Doctor’s Cemetery

Per the 2015 GAO Audit, of Midway. The cemetery includes six gravestones, four belonging to medical doctors, with dates that range from 1906 to 1950. It is eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials stated the cemetery is not in use.


Cemetery

The Doctor’s Cemetery at Midway Island is eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.

Photo Credit – Arthur Estes, 1963 -1965

Here’s a list of the 6 buried in the “Doctor’s Cemetery” (4 of them doctors):

Dr. James Miller (USN) first to be interred in the new “Doctor’s Cemetery”

1) Dr. James Miller – October 11, 1875 – May 11, 1906

The death in 1906 of Dr. Miller was an assistant surgeon in the Navy who died of Appendicitis. He was 31 years old. He was the first to be buried in this small cemetery where four of the six buried were doctors.

James Miller died at 5:20 am May 11, 1906. He was assigned to the Marine unit stationed on Midway or on a visiting vessel.


2) Dr. George Walter Hawkins – December 8, 1850 – July 30, 1909

Dr. George Walter Hawkins
December 8, 1850 – July, 1909
Age 59
Died of heart failure

While conscious he preserved a cheerful demeanor and entertained hopes of his ultimate recovery.


3) Philip Vernon Tinker – November 10, 1892 – July 27, 1910, Age 18

Philip Vernon Tinker
November 10, 1892 – July 27, 1910
Age 18

He died of injuries on Midway while diving into the water and he struck his head struck a rock. He was paralyzed from the shoulder down and later died

Philip Vernon Tinker, a cable operator at Midway Island, and formerly of Honolulu, received injuries on Midway while diving into the water, from which he later died. His head struck a rock, and he was paralyzed from the shoulder down.

On Saturday, July 23, he went out swimming and was diving from the end of the wharf. He apparently missed his footing and fell straight down striking directly upon his head. Others of the party with him had taken the dive, and were waiting for him to finish, when the accident occurred. He was an excellent swimmer, having been one of the large coteries which became fine swimmers off the boat club houses.

His brother Alfred and the staff doctor, who were in the party, thought he was playing possum, but when he failed to rise to the surface, the party realized that something had happened to their companion and a rescue was immediately affected, and all methods known to them were used to bring him back to life. The paralysed parts failed to respond to treatment, and beyond alleviating suffering, nothing could be done for him. On the afternoon of Tuesday, he lost consciousness and died that morning at half past two o’clock.

He was eighteen years of age and had a promising future, having entered the cable service at Honolulu as a lad and worked his way through the mechanical bureau and eventually took a hand at the cable key. Young Tinker had arrived at Midway only a fourth night before his death, having left Honolulu on the Flaurence Ward on June 25. Those surviving him are a widowed mother, brothers, and sisters, who are all well-known in Honolulu.

4) Dr. Henry Anthony DeBournonville Macauley
May 18, 1858 – November 28, 1921

Dr. Macauley was 63 years old.  His cause of death is unknown though a news article indicates a prolong serious illness, possibly pneumonia.


5) Mark Lemonen – July 7, 1890 – February 13, 1922

Mark Lemonon was 32 when he died at sea aboard the Cable Repair Ship “Restorer”.

Died at sea, aboard the Cable Repair Ship “Restorer”.
Seaman Mark Lamonon / Male / Born: July 7, 1890; Jaluit, Marshall Islands / died: February 13, 1922. He was buried at the Doctors Cemetery on Midway Island. Birth date and location as shown on Lamonon’s WWI draft registration card. At the time of his registration (August 7, 1917), he was unmarried, living in Honolulu, employed as a laborer by the Inter Island Steamship Company. He was listed as Malaysian, an alien, citizen of Japan. He did not claim exemption from US military service. He was described as short of medium build, with brown eyes and dark hair. Inscription on gravestone: “In Memory of Seaman Mark Lamonon Native of Marshall Islands Who died at Midway February 13, 1922, erected by the officers and crew of the Cable Ship Restorer.


6) Dr. Edward Kilbourne Tullidge – September 2, 1890 – August 1, 1950

Dr.Tullidge was Age 60 years old, at the time of his death
Cause of death: unknown (possibly effects of Hereditary Syphilis)

*Note name discrepancy: Headstone shows “Dr. B.K. Tullidge, but shown in the list of deaths published in the September 12, 1950 issue of the Honolulu Advertiser as: “Edward K. Tullidge, Pacific Commercial Cable Co., Midway Island, 59, August 1, 1950.”

Obituary/Life story: Edward Kilbourne Tullidge was born in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, studied in London, engaged in Red Cross Work in 1916, also spent time in Mexico practicing medicine for several years.  April 5, 1917, he was provisionally appointed to the Medical Corp with the rank of Lt.(Jg) and served as physician (ship surgeon) on various ships, until his discharge November 10, 1917.  Married to Vera Murray Campbell in 1946 and passed in 1950.

*Note: His death in August 1950, occurred during a period when the Naval base was closed after World War II.  All Navy personnel were supposed to have been off the island by June. It is possible that he stayed longer to provide medical support to the Cable Company staff.

The Doctor’s Cemetery- Video
Video Credit – Brianne Kiester – 2011

Potential Grave Markers

Potential Grave Markers
For Peter Larkin
And that of an Unknown
Japanese Person

The only other cemetery that existed on Midway was located on Sand Island, the location is now lost. The men buried there are: Peter Larkin of the “General Siegel“, a crewman from the “Wandering Minstrel” and the center marker is that of an unknown Japanese. Photo taken 1903. Potentially, these graves could be located under the Cross-runway. The Cross-runway is currently being demolished by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

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