Southern Graves

Tombstone Tuesday: Clara Chunn Chapman

noreply@blogger.com (S. Lincecum) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:00:00 +0000

Clara E. Chunn
Wife of Robt H. Chapman, D.D.
Born Oct 12, 1812
Married Oct 18, 1831
Died Aug 13, 1858

Riverside Cemetery; Asheville, Buncombe County, North Carolina

According to the text from the Riverside Cemetery Walking Tour, Clara's grave was moved to Riverside Cemetery from the Episcopal Church on Church Street. Chunn's Cove in Asheville was named for her.

McElveen Mausoleum

noreply@blogger.com (S. Lincecum) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:00:00 +0000

This mausoleum is located at Riverside Cemetery in Asheville, Buncombe County, North Carolina. I neglected to write down all the information of the readable inscriptions, as I was in a hurry. Nonetheless, I was able to get the following with my digital camera:

Ella Pace McElveen
Wife of G. W. McElveen
Born Rogersville, Tenn May 1860
Died June 1899

Our Mother
Parolee Blevins Pace
Born Rogersville, Tenn Mar 31, 1836
Died Waco, Texas Jan 26, 1921

I photographed this mausoleum because I thought it was neat how the woman sculpted at the top appeared to be coming out of the greenery.

Buchanan Family Monument Photos

noreply@blogger.com (S. Lincecum) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 07:00:00 +0000

The Buchanan monument at Riverside Cemetery in Asheville, Buncombe County, North Carolina is more than meets the eye. There is a large angel sculpture atop the monument, carved entirely out of limestone left over from the construction of the Biltmore Estates by Fred Miles, a stone carver for the Biltmore. At each of the four corners below the angel are cherub faces. And farther down are pairs of faces, again at each of the four corners. These faces seem to represent the Buchanan family -- an adult male, adult female, and children.

In Memory of
William Allen Buchanan
Born in Kingston, Jamaica
Died September 8, 1871
Aged 49 Years
--------------
And His Beloved Wife
Sarah Elizabeth
Died December 27, 1915
Aged 83 Years
And bring thee peace.
----------------------
Also In memory of Their Daughter
Georgiana
1862 - 1930
In The Peace of God
--------------------
William Allen Buchanan
Born June 7, 1856
Died Nov 5, 1931
At Rest
--------
Also In Memory Of
Stella Buchanan Barrett
Died 15th of June 1887
In Her 33rd Year
-----------------
W. A. Barrett
Aug 16, 1879
Nov 11, 1921

Killed By a Desperado

noreply@blogger.com (S. Lincecum) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 07:00:00 +0000

B. F. Addison
Killed By a Desperado
Nov 13, 1906
Aged 56 Years
Gone But Not Forgotten

Mr. Ben Addison, a black merchant, was laid to rest in the designated "colored" section of Riverside Cemetery in Asheville, Buncombe County, North Carolina.

On the cold winter night of 13 November 1906, a crazed drunken man named Will Harris went on a shooting rampage that left five men dead. One unfortunate victim was Ben Addison. Mr. Addison owned a store at 53 Eagle street in downtown Asheville. He was shot when he opened his door to see what the commotion was about.

[Source: text from "Riverside Cemetery Walking Tour," which uses a script from a video entitled "Journey Beyond the Gates," produced by the students of Charles D. Owen High School -- the 1997 Advanced Placement U. S. History Class]

In Memory of Eighteen German Sailors Who died in the U.S. Army Hospital at Asheville, NC 1918-1919

noreply@blogger.com (S. Lincecum) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:00:00 +0000

In Memory Of Eighteen German Sailors Who Died In The United States Army Hospital At Asheville
1918-1919

Nicht grossern Vorteil wusst'ich zu nennen
Als des'Feindes Verdienst erkennen.

No greater gain for the human spirit
Than a sense of our foeman's merit.

