I have no written Recollection by Paul E. Brown of Thaddeus Kittell.  Dad’s Recollections were written using the names in CARROLL COUNTY OHIO CEMETERIES, VOL I.  The stone marking the grave of Thaddeus was misread.  Hence, his name was not on the list that PEB was using.

This was a sad oversight.  Although it appears Thaddeus died fifty-seven years before my father was born, he was not forgotten.  All Dad’s tours of the Augusta Cemetery began – or ended – with a stop at the grave of Thaddeus.  He told the story as follows:

Thaddeus was a traveling man who came through Augusta occasionally – staying at the hotel operated by Thomas and Jane Kinsey.  On his final visit, he died unexpectedly.  The people of Augusta knew OF him, but they didn’t KNOW him.  They knew he was a Mason.  They buried him east of the Augusta Christian Church and erected the stone on his grave.  The stone bears the Masonic emblem, the name THADDEUS KITTELL, and the words “a Stranger.”

In the early 20^th Century Thaddeus was a folk legend.  The young people would gather at his grave, stomp three times, twirl around and say:  “Thaddeus, what are you doing down there?”  Thaddeus would reply, “Nothing at all.”  That is the way the story was always repeated.  I strongly suspect the reply went more like this – Thaddeus would reply nothing at all.  I doubt the question would have been repeated more than once if Thaddeus had verbally replied, “Nothing at all!”

My father died in 1999.  For at least 146 years after Thaddeus’ death  - and especially during the lifetime of my father, he was regularly and warmly remembered on all tours conducted by Paul E. Brown.  And although it was not verbalized, there was always a concern for the family left behind who never knew what happened to their loved one, Thaddeus Kittell.