CORA
WIFE OF JOSEPH F.
LEMBERGER
MAY 1, 1860
SEPT. 17, 1901
The tall gray-marble square column gravestone in the Wyuka Cemetery in Lincoln, Nebraska, pictured above displays an incised carving of gate, a very common symbol found in American cemeteries. In this example a crown and a cross are carved above the gates. The gates, which are an important part of the Last Judgment, represent a passageway. The gates are the portal for saved souls to make their passage from the Earthly realm to Heaven upon Christ’s return.
The crown is a symbol of glory and reward and victory over death. The reward comes after life and the hard-fought battle on Earth against the wages of sin and the temptations of the flesh. The reward awaits in Heaven where the victor will receive a crown of victory. The crown also represents the sovereign authority of the Lord. The cross, of course, is the universal symbol of Christianity.
ROSA B. MOORE
1876 – 1911
GONE BUT NOT
FORGOTTEN
In the example below, also found at the Wyuka Cemetery, the symbol of the gates is not carved on the gravestone, but the gates ARE the gravestone. And, in this case the gates are not closed but slightly ajar. The cemetery booklet* suggests the gates just might be ajar “for easy passage by Rosa Moore to her eternal reward.”
*Wyuka Cemetery: A driving & Walking Tour, page 78, written by Ed Zimmer, published in 2009 by the Wyuka Historical Foundation
Gravely Speaking 
Love this! Love the symbolism and you did a spectacular job of explaining it. This is yet another example of why I’ve always loved exploring cemeteries-the art, symbolism, and the history. I had no idea what it was about by the subject line but was drawn in and glad I was. This is something I’ve never seen in a cemetery…is it particular to a region? I’m way far west of Nebraska, which may be why. Interesting, as always, thank you!
P.S, Thank you for spelling “judgment” correctly. Drives me nuts to see the extra “e” (I work in the legal field).
Thank you for the compliment–I appreciate you taking the time to comment. Also, the “gates” symbol, often displayed as open and closed is a symbol I have found in cemeteries across the country. During the Victorian era there was an explosion of various motifs such as this one that was popularized and became common.