Karl Von Aspern
Karl Bening
Adam Biffar
Wilhelm Denecke
Karl Flum
Fritz Hoffman
Hans Jakobi
Karl Kilper
Emil Kobe
Karl Koschmieder
Heinrich Lochow
Hermann Menzel
Johann Wilhelm Meyer
Johann Meyerhoff
Viktor Wilhelm Rieke
Richard Paul Schlause
Wilhelm Stockhausen
Fritz Hermann Wahnschaffe

Erected By Kiffin Rockwell Post American Legion
The memorial transcribed above is located at Riverside Cemetery in Asheville, North Carolina. Text from the Riverside Cemetery Walking Tour: "Riverside Cemetery is the final resting place for World War I German Prisoners of War. Several thousand sailors were first transferred from Ellis Island to a detention center in Hot Springs, North Carolina. A typhoid epidemic resulted in 18 of the sailors dying. The POWs were given a place of rest at Riverside Cemetery."

Today's Epitaph: Daniel Ogden Lives in Memory Alone

noreply@blogger.com (S. Lincecum) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:00:00 +0000

About a month ago, while visiting Riverside Cemetery in Asheville, North Carolina, I come across the grave of Daniel Ogden pictured here. I was actually on my way to see a more "prominent" memorial in the cemetery when I noticed Daniel's gravestone was fallen over and lying on the ground. I snapped a few photos, simply because I always get the urge to document stones that look to be in trouble.

When I got home, I found a sweet epitaph for Daniel etched in the stone. I also snagged a little more information about him with a bit of research.

Daniel W. Ogden
Feb 10, 1882
July 19, 1917
It is sad that one we cherish
Should be taken from our home,
But the Joys that do not perish
Live in memory alone.
All the years we've spent together,
All the happy golden hours,
Shall be cherished in remembrance;
Fragrant sweets from memories' flowers.
I found Daniel in the North Carolina Death Certificates, 1909-1975 collection at Ancestry. It states Daniel was born in Liddieville, Louisiana to Daniel W. Ogden of Woodville, Mississippi and Epsie Brown of Winnsboro, Louisiana. Daniel was married at the time of his death, and his occupation was Meat Cutter. His address was 403 West Haywood Street in Asheville, though his usual residence was listed as Mississippi.

Daniel's cause of death was pulmonary tuberculosis. It seems Daniel was one of the many with this disease who came to the Asheville area hoping the clean mountain air would improve their health. Sadly, for him, it did not. He passed away at the young age of 35.

Abraham Lincoln's Bodyguard (Wordless Wednesday)

noreply@blogger.com (S. Lincecum) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 07:00:00 +0000

H. Clay Wilson was a Man of Many Virtues and Few Faults (Tombstone Tuesday)

noreply@blogger.com (S. Lincecum) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 07:00:00 +0000

H. Clay Wilson
1856 - 1900
A man of many virtues
and few faults.

Riverside Cemetery
Asheville, Buncombe County, North Carolina

Photos © 2009 S. Lincecum

Military Monday: Confederate General James Green Martin

noreply@blogger.com (S. Lincecum) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Gen. James Green Martin
Born in Elizabeth City, N.C. February 14, 1819
Died in Asheville, N.C. October 4, 1878
Brevet Major, U.S.A. for gallant conduct in Mexico, 1847. Brig. Gen. C.S.A. Army of Northern Va. 1864. General-In-Chief, N.C. Troops, 1861. In Command of Western N.C. 1865.

General Martin was laid to rest in Riverside Cemetery; Asheville, Buncombe County, North Carolina. He was a son of Dr. William Martin and Sophia Dange. General Martin was known as "Old One Wing" because he lost an arm in the Mexican War.

- James Green Martin on Wikipedia

O. Henry - Author, Cowboy, Druggist, Sheep Herder, & Convicted Embezzler

noreply@blogger.com (S. Lincecum) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 16:29:00 +0000

William Sydney Porter (1862-1910), son of Dr. Algernon Sidney Porter and Mary Jane Virginia Swaim, was laid to rest upon his death at Riverside Cemetery in Asheville, North Carolina. Better known as "O. Henry," Porter was a well-known short story author. One of his most famous stories is The Gift of the Magi.

There are a few obituaries and funeral notices regarding Mr. Porter below. None of them, however, mention that he was convicted of embezzling funds from a bank in Texas. Before his trial was set to begin in 1896, William fled to the Honduras, where he wrote Cabbages and Kings and coined the term "banana republic." When he got word his first wife, Athol Estes, was dying, William returned to Texas and turned himself in. William's bail was posted so he could be with his dying wife. Athol died in 1897, and O. Henry spent 1898-1901 in the Ohio Penitentiary in Columbus.

