As a follow-up...

I just spoke with my great-uncle, Alton Carlton, who now lives in Timberlake, NC in Person County.

He also saw the news story, but did not have any documents relating to family history of the Carltons.

He remembered Marcellus Carlton, his grandfather, but remembered only a little about his parents: Marcellus (who is buried at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Raleigh) was the son of a German immigrant and his English wife. They originally settled in Warsaw, NC. Is it possible the church would have a record relating to his lineage?

Alton also said that Marcellus Carlton had traced his family history and had a chart made, but neither my uncle, nor either of his siblings has this document. He also stated that there were other Carlton families in Wake County and that there was a family of English origin with the spelling "Carleton."

I do hope you are able to locate the proper home for this stone. It seems possible this could be a relative of mine, but I am, for now at least, at a loss for how else to trace this.

Good luck!