Thomas J. Losey Memorial - Columbus, KS
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member YoSam.
N 37° 09.784 W 094° 48.681
15S E 339170 N 4114498
Thomas Losey stands at rest, both hands holding the barrel of a rifle with its butt on the ground. He wears a Civil War soldier's uniform and a sword hangs from the proper left side of his belt. Behind him is a stump and he stands atop a pedestal.
Waymark Code: WMJ8DG
Location: Kansas, United States
Date Posted: 10/10/2013
Published By:Groundspeak Charter Member BruceS
Views: 3

County of Statue: Cherokee County
Location of Statue: East Counrty Road, 2 blocks west of SE 20th St., in Columbus City Cemetery
Tombstone Text:

T.J. LOSEY
Co.A 14.Kan.
Vol.Cav.
Jan 15, 1936.

Statue Proper Description:
Thomas Losey stands at rest, both hands holding the barrel of a rifle with its butt on the ground. He wears a Civil War soldier's uniform and a sword hangs from the proper left side of his belt. Behind him is a stump and he stands atop an inscribed pedestal. To Losey's proper right stands a tree with its branches sawed-off. An inscribed scroll is nailed to its front and a blank scroll is nailed to its back. Both the tree and the pedestal are set on a rectangular base with inscriptions and a flowering vine motif.

Tree with branches sawn off indicates lives cut too short.
Text on that Tree is for family members buried around this monument and reads:

FLORA BELL LOSEY
Born May 8, 1854
Died May 22, 1901
-------
ADA LOSEY
Born Aug. 2, 1872
Died Nov. 16, 1878
-------
AMELIA LOSEY
Born Mar. 7, 1876
Died Dec. 7, 1880

Base: One side of the base has a relief of crossed swords.
A flowery design winds around all four sides
Text of Front side:

My Friends As You Pass By
As You Are Now So Once Was I
As I Am Now So Will You Be
Prepare For Death and Follow Me.
Back side of Base Text:
Father I Will That They Also
Whom Thou Hast Given Me
Be With Me Where I Am.

Small History of T. J. Losey I found digging around:
Born: March 1846 Ohio
Died: January 15, 1936 Columbus, Kansas
THomas Jefferson Losey was in the Civil War and was a member of Co. A. 14 Kansas Volunteer Cavalry. He and his family have one of the grandest grave markers in the area. According to the 1880 and 1900 censuses of Cherokee County, he was 34 years old in 1880 and 54 years old in 1900. His wife was named Flora Bell Losey and they had two daughters living named Ida and Amelia in 1880, Ada and Amelia died very young. Amelia died in Dec. 1880 and is buried near Thomas. Other Loseys are buried nearby.
Wife: Flora Bell (Snevely) Losey (1854 - 1901)
Children:
Ada Losey (1872-1878)
Ida (Losey) Taylor (1874-1949)
Amelia Losey (1876-1880)
A sons tombstone is also here but I could not read anything on it.

TITLE: Thomas J. Losey Memorial

ARTIST(S): Unknown

DATE: 1936

MEDIUM: carved limestone and concrete

CONTROL NUMBER: IAS KS000147

Direct Link to the Individual Listing in the Smithsonian Art Inventory: [Web Link]

PHYSICAL LOCATION:
City Cemetery East Ave. & 20th St. Columbus KS Actually SE of Columbus proper.


DIFFERENCES NOTED BETWEEN THE INVENTORY LISTING AND YOUR OBSERVATIONS AND RESEARCH:
Nit-picking. But the site says the statue stands "...at parade rest..." He actually stands "at rest". "Parade rest would be with right hand in the small of his back and the rifle butt at his left foot and rifle leaning forward at 45 degrees. Old Marine Corps training. Or vice-versa. A more formal stance than at rest.


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The Snowdog visited Thomas J. Losey Memorial - Columbus, KS 05/04/2023 The Snowdog visited it