I tell you this because I noticed that when people visit William's grave, they sometimes leave him coins. A nod to his colorful history.

Duluth News-Tribune, Minnesota
6 June 1910
"O. HENRY DIES FROM EFFECTS OF OPERATION
William Sydney Porter, Well Known and Popular Magazine Writer, Succumbs in New York Hostpital -- Work Was Humorous, Attracting Much Attention.
Literary Career Started On Staff of Houston Daily Post -- Formerly Cowboy, Sheep Herder, Druggist and a Traveler -- Little Known of Private Life.
NEW YORK, June 5 -- William Sydney Porter, better known under his pen name of "O. Henry," writer of short stories, died today at Polytechnic hospital. He underwent an operation last Friday and never rallied. The nature of his ailment was not made known. Mrs. Porter, who had been in South Carolina, was not summoned by telegraph, but did not arrive here until after her husband's death.

Mr. Porter was born in Texas 62 years ago, and began his journalistic career on the Houston Post. Before that he had been a cowboy, sheep herder and druggist, and an extensive traveler. The general public knew little of his private life, for he shunned interviewers and was content to be known merely through his writings as "O. Henry..."

...He had been in poor health for some time, but it was thought his illness was not serious. Wednesday he dined with friends and seemed in his usual spirits. Friday night he was taken ill and was moved to the hospital. A minor operation was performed, but up to within one hour of his death, it was thought he would recover.

Derangement of both liver and kidneys, however, proved more deep seated than had been thought, and he sank rapidly.

The burial will be at Asheville, North Carolina."

State, South Carolina
6 June 1910
"SHORT STORY MASTER HAS WRITTEN "FINIS"
William Sydney Porter, Known as "O. Henry," Dies in New York. Native of North Carolina.
...Mr. Porter was born in Greensboro, N.C., 46 years ago and began his career on the Houston Post...

Lived in North Carolina
Asheville, N.C., June 5 -- William Sydney Porter, who died in New York today, spent much of his time in this city. He was prominently connected with the Worth family in the eastern part of the State. As a young man he served as drug clerk in Greensboro, and when just past his majority went to Texas, where he engaged in ranching and commercial pursuits. He drifted to Houston and began his newspaper work on the Houston Post, and while there married. From Houston he went to New York and continued his newspaper work, and also began writing his short stories of the plains which immediately attracted attention. His first wife died after he went to New York.

While writing under the nom de plume of O. Henry, his work attracted the attention of Miss Sarah Lindsay Coleman of this city, who herself was writing under the nom de plume of Sarah Lindsay. Inquiries made of her publishers revealed the fact that they were old friends, having had a youthful attachment while he was still a school boy in Greensboro. This old attachmenet resulted in their marriage in this city about two years ago."

Charlotte Observer, North Carolina
8 June 1910
"'O. Henry' to Be Buried at Asheville.
New York, June 7 -- Funeral services for William Sydney Porter, who under the name of "O. Henry" became known as one of the foremost short story writers in America, took place today in the Church of Transfiguration ("The Little Church Around the Corner") around which the author constructed several of his stories.

Many personal friends of the author attended. Mrs. Sarah Lindsey Porter, his wife, was the only relative present. The dead author's parents died some years ago, and he had no close relatives..."

Terry Mausoleum

noreply@blogger.com (S. Lincecum) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 07:00:00 +0000

This TERRY mausoleum is located in Riverside Cemetery; Asheville, North Carolina. It was erected for Franklin Silas Terry and his wife Lillian Estelle Slocomb. They were the owners of the grand estate in Black Mountain, NC called In-The-Oaks, named after the oak leaf in the SLOCOMB family coat of arms.

A beautiful characteristic of this mausoleum is the detailed bronze door.

Death Records from Ireland, Australia, & France + Free Access to U.S. Military Collection

noreply@blogger.com (S. Lincecum) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:20:00 +0000

Ancestry.com recently released some more images of original military records. According to the website, the Ireland Casualties of World War I, 1914-1918 database "contains the book, Ireland’s Memorial Records - an 8 volume set compiled by The Committee of the Irish National War Memorial, originally published in 1923. These volumes provide information on over 49,000 Irish men and women who died in the Great War."

