Stolen grave markers lead back to 19th-century story of a husband, wife in Manchester, Tenn.

But the mystery wasn't over yet -- Mary's marker was still missing.

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Initially, no one even knew that the Elliotts' grave markers had been taken.

Ronald England, one of two caretakers at the Old Redden's Cemetery in Coffee County, filed a theft report in July, after it was discovered that the two foot stones were missing and that the cemetery's sign had been vandalized.

England, 73, lives a couple miles away from the cemetery on a road named for his family, some of whom are buried at the graveyard he helps tend.

"The secretary [of the cemetery committee] said somebody called her and told her what was missing and she called me, and I went down there and looked at it and didn't even see the others [the Elliotts' tombstones] missing until I went up and reported it to the sheriff's department that we'd had a vandalism," England said.

"At the time the report was made, we didn't even know the headstones were gone," Marcom said. The foot stones were the only missing items noted at the time.

England noted that the theft happened as the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival was concluding.

"It's such a secluded place that you have so many people go out there and drink and make love and whatever they do out there," he said, "and I figured somebody just picked it up and carried it off."

England said he spoke a few weeks later with the sheriff's office and was told of the tombstone's discovery 1,100 miles away, a baffling distance to haul such a thing.

"It just makes one wonder. What an odd thing to steal -- it's just odd," Coffee County Historical Society member Beverly Vetter said as she listened to discussion about the missing markers.

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Spearfish authorities set about returning Samuel Elliott's marker to Manchester.

Marcom said Spearfish police insured the marker and foot stones and returned them via the U.S. Postal Service. But the headstone arrived in Manchester in August in two pieces and the postal service said the insurance wouldn't cover the loss, he said.

Marcom said he's going to repair and reinstall the marker himself over the winter.

Now, officials in Manchester as well as Spearfish hope to see Mary Elliott's headstone returned to its rightful place beside her husband's.

Weber said she hopes that whoever took Samuel Elliott's marker will take Mary Elliott's marker back to Coffee County.

"I know Mrs. Elliott's has to be somewhere between here and there," she said.

Contact staff writer Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com, twitter.com/BenBenton, www.facebook.com/ben.benton1 or 423-757-6569.

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