Category Archives: Uncategorized

ALICE WARD JEFFS Wife of WILLIAM Y. JEFFS BORN Nov. 4 1832 Died Sept, 4 1907 MOTHER As the previous blogpost reported, for nearly a thousand years, artists depicted God as a hand reaching down from the clouds.  Such a … Continue reading →

LUCINDA MAY Daughter of ROLLAN & LIZZIE SHERMAN October 7, 1883 April 8, 1886 There are many verses in the Bible against showing a representation of God, such as, Exodus 20:4—”You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any … Continue reading →

Idaho Falls, Idaho, is a small city of about 65,000 people in the southeastern part of the state.  Over 56% of the population is Mormon which is reflected in the symbolism found in the Rose Hill Cemetery.  Many of the … Continue reading →

In many cemeteries across the country are common burial spots owned by Elks Lodges for fraternity members who would like to be buried next to their Departed Brothers.  These burial plots are often marked by a statue of an elk.  … Continue reading →

REUBEN FLAGGDIED NOV. 9, 1869IN THE 71ST YEAR OF HIS AGEWAS ONE OF THE FOUR FIRST FAMILIESTHAT SETTLED IN WILL CO.A PIONEER IN THE ADVANCE GUARD OF THEWESTERN EMIGRATION 1830HAULED THE LUMBER TO BUILD THE FIRSTFRAME HOUSE ERECTED IN CHICAGO.OUR … Continue reading →

One of my favorite graveyard motifs is the willow, one of the most ubiquitous symbols found in American cemeteries. According to James Deetz and Edwin S. Dethlefsen, in their groundbreaking article, “Death’s Head, Cherub, Urn and Willow” the willow first made … Continue reading →

In the previous post, floriography was defined and highlighted as a way to understand the silent messages found on gravestones erected during the Victorian era. To understand the symbolism, however, one has to be able to identify the flower depicted … Continue reading →

JAMES COUSINS DIED JULY 4, 1901, AGED 50 YEARS The segmented top white marble gravestone of James Cousins in the Old City Cemetery in Sacramento, California, is festooned with flowers and foliage—lily of the valley, ferns, and ivy—each with meaning.  … Continue reading →

VIRGINIA RANDOLPH ELLETT 1857 – – 1939 FOREMOST IN LIEARNING AND IN FAITH AND AID PRE-EMINENT; ALL-TIRELESS; NEVER FOND BUT RESOULTE IN PROGRESS AND AFRAID ONLY OF FINDING NO MORE WORK BEYOND Nested under a canopy of trees in a … Continue reading →

ANN AMERICA, WIFEOF L. GAMBRILL, AND DAUGHER OF REV. L. PIERCE, BORN DEC. 10TH 1815, DIED DEC. 1ST 1859. “THIS IS THE VICTORY THAT OVERCOM- ETH THE WORLD EVEN OUR FAITH.” The white marble monument in the Linwood Cemetery in … Continue reading →