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Monthly Archives: November 2011
Woodmen of the World and the Tree-Stump Gravestone
Joseph Cullen Root, a prolific founder, founded four fraternal organizations during his lifetime, one of them being the Modern Woodmen of America (MWA). MWA was founded on on January 5, 1883. Root was inspired by a Sunday sermon in Lyons, Iowa. During … Continue reading
Posted in Treestump gravestones
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Tree-Stump Squirrel
The Eberle Martin tree-stump tombstone in Mitchell, Indiana, is an unique example of this type of marker because of its bas-relief profile of the deceased at the top. Many of the tree-stump tombstones are carved to appear as if the … Continue reading
Posted in Symbolism, Treestump gravestones
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Tree-Stump Tombstones
The rustic movement of the mid-nineteenth century was characterized by designs that were made to look like they were from the country. Elegant and slim curved lines in furniture gave way to bulkier and heavier forms made from pieces that … Continue reading
Posted in Treestump gravestones
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Saving Graces, Angel Version
In my very first post, I wrote about the book, Saving Graces, published by W. W. Norton & Company in 1995. In the book, David Robinson has taken pictures of mourning figures from some of the most beautiful and famous … Continue reading
Posted in Saving Graces
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Grape clusters and leaves
The gravestone above is surrounded by a metal trellis decorated with tinted grape clusters and leaves. In Christianity the Eucharist, which is part of a religious ceremony also called Holy Communion, is a time when Christ’s followers are to do as … Continue reading
Posted in Symbolism
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Gone Fishin
It is estimated that there are 38 million commercial fishermen worldwide and millions more who are recreational. The sentiment, “Gone Fishin” is most likely an accurate vision of Heaven for many of them.
Posted in Epitaphs
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The Squirrel
The squirrel is not a commonly seen symbol in the cemetery, even though, the live ones are regular inhabitants. This intricately carved limestone marker has three squirrels, one on top of the main stone, perched on its haunches, the other … Continue reading
Posted in Symbolism
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The Hoosier Poet
On top of the highest hill in Indianapolis, in the Crown Hill Cemetery, towers the classical monument dedicated to honor, James Whitcomb Riley, known at the “Hoosier Poet” and the “Children’s Poet.” Riley (October 7, 1849 – July 22, 1916) … Continue reading
Posted in Famous graves
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The Horseshoe
To the ordinary superstitious person, a horseshoe with the ends pointing up, is viewed as good luck. These can ususally be found tacked up above a doorway and kept as a talisman. The claim is that the luck stays in … Continue reading
Posted in Symbolism
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