Southern Graves

From History of Gwinnett County, Georgia by James C. Flanigan: "Mr. Adair was born in South Carolina in the year 1783; just at the close of the American Revolution. He descended from one of the old families of the Adairs of Scotland where all the Adairs in Europe and America originally sprang from, according to tradition handed down from generation to generation. His great grandfather, Robin Adair, was the boon companion of Robert Burns, the Scottish bard. It was said of him: "He was a decided character, a good peacemaker, of jovial good humor, witty and wise. At all public places he would have a crowd around him listening to his witticisms and songs." Some of his descendants emigrated to Ireland, some to England. His son, Robert, went to England, and his son, Robert married Sir John Sidney's daughter, emigrated to America and settled in Virginia. Before leaving England he named one of his sons after both grandfathers, Robert Sidney. This son married a widow, El...

Beneath this Marble repose the remains of JOHN STUART who departed this life on the 1st day of February 18?3 In the 60th year of his age. The day is past and gone The evening shade appear O! may you all remember well The night of Death is near. Also MARY STUART His Wife Born April 25, 1785 Died April 13, 1879 Fairview Presbyterian Church Cemetery Lawrenceville, Gwinnett County, Georgia Photo © 2010/1 S. Lincecum The verse etched in the top of John and Mary Stuart's box tomb is from a hymn written by John Leland in 1792. It is akin to one of the most common of epitaphs: Stranger, stop and cast an eye, / As you are now, so once was I. / As I am now, so you will be, / Prepare for death and follow me. The second verse of John Leland's hymn continues: We lay our garments by, / Upon our beds to rest; / Soon death shall soon disrobe us all, / Of what is here possessed. About a hundred years after the death of Mr. Stuart, this hymn was a favorite for gospel...

I originally wrote this post two years ago for Earth Day 2008. Since I still feel the same way, and hope to continue to give others food for thought on the subject, here it is again. As is pretty well documented, I am very passionate about cemetery appreciation and preservation.  This goes hand in hand with Earth Day and a passion to appreciate and preserve our planet.  Let’s think about the connection for a moment. There is the obvious correlation of mortal remains being buried in the earth, or having one’s ashes spread all over it.  The tombstones we strive to conserve for the information they contain, as well as their artwork, also come from the earth: - marble :  a metamorphic rock formed from limestone or dolomite - granite :  a common, coarse-grained hard igneous rock consisting chiefly of quartz, orthoclase or microcline, and mica - limestone :  a common sedimentary rock consisting mostly of calcium carbonate - slate :  a fine-grain...

Sacred to the Memory of James T. Gresham was born Dec r 9th, 1817 and died August 27th, 1836 with the fever after 8 days illness. Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord. Fairview Presbyterian Church Cemetery Lawrenceville, Gwinnett County, Georgia Photo © 2010/1 S. Lincecum

A. W. Wilson Son of J. F. & S. A. Wilson Born Aug 27, 1869 Died Mar 8, 1890 He, like the flowers of the morning, was cut down in the bloom of youth. Census records and online family trees suggest this tombstone memorializes A. Walter Wilson, first son of James Fletcher Wilson and Shady Ann Byrd. A short article reporting news from Lawrenceville in the 14 March 1890 Macon Telegraph (Georgia) states the "young man of about 29 died of consumption." A. W., his parents, brother Henry, and sister Evie Lou are all resting in Fairview Presbyterian Church Cemetery at Lawrenceville, Gwinnett County, Georgia. H. M. Wilson Second and Last Son of  J. F. & S. A. Wilson Photos © 2010/1 S. Lincecum.

DIED , in Dougherty county, on the 15th day of May, REBECCA HEARTWELL, infant daughter of Mr. Paul E. Tarver and Mrs. Cinderilla Tarver, aged 9 months and 13 days. The death of a child! How little does the world mark such an incident! Society feels no shock. It is scarcely felt in the narrow circle of relatives and friends. The arrow flies swiftly through the air to its victim, its trace is lost and all is tranquil. Yet how often does such an event crush the hopes and destroy the happiness of families. Our heart bleeds in tender sympathy with the parents of the bright little being whose death we chronicle. She was indeed a precious bud, whose leaves had not yet opened to the day. "A vision of beauty! fair as brief!" If the tender affection of parents, or the innocence and beauty of childhood, could have been a defence from the grave, we could not be making this sad memorial of little Rebecca. "Yet thou art fled ere guilt had power To stain thy cherub soul a...