More recent additions include an update to the Australia Cemetery Index, 1808-2007, as well as a new collection of approximately 1.2 million death records -- Paris & Vicinity, France, Death Notices, 1860-1902. The latter "contains death extracts from the historic department of Seine, France from 1860-1902. The extracts were compiled from newspaper and other death notices by ARFIDO S.A., a French genealogical and heir research association. Information extracted includes name of deceased, their death date, and death place." You'll need to know French to adequately search this one.

Also, Ancestry is offering everyone the ability to search their U.S. Military Collection for free through November 13th.

Embree Hoss Blackard, United Methodist Clergy (Tombstone Tuesday)

noreply@blogger.com (S. Lincecum) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:02:00 +0000

Embree Hoss Blackard Sr., D.D.
1900 - 1995

Riverside Cemetery
Asheville, North Carolina

When visiting Riverside Cemetery in Asheville, North Carolina, I came across an emblem I had not seen before. It represented the United Methodist Clergy and was attached to the BLACKARD family stone. A bit of research revealed Mr. Embree Hoss Blackard had been a member of the clergy for 70 years, longer than anyone in the Western North Carolina Conference (at the time of his death in 1995).

According to his obituary in the 6 August 1995 Charlotte Observer (North Carolina), Dr. Blackard was a native of Trenton, Tennessee, and a son of the late Reverend Doctor James W. Blackard and Louisa White Blackard. Information obtained from the Riverside Cemetery website states he was married to Margaret Griffith who died in 1975 and Frances Blair Blackard who died in June 1995.

Also buried in the Blackard family lot is Margaret Griffith Blackard (1897-1975) and Embree Hoss Blackard, Jr., M.D. (1929-1991).

Sam Reed, Mortician & Caretaker of Atlanta's Oakland Cemetery on StoryCorps

noreply@blogger.com (S. Lincecum) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 01:03:00 +0000

Ms. Amber Leigh left a comment yesterday on the most recent In Case You Missed It post, and I'm highlighting it here so hopefully more readers will see it.

"...I'm writing from StoryCorps, America's largest nonprofit national oral history project. I thought you and your readers would be interested in listening to StoryCorps' latest story to broadcast on NPR this morning. Sam Reed, a mortician and the caretaker of Atlanta's historic Oakland Cemetery talks about how his interest in the funeral business started at a young age. You can take a listen here: http://www.storycorps.org/listen/stories/sam-reed.

StoryCorps is an independent nonprofit project whose mission is to honor and celebrate one another's lives through listening. Since 2003, tens of thousands of people from across the country have interviewed family and friends through StoryCorps. Each conversation is recorded on a free CD to take home and share and is also archived for generations to come at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. Millions listen to the award-winning broadcasts on public radio and the Internet. Select stories have also been published in the New York Times bestselling book, Listening Is an Act of Love.

I hope you take the time to listen and share.

Thanks,
Amber Leigh"

My thanks to Amber for bringing this wonderful story to our attention. I enjoyed it very much!

"I just know this is what I was destined to do." ~ Sam Reed

In Case You Missed It - October 2009

noreply@blogger.com (S. Lincecum) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:09:00 +0000

Here are the most viewed posts over the last 30 days:

- Southern Cross of Honor

- Here Lies All the Family (Tombstone Tuesday)

- Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen

- William Walker's Wordless Wednesday

- Interesting & Lovely Little Girl (Tombstone Tuesday)

- Memento Mori

- He Sits & Waits (Wordless Wednesday)

- Rocks, Rocks, and More Rocks

- Beech Springs Methodist Church Cemetery

- Louis Behrens, Famous Fireman

- White Oak Flats Cemetery; Gatlinburg, Tennessee

A Few Days Left for Free Access to Ancestry's Cemetery & Gravestone Collections

noreply@blogger.com (S. Lincecum) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:16:00 +0000

I'm a little behind in posting this, but there's still time! Ancestry is providing free access to their "creepiest collections" of cemetery and gravestone data through November 5th. You may search them directly from this Halloween landing page.

