Southern Graves

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I'm a bit behind in "getting back into the swing of things" around here after all the holiday happenings, so this post is a couple of days late. I want to thank all of you for continuing to follow the Southern Graves blog, and I promise to do my best to hold your interest in 2011. If you are a new follower, WELCOME! Here are some posts that might be new to you: ICYMI -- December 2010 (most viewed posts over the last 30 days) - Undertakers, Coffins, & Furniture - In Hoc Signo Vinces: the Knights Templar - Sentimental Sunday's Baby Knox - Little Fingers, Little Toes - Eugene & