COLUMBUS - Typically when you think of a grave site you picture a cemetery where people are laid to rest. But there are some grave sites that stand alone and are in some unexpected places. About 121 years ago Rosa Payne died at the age of 16. She's buried in Columbus and until about 20 years ago it was a little difficult finding her grave. Montana Department of Transportation workers stumbled onto her grave while they were clearing an area to build a fence. That fence surrounds their facility located just off the Columbus exit of Interstate 90. The crew cleared the area put a fence around the grave site and placed the grave marker on a concrete slab. MDOT worker Randal Sekora says, "A grave site is something pretty sacred so you want to do everything you can to preserve it especially as old as this one."
Mary Kroll a volunteer at the Museum of the Beartooths in Columbus helped us find some information on Rosa. And here's what we know about her. Rosa was born in 1870 in Jefferson City to Margaret Countryman Payne and John Payne. Her family moved to Columbus after her father died. Her mother remarried about a year before Rosa died. We don't know what caused Rosa's death or why she's buried where she is. A saying on the marker reads "There are no partings in heaven." If anyone has any more information about Rosa Payne send us an e-mail at news@kulr.com.
Thanks to Ralph Miller for that question. If you have a question you'd like to have us answer e-mail it to us at news@kulr8.com and we'll let you know What's Up With That.