Author Archives: gravelyspeaking

Stephen Neal June 11, 1817 – June 23, 1905 The large, polished granite column topped with a bronze bust in the Oak Hill Cemetery in Lebanon, Indiana, commemorates the life of Stephen Neal.  Neal was a prominent citizen of Lebanon, … Continue reading →

The Benevolent Protective Order of Elks (B. P. O. E.), one of the many fraternal organizations in the United States, was originally a drinking club called the Jolly Corks founded in 1866 by a group of actors, who evidently liked … Continue reading →

ORSON PHELPS BORN DEC. 17, 1805, DIED MARCH 15, 1870 — CALISTA MARIA TALBOT, DIED JANUARY 21, 1898 — ORSON J. BORN JULY 13, 1847, DIED MAR. 20, 1852 — MARIA LOUISE BORN JAN. 15, 1849, DIED JUNE 10, 1871. … Continue reading →

Isaiah Sellers 1802 – 1864 It seems that in many social gatherings, one of the first questions people ask one another is, “What do you do?”  It is as if a person’s occupation is who they are.  And, in fact, … Continue reading →

Mystery solved thanks to three readers who have great detective skills.  Chris, Mary, and a reader only known by the alpha—letter combination “gsbo3632” jumped in and found pins on eBay for sale that gave the clue to the society known … Continue reading →

GEO. F. VAN DEUSEN 1887 – 1910 The metal marker next to the George Van Deusen gravestone in the Woodland Cemetery in Jackson, Michigan, is a mystery.  The handshake appears to signify membership in a brotherhood, but I can’t unravel … Continue reading →

IDA L. BROWN WIFE OF J. D. BROWN BORN DEC. 10, 1858 DIED APR. 11, 1888 BLEST WITH A TEMPER WHOSE UNCLODED RAY, MADE TOMORROW AS PLEASANT AS TODAY The Riverside Cemetery, on a hillside just outside the city of … Continue reading →

For me, the most poignant and tender gravestones are those for children.  The loss of a child is devastating, a loss that even time cannot heal.  And, many cemeteries have special sections specifically for child or infant burials—sometimes labeled “Babyland” or … Continue reading →

There has always been a debate between dog and cat lovers about which furry little friend makes the best companion. I have many friends who have cats galore and swear by them, while others like myself, have dogs and always … Continue reading →

The zinc marker in the City Cemetery in Warsaw, Missouri, manufactured by the White Monument Company in the same city, has a trap door, unique to the design, that reveals an obituary for two—Martha Elmy Shrum and her daughter, Jennie … Continue reading →