St. Joseph’s Cemetery in San Antonio has a variety of grave markers in the form of a cross—the universal symbol for Christianity. The crosses come in many different styles, shapes from plain to very elaborate.
HIER
RUHT
IN
GOTT
MARIA HOFACKER
GEBORNE NENTWIG
GEB
26
DEZ
1856
GEST
OKT
1913
This cast iron cross shape is a Latin cross with rays emanating out from the crossbars and is called a Glory Cross. The rays symbolize God’s glory. It makes use of the shape by stacking the words in the vertical bars and running the deceased name along the horizontal bar.
In Loving Memory
FLORENCE O. BROUSSARD
MARCH 10, 1902
FEBRUARY 16, 1931
The iron cross is almost fanciful with the heart shape in the center. The heart shape is repeated in the arms of the cross.
Robert Salm
Geb. Mai 1 – 1855
Geft. Marz 19 –
1898
This elaborate iron cross was enameled at one time, though, most has been eroded. This cross is adorned with a winged cherub.
The winged cherub was a symbol that became popular in the 18th Century. Winged cherubs replaced the stark and morbid flying death’s heads from our Puritan forefathers. The cherubs have a childlike countenance of innocence. The iconography represents the flight of the soul from the body upward to Heaven and the hope of the resurrection.
This iron cross has an intricate design that crisscrosses the vertical and horizontal arms of the cross. At the bottom of the cross is a chalice with a wafer. The chalice and the wafer represent the blood and the body of Christ.
This marker, crafted from wood, is shaped into a Botonee Cross. The Botonee Cross is characterized by a trefoil at the end of each arm of the cross which symbolizes the Holy Trinity.
Gravely Speaking 