One of the featured collections is Selected U.S. Headstone Photos, containing "more than 74,000 headstones (some with multiple names) for individuals who died in the early 19th century through the present day."

Other collections of southern graves included:

· Abstract of Graves of Revolutionary Patriots;
· Aiken County, South Carolina Cemetery Inscriptions;
· Aiken County, South Carolina Cemetery Inscriptions: Graniteville;
· Aiken County, South Carolina: Cemetery Records;
· Alabama Cemetery Records;
· Barbour County, Alabama Tombstone Inscriptions;
· Bullock Co., AL, Old Confederate Cemetery;
· Cemetery Records of Choctaw County, Alabama;
· Cemetery Records of Dale County, Alabama;
· Cemetery Records of DeKalb County, Alabama;
· Cemetery Records of Jefferson County, Alabama;
· Cemetery Records, Barbour County, Alabama;
· Cemetery Records, Blount County, Alabama;
· Cemetery Records, Fayette County, Alabama and Neighboring Counties;
· Cemetery Survey, Etowah County, Alabama;
· Covington Co., AL, Bushfield Cemetery;
· Etowah County, Alabama Cemetery Records;
· Graveyard Register of Friedland Moravian Church, Forsyth County, N.C.;
· Inscriptions from the Cemeteries of Dale County, Alabama;
· Loudon County, Tennessee Cemetery Inscriptions;
· Mason County, Kentucky, Cemetery Records, Volume I;
· North-Central Georgia Cemeteries;
· Oakland Cemetery, Atlanta, Georgia;
· Page County, Virginia, Cemetery Records, Vol. I (Luray Cemetery);
· Pleasant Hill Cemetery Inscriptions, Pritchett, Texas;
· Prospect Hill Cemetery Inscriptions, Front Royal, Virginia;
· Register of the Confederate Dead Interred in Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Va.;
· Shenandoah County, Virginia, Cemetery Records, Vol. 1 (Woodstock);
· Tennessee Records: Tombstone Inscriptions and Manuscripts;
· The Evergreen Old Historical Cemetery in Evergreen, Alabama, Conecuh County;
· The Old Jewish Cemeteries at Charleston, S.C.: a Transcript of the Inscriptions on Their Tombstones, 1762-1903;
· Tombstone Inscriptions of King George County, Virginia;
· Tombstone Inscriptions of Orange County, Virginia;
· Tombstone Records of St. John's Lutheran Graveyard, Cabarrus County, North Carolina from the 18th Century to June 1936;
· Tombstone Records Stanly County, North Carolina, Albemarle, N.C.;
· Tombstone Records, Stanley County, N.C., Albemarle, County Seat;
· U.S. Military Burial Registers, 1768-1921

Back Issues of Markers & the Bussey Family Cemetery

noreply@blogger.com (S. Lincecum) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:26:00 +0000

I just received my Association for Gravestone Studies newsletter and am delighted to find out that all back issues of the Markers journal have been digitized and put online. Here's the blurb from the newsletter:

"Back issues of Markers available online
As part of AGS's partnership with the University of Massachusetts, Amherst to house the AGS Archives, the University has digitized all back issues of Markers and made them available online. Here is the link:

http://www.library.umass.edu/spcoll/umarmot/?p=991"

Also wanted to let you know I am working on getting the Bussey Family Cemetery online. This cemetery is located in Talbot County, Georgia. Here's a direct link to the work in progress -- Bussey Family Cemetery. A transcription is also available in the USGenWeb Archives. It was recorded in 1972. My transcriptions were completed last year, so some new burials are included.

He Sits & Waits (Wordless Wednesday)

noreply@blogger.com (S. Lincecum) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 06:00:00 +0000

Memento Mori

noreply@blogger.com (S. Lincecum) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:10:00 +0000

Last week, I went on a trip with my Mom and Aunt to Asheville, North Carolina. While there, we took a short drive to Black Mountain to visit the Swannanoa Valley Museum. This museum is located in the old Black Mountain Fire House. According to the museum website, the fire house was designed and built in 1921 by Richard Sharp Smith, supervising architect at the Biltmore Estate. There is no charge to go through the museum, and donations are gladly accepted. There are a lot of neat things to see, and there is a wealth of information about local families and their histories in the area. I enjoyed it very much and highly recommend it.

