Tombstone Iconography: The Book of Life

The death of William Tell Newell, in his 49th year on Sept. 21, 1851, was one of the earliest among pioneer settlers of Lucas County. And his tombstone at Greenville Pioneer Cemetery, southeast of Russell in Washington Township, one of the oldest and best preserved. That it has survived in such good shape is a near miracle.

The symbol, an open book, is generally interpreted to represent  the Book of Life, mentioned in both the Hebrew Bible and the Christian New Testament, in which the names of the righteous are inscribed. Occasionally, generally later, "Holy Bible" is carved into the book, giving it a slightly different meaning. And now and then, as in the case of a tombstone in the Chariton Cemetery of a man who was not a believer but reportedly had one of the largest private libraries in the county, it represents literary interests.

Newell, a native of Kentucky, had married Paulina Faine during 1830 in Owen County, Indiana, where they still were living when the 1850 federal census was taken. They had 11 children total, some of whom died young and all of whom were born in Indiana save the youngest, Alice, born posthumously some months after her father died in Iowa.

The Newell farm in Iowa apparently was located just across the Lucas-Monroe county line in Monroe although the Greenville Cemetery, established when Nancy Payne was buried there during August of 1849, would have been the nearest burial ground.

William, who had prospered in Indiana, seems to have left his family well provided for in Iowa even though he survived only a few months after the move west. So there was money available to purchase a fine tombstone. The maker's mark remains clearly visible on the base: "Mapel & McCan, Keosauqua, Iowa."

Paulina outlived her husband by 40 years, dying during 1890 at the age of 75. Her remains were brought to Greenville for burial beside William.

A sad footnote to the Newell story is the fact that their son, William M. Newell, earned a grim footnote to Lucas County history for himself by shooting and killing his wife, daughter and himself in Russell on Aug. 23, 1898. You can read more about that here.