Category Archives: Uncategorized

KERRY SHANE SHECKLES Born September 11, 1973, Winchester, Indiana   Died February 4, 2005, Avon, Indiana Palmer’s Prairie Church of Christ in rural Sullivan County, Indiana, is no longer, but the church graveyard is, a testament to the congregation that … Continue reading →

The unicorn, carved into a gravestone in the Clear Creek Cemetery in rural Indiana, represents purity, steadfastness, and the incarnation and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  In Medieval times unicorns were depicted as protectors of divine sacrifice.

C. PENN WETTLAUFER OCT. 9, 1935 JAN. 11, 2000 AGE QUOD AGIS Conrad Penn Wettlaufer was a native son of Buffalo.  He hailed from a proud lineage descended from a signer of the Declaration of Independence and of William Penn, … Continue reading →

JOHN F. GROW NOV. 10, 1873—Oct. 2. 1923 IDA, HIS WIFE JUNE 19, 1880—SEPT. 11, 1962 The John and Ida Grow open book tombstone can be found in the Beech Grove Cemetery, in Bedford, Indiana. The open book is a … Continue reading →

We don’t often think of the classical orders—Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian—as having gender, but the ancients did. Allegheny Cemetery, Pittsburgh The Doric Order, associated with the Greek god of Apollo, represents masculinity which can be seen with its sturdy columns.  … Continue reading →

The Monumental Bronze Company of Bridgeport, Connecticut sent out enterprising door-to-door salesmen armed with a catalog to show customers the full range of “white bronze” markers the company produced. These grave markers came in a wide assortment of sizes and … Continue reading →

Michelangelo once said, “The sculpture is already complete within the marble block, before I start my work. It is already there, I just have to chisel away the superfluous material.” The great artist was merely helping the sculpture emerge. The … Continue reading →

JENNIE POLAND DAUGHTER OF MRS. NELLIE GUERBER, DIED SEPT. 23, 1878, 18 YEARS, Gone to join the Angels. The Monumental Bronze Company of Bridgeport, Connecticut published a 127-page catalog of their designs in October 1882.  The company’s range of grave … Continue reading →

The Niver Family monument in the Oakwood Cemetery in Syracuse, New York, depicts a mourning figure—in this instance, an angel. We know it is an angel by its wings.  Christian art began depicting angels with wings in the fourth century.  … Continue reading →

Sometimes artisans display their craft on their gravestones, as did this gondola maker who is buried in the San Michele Cemetery in Venice, Italy.