This mourning brooch was one item on display. Here is the information that went with it:

Memento Mori
"Memento Mori" is a Latin phrase that may be freely translated as "remember that you are mortal," and is a theme that threads throughout history and art, literature, and funeral customs.

Mourning jewelry became popular after the death of Queen Victoria's beloved Prince Albert, and elaborate mourning rings, brooches, and other personal items were embellished with hair from the deceased loved one. Many were made of jet or onyx stones.

This jewelry mirrored the lives and times of the people who wore it, a souvenir to remember a loved one, and a reminder to the living of the inevitability of death.

The mourning brooch displayed here was donated to the Swannanoa Valley Museum by Elizabeth Lynn."

The collecting of mourning jewelry goes on today. A Google search will result in lots of links to visit and images to view, if you are interested in learning more.

Roberta's Angel (Wordless Wednesday)

noreply@blogger.com (S. Lincecum) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Slideshow: Roberta City Cemetery

noreply@blogger.com (S. Lincecum) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 22:12:00 +0000

William Walker's Wordless Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (S. Lincecum) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 06:00:00 +0000

Interesting & Lovely Little Girl (Tombstone Tuesday)

noreply@blogger.com (S. Lincecum) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 08:00:00 +0000

Sacred to the Memory of

Floretta Virginia Delony

Second daughter of Edward & [Piannah?] Delony

who was born on the 3rd of May, 1833

and died the 2nd of Oct, 1835

aged 2 years & 3 months.

---------------------------

Edward Delony

was born in Mecklenburg Co, VA &

emigrated to Georgia in 1825. His wife

formerly [Piannah?] Shephard was

born in Morgan Co, GA where she was

married to him in Oct 1828.

-----------------------------

Floretta Virginia

The interesting and lovely little girl to whose memory

these lines are inscribed was a dear sweet littl

child with the most tender and affectionate heart, she

was the fondest sympathies of her doting parents,

and oft she would run to her mother to renew her

soft kisses and tender little embrace, but she has gone

from this cold heartless world and now dwells in a

Paradise of Angels, a bright little cherub

chanting songs of praise to our eternal God.

This tombstone can be found in Oak Hill Cemetery; Talbot County, Georgia.

Rocks, Rocks, and More Rocks

noreply@blogger.com (S. Lincecum) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:31:00 +0000

Why do people put rocks on grave stones? Some time ago, I learned that the rocks signified a visitor. That is true enough, but I decided to learn a little more about the custom and share my findings with you.

Putting rocks on tombstones is most often described as a Jewish custom. There are many "Ask a Rabbi" columns out there, but I did not find one that knew for sure where the custom originated. They all agreed, however, that a rock symbolized a visitor and when put on a tombstone said, "I remember you." I also read that some people pick up a rock wherever they are when they think of a person that has passed. Then, the next time they visit the grave, they place the rock to say, "I wish you were here."

Rabbi Shraga Simmons offers a deeper meaning: "We are taught that it is an act of ultimate kindness and respect to bury someone and place a marker at the site. After a person is buried, of course, we can no longer participate in burying them. However, even if a tombstone has been erected, we can participate in the mitzvah of making a marker at a grave, by adding to the stone. Therefore, customarily, we place stones on top of a gravestone whenever we visit to indicate our participation in the mitzvah of erecting a tombstone, even if only in a more symbolic way."

Rabbi Ovadia Yosef says this, "In former days one did not mark a grave with marble or granite with a fancy inscription, but one made a cairn of stones over it. Each mourner coming and adding a stone was effectively taking part in the Mitzvah of matzevah ("setting a stone") as well as or instead of levayat ha-meyt ("accompany the dead"). Of course, the dead were often buried where they had fallen, before urbanization and specialization of planning-use demanded formal cemeteries...Therefore in our day one tends to stick a pebble on top of the tombstone as a relic of this ancient custom, and it is still clear that the more stones a grave has, the more the deceased is being visited and is therefore being honored. Each small pebble adds to the cairn - a nice moral message. This has become slightly spoiled by the cemetery authorities clearing accumulated pebbles off when they wash down the gravestones and cut the grass."

