Liz's comments
(member since Sep 13, 2009)
(showing 1-20 of 119)
One of the things that has puzzled me is the transportation of one of the burials in my Jones plot from California to Cincinnati in 1861. John R. Jones died in California in 1861 and was buried at Spring Grove on 19 Sep 1863. There is a note on the card that he was "From Vault to Sec 29, Lot 55". Evidently he was buried first in Sec 39, Lot 56. As were some of the other members of the family. More questions to look into . . .After reading this chapter, I'm wondering exactly how they stored these bodies!
I found the body-snatching articles interesting as well. I would never have thought to look in the newspaper for a few days after death to see if the body was taken! Amazing how many bodies were stolen to supply medical schools near Cincinnati, Albany, etc.
Maryd wrote: "I think this chapter is very interesting! We have a couple of those rings with hair in them from my great great great grandpa & grandma Gove - they died in 1870 & 1875. a jeweler told us that was ..."For some examples of Victorian Hair jewelry including hair rings with initials see http://www.morninggloryantiques.com/Jewe...
Some more images at http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=h...
Some of them are so intricate, I don't think I would have realized at first blush that they were made of hair!
I see that I missed a few links!Cemetery Stories Haunted Graveyards, Embalming Secrets, and the Life of a Corpse After Death by Katherine Ramsland
http://www.daguerre.org/resource/texts/b... - Article "Taking Portraits After Death"
National Museum of Funeral History - http://www.nmfh.org/
[I wonder how my kids would feel if I tacked on a trip to this museum next time we are in Houston?! :)]
Yes, it is fascinating. My husband's family has some hair wreaths encased in a mantlebox-like glass front frame. I've also seen mourning rings included in wills. That is all one poor niece received. Everyone else received either land or money . . . wonder what she did to make Auntie mad? :)
Welcome Whitney! It looks like we will have a pretty good group - already 7 have responded yes to the event. If you would like to get a reminder about the start of the reading, click on "Events" on the panel on the right hand side. Click 'yes' that you will attend. A reminder of the start of the discussion will be emailed to you 7 days before the start.I hope to get the book today or tomorrow. I'm looking forward to taking an advance peek at it!
If the symbolism presented in this chapter is interesting to you, you may want to check with some of the local cemeteries. Active cemeteries (especially the 'garden' type) often have speakers that give tours describing headstone symbolism. I went to one a few years ago at Spring Grove cemetery that dealt with 'angel' symbolism. It was fascinating!
Carmack warns that some of these published epitaphs may not be correct so . . .
On a lighter note, there are some fun Epitaphs on WikiQuote: http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Epitaphs and http://www.webpanda.com/ponder/epitaphs....This one seems to fit here: "When I am dead, I hope it may be said: His sins were scarlet, but his books were read." * from Sonnets and Verse 'On His Books' from WikiQuote
There are many, many websites with epitaphs on them. Most list the name of the person on whose gravestone they are found . . . could we be lucky enough to find an ancestor that way?!
http://www.gravematter.com/epitaphs.asp
http://www.famousquotes.me.uk/epitaphs/
many more . . .
And some books:
R.I.P. Here Lie the Last Words, Morbid Musings, Epitaphs & Fond Farewells of the Famous and Not-So-Famous by Susan K. Hom
Epitaphs To Remember by Janet Greene
Check the comments in Appendix A as well as many of them apply here too. I've included one of the links here as well because the write up describing the collection was so helpful. I've added a some new items to my go-bag list -- a tape measure and/or some item to give a sense of scale to include in photographs. There is a great deal of information about dating stones by using size in the article - very helpful.For some examples, http://www.davidrumsey.com/farber/ this collection is described in http://www.davidrumsey.com/farber/Early%... . The article has a very detailed description of dating stones based on their size and shape in addition to the stone type. This article also gave me some additional insights into the importance of accurate transcription. So, if dictating, noting the type style, etc. also needs to be included if it won't come out in the photograph. The article has an extensive list of recommended reading. I've printed this one out to keep with my book as additional information.
