On Thursday, September 5, 2019, there was a discovery made in front of the Chatfield Body Shop.
In Chatfield, Minn., the construction capital of Southeast Minnesota, the headstone of Almira Caw was found while crews were doing some dirt work to replace the driveway of the repair shop.
Almira Caw’s headstone read “Almira, Wife of Joseph Caw, Born Feb. 23, 1831, Died Apr. 30, 1879.” Weighing roughly 200 pounds, nobody knew the history behind why this headstone was located beneath the driveway of the body shop.
Keith Bradt and Bill Burk are owners of the Chatfield Body Shop. Keith was gone at the time of the discovery, so Bill was made aware of it by the construction crew. All construction in that area came to a halt, and Bill had to work with state inspectors to come down from St. Paul to examine the situation. According to Burk, state inspectors had never encountered anything like this before.
The inspectors told construction crews that they should discontinue digging any deeper below where the headstone was discovered, otherwise forensics would have to be brought in and the entire project would be put on hold. Construction has resumed without disruption to the site of the headstone.
At this time, Chatfield Body Shop owners Bradt and Burk are hoping Caw family members will hear about this story, and contact their shop.
As they were looking for any piece of information relating to Almira Caw and this discovery, it was suggested they visit the website www.findagrave.com.
According to this website, “In 1848, Joseph Caw moved from Morgan County, Va., to Cass County, Ind., where he married to Elmyra (Almira) Murphy, first born daughter of John Murphy. They came to Minnesota in 1856 seeking land grants and in search of a more healthful, drier climate. They were among the pioneers settling about three miles southwest of the town where they built a log house in which they lived until 1862 when Mr. Caw erected a new residence on his farm. His wife died in 1879, leaving eight children (four boys and four girls). In 1882, he married Miss Sarah A. Woods. In 1900, he moved to Chatfield where he resided on Winona Street.”
The website provides information about Joseph Caw, Almira’s husband, but nothing about her.
If you have any further information relating to this story, please contact the Chatfield Body Shop at (507) 867-3063.
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