Finally, Rabbi Andrew Straus offers the following: "Ritual is a way of expressing our emotions and spiritual needs. We need physical acts to express these things for us, to make them concrete. Placing a stone on a grave does just that...(1) It is a sign to others who come to the grave when I am not there that they and I are not the only ones who remember. The stones I see on the grave when I come are a reminder to me that others have come to visit the grave. My loved one is remembered by many others and his/her life continues to have an impact on others, even if I do not see them. (2) When I pick up the stone it sends a message to me. I can still feel my loved one. I can still touch and be touched by him/her. I can still feel the impact that has been made on my life. Their life, love, teachings, values, and morals still make an impression on me. When I put the stone down, it is a reminder to me that I can no longer take this person with me physically. I can only take him/her with me in my heart and my mind and the actions I do because he/she taught me to do them. Their values, morals, ideals live on and continue to impress me - just as the stone has made an impression on my hands - so too their life has made an impression on me that continues."

So do all these explanations mean placing a rock on a tombstone is only a Jewish custom? While I would consider it likely when visiting a gravestone with rocks placed on it, it may not always be the case.

Cemetery symbolism author Douglas Keister reminds us, "In Christian lore, rocks are a powerful symbol of the Lord." There are many places in the Old Testament Bible that compare God to a rock. One being Psalm 18:2 -- "The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my strength, in whom I will trust, my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower."

So the placing of a rock on a tombstone could represent a belief that the deceased is with God.

Keister further states, "In almost all cultures, rocks represent permanence, stability, reliability, and strength."

All in all, placing and finding rocks on a tombstone is a nice tradition. Whatever the culture or religious faith, the rocks represent an honorable memory of the deceased.

Note: the photo above (© 2009 S. Lincecum) is of the gravestone for Robert H. Sanders (28 Apr 1920 - 8 July 1998) & Mary A. Sanders (24 July 1919 - 14 Jan 2006) at Roberta City Cemetery in Crawford County, Georgia.

One last item; a little link love. When researching this article, I came across a website that offers paintings on river rocks to be placed on the gravestones of loved ones. I thought it was a neat idea, so here's a link to Judaic Stones.

A Wealth of Walker & Nottingham Information

noreply@blogger.com (S. Lincecum) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 23:44:00 +0000

I absolutely love to find tombstones like these. Of course, I've never come across one that pertains to my family. Nonetheless, seeing an individual's lineage inscribed in granite is a genealogist's dream. Too bad there are no attached sources! :-)

I felt compelled to type it all here, hoping someone interested may stumble upon it.

Caroline Walker Nottingham (July 21, 1882 ~ Sept 8, 1963), a daughter of the Confederacy, was laid to rest next to her husband Eliot Theodore Nottingham (Sept 12, 1871 ~ Jan 4, 1961) in Roberta City Cemetery; Crawford County, Georgia. On the back of the granite family stone, the names and dates of 5 generations of Walkers and Nottinghams were inscribed:

Eliot T. Nottingham - Married Caroline Walker Nov 16, 1904 - Of This Union Was Born William Marshall Nottingham
----------------------------
Caroline W. Nottingham
Daughter of William J. Walker (1851-1911) & Annie R. Walker (1860-1932)
Granddaughter of Charles H. Walker (1812-1896) & Caroline E. Jones (1815-1880)
Great Granddaughter of William Walker (1762-1818) & Elizabeth Bostick (1770-1835)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eliot T. Nottingham
Son of Theodore E. Nottingham (1846-1872) & Arabella T. Nottingham (1851-1910)
Grandson of Dr. Custis Bell Nottingham (1818-1876) & Rebecca V. Thompson Nottingham
Great Grandson of Jacob Nottingham & Sara Jarvis Bell Nottingham of Nothampton County, Virginia

Nearby is Caroline's grandfather and tie to the Confederacy, Pvt. Charles H. Walker, Sr.

Co A
8 GA Militia
CSA
Feb 15, 1812
Aug 24, 1896
Born Jefferson Co, GA
Died Crawford Co, GA