Maryd wrote: "The Barnard grave has a large cross - looks like a "B" in the center. each of persons buried in the family plot have a stone with their name. On the top of John's stone is a mason symbol, barely v..."Another great clue to follow up! Masons often had publications that gave more detailed obituaries of members than are in the newspapers. You can use some of the techniques for searching for burial transit permits to find Masons's records - NUCMUC, etc. You may also want to contact the Masons directly!
This book has really changed the way I view cemeteries and cemetery markers. Now when I drive through the cemetery, I find myself wondering what the stones are trying to communicate. I view not only the dates, the epidemics, etc. Now I find myself looking for further clues. You can see how the traditional choices of stones changed over time. The symbolism varies from the older part of the cemetery to the newer one . . . urns give way to crosses which give way to hearts and expressions that celebrate the life of the deceased. It's really quite fascinating.
Week 7, Dec 12 - Dec 18, 2009 : Chapter 6, American Burial Customs and Folkways p. 149-170This week we are on to Chapter 6 on Burial Customs. Some books mentioned in the chapter are:
A Midwife's Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on Her Diary, 1785-1812 by Laura Thatcher Ulrich.
The history of American funeral directing by Robert Wesley Habenstein
Letters from the Earth Uncensored Writings by Mark Twain
Death to Dust What Happens to Dead Bodies? by Kenneth V. Iserson
Secure the Shadow Death and Photography in America by Jay Ruby
Uncovering Your Ancestry Through Family Photographs by Maureen A. Taylor
Bringing Your Family History to Life Through Social History by Katherine Scott Sturdevant
DEATH AND DYING IN CENTRAL APPALACHIA CHANGING ATTITUDES AND PRACTICES by James K. Crissman
The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce
As always, if I've missed any, please feel free to post them.
The polling is in! The next group read book is Google Your Family Tree unlocking the hidden power of Google by Lynch, Daniel M.
I'll be posting the reading syllabus once I've had a chance to get the book. We will begin reading the book on January 9. Please indicate whether you plant to attend the event. Thanks!
Welcome Mallory! I love the personalization of history that comes from studying genealogy too. Rarely does history focus on individuals and when it does, the people chosen are famous and harder to relate to as a result. Its wonderful when the combination of history and genealogy gives you the sense of 'walking in their shoes'!Feel free to add posts and comments to any of the threads in the Guide to Cemetery Research discussions. They are all open. I'm still working on items from the first two chapters. :)
Joe, Thanks for the post! I love your photo! :) The photos at the website were great too! Welcome to the site. We are currently voting on the next group reading. If you haven't already done so, be sure to vote and also to introduce yourself.Liz
To vote on a poll, you need to go to the actual polls section.You can either click on "polls" over on the right upper corner of the page or follow this link: http://www.goodreads.com/poll/list/2188....
I'm not certain why the polls aren't showing up at the bottom of the home page today. Please be sure to vote in both polls selecting a FIRST and SECOND choice. (They can be the same book.)
Maryd wrote: "My Union ancestors would be displeased with me & rise up out of their graves if they knew i had a confederate bag, especially that one, LOL. my husband's family would like it i guess. thanks for th..."You are right! I think we all have both Union and Confederate ancestors. :)
Mary, were there any symbols or initials on the stones you found?
I've been applying this book to my Jones family plot. The marker in this plot has always intrigued me because of the monument. The lovely lady is hiding an anchor under her cloak. In Carmack's book, the anchor is cited as a symbol of maritime occupation. At first blush that may seem odd in Cincinnati but, in the time of the Steamboat era, Cincinnati was an inland port. James Wynne Jones was a merchant . . . was he an importer? He later moved to Philadelphia and New York, both port cities. Wiki's article on Anchors includes the following on its use in heraldry "An anchor frequently appears on the flags and coats-of-arms of institutions involved with the sea, both naval and commercial, as well as of port cities and seacoast regions and provinces in various countries."My lady is looking south toward the river . . . could there by significance in that? I searched for the name carver or monument maker on the stone and if was there at some point, it has long since eroded. I'm developing a list of questions for the cemetery . . .
Its a good idea to dig a little deeper on any symbols you encounter. http://www.themasonictrowel.com/Articles... states that the anchor is also a symbol of hope. As a symbol of safety and representation of a cross in http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01462a.h... .
