of this unsung hero.

They are far from their Tennessee roots and biological family. Now that we have discovered the oversight of this lonely sibling pair resting in this beautiful cemetery they will no longer be "forgotten" to local citizens.

Please help develop the genealogy so we have it "right". When all the pieces come together we plan a true military salute for the dedication of the new headstone.