Author Archives: gravelyspeaking

The Knight’s Helmet

The Knights of Pythias metal marker features many of the symbols that are significant to the Knights.  A knight’s helmet sits atop crossed battle axes with three letters, “F”, “C”, and “B”, which stand for the fraternal organization’s motto, FRIENDSHIP, … Continue reading →

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Eagles

Members of the Fraternal Order of Eagles, like many other society members, choose to be buried in common burial grounds.   Sometimes these burials are in separate graveyards and in other cases a portion of the cemetery is dedicated to the … Continue reading →

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A Carver’s Legacy, Take Two

Michael Shea of Rochester, New York read the gravelyspeaking blogpost about Ivan Adams—the Bloomington stone carver who carved the simple and elegant depiction of the Virgin Mary to mark his own grave. Mr. Shea has shared photos of a statue, … Continue reading →

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Straw Hats

KATIE DAU. OF P.M. & M. J. MOBLEY DIED OCT. 24, 1890 AGED 6Y. 5M. 9D. LITTLE AUSBORN M. & A. E. FINN. BORN JAN. 31, 87 DIED FEB. 13. 90. ZORA DAU OF J.C. & M. E. BENDER MAR. … Continue reading →

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Halloween Aftermath

The day after Halloween, jack o’ lanterns turned up in Rosehill Cemetery at Bloomington, Indiana.

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Take a seat

The rustic movement of the mid-nineteenth century was characterized by designs that were made to look like they were from the country. Elegant and slim curved lines in furniture gave way to bulkier and heavier forms made from pieces that … Continue reading →

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The Plow

  JAMES PATTERSON BORN OCT. 10, 1823, DIED JUNE 11, 1886 Gone but not forgotten JOHN PATTERSON DIED AUG. 13, 1873, AGED 76 YRS. 4 MOS. 9 DYS. SARAH, WIFE OF JOHN PATTERSON, DIED SEPT. 5, 1854, IN THE 46TH … Continue reading →

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Henry Ford’s Mort Safe

HENRY FORD JULY 30, 1863 APRIL 7, 1947 CLARA BRYANT FORD APRIL 11, 1866 SEPTEMBER 29, 1950 Next to a busy thoroughfare in Detroit, Motor City, lies the tiny and inconspicuous Ford Family Cemetery fittingly wedged between a 4-lane busy … Continue reading →

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Sprig of Roses

  SOPHI, Consort of JAMES EDGAR: DIED July 17, 185o: Aged 27 years & 13 days. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. Romantics have waxed poetic about the rose and the connection to love for … Continue reading →

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Dreamless Dust

  Dr. Joseph Barnard (1838-1926) was a Presbyterian minister who plied his craft in Pennsylvania, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois. Joseph and his wife Martha Grey Grubb Barnard (1842-1919) and their children eventually settled in Madison, Indiana, where Barnard served as … Continue reading →

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