Author Archives: gravelyspeaking

Cast iron willow

Posted on May 17, 2012 by gravelyspeaking

The willow motif on this gravemarker is not unusual, in fact, the willow is one of the most common symbols found in American cemeteries.  What makes this willow special is that it is found on a cast iron gravemarker.  While … Continue reading →

Posted in Materials, Symbolism | 2 Comments

The Edmund Ball Mausoleum

Posted on May 13, 2012 by gravelyspeaking

Edmund Burke Ball, with his brother, Frank, borrowed $200 from their Uncle George Ball to purchase a can company.  A few years later the brothers added glass jars to their product mix and founded the Ball Brothers Glass Manufacturing Business, … Continue reading →

Posted in Mausoleums | 3 Comments

Mother’s Day

Posted on May 11, 2012 by gravelyspeaking

The weathered square-top white marble tablet in the photograph above is nothing special.  This kind of marker is ubiquitous in American cemeteries.  Not the kind of gravestone that draws attention because it is plain and not adorned with any remarkable … Continue reading →

Posted in Epitaphs | 3 Comments

The Loyal Order of Moose

Posted on May 8, 2012 by gravelyspeaking

The Loyal Order of Moose was founded in a doctor’s living room in Louisville, Kentucky, in the spring of 1888.  Dr. John Henry Wilson organized the order as a place for men to get together to socialize.  By the early … Continue reading →

Posted in Metal Markers | Leave a comment

Veteran of the Cross

Posted on May 7, 2012 by gravelyspeaking

Some of the lowest paid professionals of the Twentieth Century were men and women of the cloth who served congregations across the country.  Pastors work long hours, stay up with families in joyous times and some of the most trying … Continue reading →

Posted in Metal Markers | 1 Comment

The Boat to the Other Side

Posted on May 6, 2012 by gravelyspeaking

Since ancient times, the imagery of the boat to ferry a soul from one realm to the other has been a part of the symbolism of death.  In Greek mythology, the River Styx wrapped its way around Hades (the Underworld) … Continue reading →

Posted in Symbolism | 1 Comment

Knights of Pythias

Posted on May 3, 2012 by gravelyspeaking

In 1864, the Knights of Pythias was founded by Justus H. Rathbone, making it the very first fraternal organization to receive a charter under an Act of the United States Congress.  The society is based on the Greek story of friendship from 400 … Continue reading →

Posted in Metal Markers | Leave a comment

The American Flag

Posted on April 29, 2012 by gravelyspeaking

  The flag is often found on the graves of soldiers.  In this case, the flag marks the service of English-born immigrant Chaplain Reverend W. B. Linell of Muncie, Indiana, who served during the Civil War in the 10th Illinois … Continue reading →

Posted in Symbolism | 3 Comments

Dum Tacet Clamat

Posted on April 26, 2012 by gravelyspeaking

The metal medalion from a gravestone in the Beth Israel Cemetery at Portland, Oregon, marks the grave of a member of the Woodman of the World Organization. The organization was founded by Joseph Cullen Root.  “During a Sunday sermon in … Continue reading →

Posted in Metal Markers | 9 Comments

Art Deco

Posted on April 25, 2012 by gravelyspeaking

Art Deco is a design movement from the 1920s that marked a break from the fluid and flowing Art Nouveau designs of the 1890s.  The term ‘Art Deco’ is derived from the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes, … Continue reading →

Posted in Mausoleums | Leave a comment