Old Holmdel Yard, Holmdel, New Jersey

 What lovesick boy doesn’t know the meaning of a single rose, standing there on the front porch, at the beginning of his first date, nervously clutching the flower while he waits expectantly for the door to open and for his date to greet him?  Romantics have waxed poetic about the rose and the connection to love for centuries which has made the rose an undeniable symbol of love.  On this gravestone, Hendrick Wyckoff expresses his love for his wife, Ann, who had been long suffering of an “affliction” before she died.  The rose on this gravestone is in full bloom with the stem broken–an adult who has died.

The rose also has a religious meaning, differing by color.  The white rose symbolizes purity while the red rose represents martydom and the messianic hope that Christ will return.

Old Holmdel Yard, Holmdel, New Jersey