Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Mallory finds grandfather at Stones River Cemetery
11/13/2019 6:00:00 PM | Football
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — When offensive line coach Rick Mallory was hired at Middle Tennessee in March of 2013, he thought he was moving to a place where he had no family residing.
How wrong he was.
Mallory is originally from Washington and spent most of his life in the West, attending the University of Washington prior to playing a few years in the NFL. He was hired at MT after stints at his alma mater, then Memphis, Wyoming and UAB.
Right after his move to Middle Tennessee, he got a call from his mother, who lives in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. She told him to go to the Stones River National Cemetery in Murfreesboro, where he'd find an old relative.
"I got a call from my mom, and she says she had just been notified by someone in the family that a descendent of ours is buried in the national cemetery here," Mallory said. "He's actually from Pennsylvania. My mother's side of the family originates in Pennsylvania.
"It was such a crazy deal when she called and said we have a great-great-grandfather buried here. I told her, I'm going to find him."
Mallory's great-great-grandfather on his mother's side, Adam Shaffer, was born, according to records, on Nov. 25, 1825, in the Redbank Township in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania.
During the American Civil War, Shaffer enlisted in 1861 and fought as a private for the Union Army. His regiment, the 78th Pennsylvania Infantry, B Company, was a volunteer regiment formed in Philadelphia under the command of Colonel William Sirwell. They fought in Kentucky, then Ohio, before moving down to Tennessee, stationing in Nashville, Murfreesboro and Chattanooga, among other places.
Shaffer was wounded in battle and transferred to Murfreesboro. Sadly, he never made it back to Pennsylvania. He died, according to records, on Jan. 9, 1863, at the age of 37.
"He was wounded in another battle, not the Battle of Murfreesboro, and was transported here and died while he was recovering," Mallory said. "His name was Adam Shaffer, but on the tombstone, it says Shofer. Those were expensive things to produce back then … and I guess they thought Shofer was close enough."
Now, more than 150 years later, Shaffer gets visits every so often from family members four and five generations down the line.
Mallory tries to go to the cemetery every couple of months, and even had the chance to take his mother there when she was visiting in the spring.
"We took her down to see grandpa," he said. "That was a cool day."
He and his wife, Shannon, have also visited with their adopted daughters, Naomi, Fiona and Layla.
For Mallory, to have the opportunity to show his daughters an ancestor who fought for freedom meant a lot to the father of six.
"To have some connection to some previous generations is really nice for them and gives them a little bit of a history lesson," he said. "History is really important to our family, and to remember history is not to repeat it. That was nice for them to see that."
During Veterans Day, active military personnel and veterans are commemorated for what they've done for their country. Middle Tennessee will do its part on Saturday when the Rice Owls travel to Murfreesboro for the Blue Raiders' annual Salute to Veterans & Armed Forces game.
Mallory makes a point to go to Stones River National Cemetery whenever he can to honor his great-great-grandfather, a man he's never met who gave his life fighting for freedom and his country.
It's also nice for Mallory to be able to catch up with his only family member in middle Tennessee.
"It's such a peaceful place," he said, "and it's nice to have some family in the area, dead or alive."
How wrong he was.
Mallory is originally from Washington and spent most of his life in the West, attending the University of Washington prior to playing a few years in the NFL. He was hired at MT after stints at his alma mater, then Memphis, Wyoming and UAB.
Right after his move to Middle Tennessee, he got a call from his mother, who lives in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. She told him to go to the Stones River National Cemetery in Murfreesboro, where he'd find an old relative.
"I got a call from my mom, and she says she had just been notified by someone in the family that a descendent of ours is buried in the national cemetery here," Mallory said. "He's actually from Pennsylvania. My mother's side of the family originates in Pennsylvania.
"It was such a crazy deal when she called and said we have a great-great-grandfather buried here. I told her, I'm going to find him."
Mallory's great-great-grandfather on his mother's side, Adam Shaffer, was born, according to records, on Nov. 25, 1825, in the Redbank Township in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania.
During the American Civil War, Shaffer enlisted in 1861 and fought as a private for the Union Army. His regiment, the 78th Pennsylvania Infantry, B Company, was a volunteer regiment formed in Philadelphia under the command of Colonel William Sirwell. They fought in Kentucky, then Ohio, before moving down to Tennessee, stationing in Nashville, Murfreesboro and Chattanooga, among other places.
Shaffer was wounded in battle and transferred to Murfreesboro. Sadly, he never made it back to Pennsylvania. He died, according to records, on Jan. 9, 1863, at the age of 37.
"He was wounded in another battle, not the Battle of Murfreesboro, and was transported here and died while he was recovering," Mallory said. "His name was Adam Shaffer, but on the tombstone, it says Shofer. Those were expensive things to produce back then … and I guess they thought Shofer was close enough."
Now, more than 150 years later, Shaffer gets visits every so often from family members four and five generations down the line.
Mallory tries to go to the cemetery every couple of months, and even had the chance to take his mother there when she was visiting in the spring.
"We took her down to see grandpa," he said. "That was a cool day."
He and his wife, Shannon, have also visited with their adopted daughters, Naomi, Fiona and Layla.
For Mallory, to have the opportunity to show his daughters an ancestor who fought for freedom meant a lot to the father of six.
"To have some connection to some previous generations is really nice for them and gives them a little bit of a history lesson," he said. "History is really important to our family, and to remember history is not to repeat it. That was nice for them to see that."
During Veterans Day, active military personnel and veterans are commemorated for what they've done for their country. Middle Tennessee will do its part on Saturday when the Rice Owls travel to Murfreesboro for the Blue Raiders' annual Salute to Veterans & Armed Forces game.
Mallory makes a point to go to Stones River National Cemetery whenever he can to honor his great-great-grandfather, a man he's never met who gave his life fighting for freedom and his country.
It's also nice for Mallory to be able to catch up with his only family member in middle Tennessee.
"It's such a peaceful place," he said, "and it's nice to have some family in the area, dead or alive."
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