There are more wildflower photos to post, but I’m too tired for that and didn’t find the time on Memorial Day to look up info in the flower books, anyway. Most of the day was spent mowing lawn, planting garden, fixing meals, catching up on laundry. Don’t fret, I didn’t work THAT hard---but found little time to sit at the computer, that’s all, plus I’m worn out from spending most of the last three days outdoors in the sun and wind. Must be getting old…..er. Most of all, I’d would love to sit down and read a book, but can’t seem to fit that in, either.
The above photo was taken on Sunday night. My husband’s parents are buried next to that old church. One would expect it to be a peaceful, quiet place, but it really is not, because it sits practically on top of a very busy highway. In fact, a person was killed on Saturday in a traffic accident right in front of this church, in a head-on collision of a car and semi-truck. Seeing the black tire marks on the pavement gave me the shivers.
This next photo shows a nice idea I’d not seen done before…….laminated family photos strung around a gravestone.
Recently, while using old census records to do research on my husband’s family tree, we discovered that his grandfather had a sister who died in 1907 at the age of three. Her name was Lucinda. None of the older folks had ever mentioned her. After examining the cemetery map in the church basement we were able to determine the location of her grave in one of the childrens’ rows, though no marker is there.
I might possibly know why this child was never mentioned. My father-in-law told me once that the great-grandparents “had to get married”…….which was somewhat of a scandal back in the early 1900’s. (And, to keep things balanced here: one of MY grandmothers was conceived out-of-wedlock, too. People have always been human, evidently.) Anyhow, I was rather mystified by the information/gossip that my FIL had told me because in family records the first child was listed as being born several years after the great-grandparents married. Finding evidence of this little girl solves that particular mystery. The couple ended up with two sons and no more daughters.
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I don’t know about you, but I’ve had enough of cemeteries for awhile. They’re starting to get me down.
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Have a great day!
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8 comments:
I've never seen the laminated pictures like that, either.
About two miles from where we live is the Bohemian National Cemetery, and the headstones there have oval-shaped pictures embedded in the headstones. I've seen that many times elsewhere, and it always seems to be someone with an Eastern European name.
Thanks for sharing your cemetery visits with us. It's a good thing to make these visits in the Spring, so the renewing life all around us serves as a counterweight to the depression.
The corn's been in 3 weeks now. How's it lookin'?
Wow. Every family has their story.
Why do we never see things planted on graves? That morning glory would have been beautiful planted there, trailing all over the grave. Or a climbing rose. I think I'd like that on my grave. Morning glories and moonflowers intertwined and trailing.
The laminated pictures are interesting. I have never seen or heard of such a thing.
As for the family mystery . . . it is that kind of thing that I love to find out when exploring my family history. It seems to make things more personal some how.
Lucinda was my grandmother's name. My oldest daughter is named Cindy. I wonder if our grandmothers were almost afraid to love a child too deeply for fear they would not live. Hope the wind stops there. We FINALLY have had two nice days in a row!
My grandfather on my dad's side was born out of wedlock too - that's why it's hard to trace my dad's side of the family.
I love the Morning Glory on the gravesite.
How sad that someone was killed near the church on Memorial Day weekend.
Jeannelle, I have an award for you on my blog.
Kat
I like leaving a stone when I visit. Mom and Dad both said give my flowers when I am living, not when I am gone.
I like that idea of the laminated pictures. It gives those lives a bit more personal touch and perhaps gives us an idea of who they were. I love cemeteries and the history of the people buried there but I agree...I have had enough of cemeteries for a while.
Hi, Sempringham,
Interesting about the oval photos you mentioned....there is ONE tombstone at our church cemetery that has a girls' oval portrait on it.
And, yes....I should post a photo of the cornfield! Thanks for the reminder.
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Hi, Flea,
Real flowers and plants around a tombstone sounds lovely. I suppose caretakers might not like the extra work, though.
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Hi, Trisha,
You're right, those personal stories make our ancestors seem more real and give us an emotional connection.
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Hi, Leenie,
You've really given me pause by your thought that years ago people possibly were held back from loving deeply because of the prevalence of sickness and death. Very good insight!
We've now had to gray, rainy days....nice and still for a change....no wind.
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Hi, Poetikat,
Interesting what we find in our family trees.
Thank you for the clever "Ewe Rock" award!
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Hi, Gail,
That's a nice idea....leaving a small stone at the graves. Your parents sould very sensible.
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Hi, Egghead,
Thank you for your thoughtful words. And, again....sincere sympathy to you on the passing of your father-in-law earlier this month.
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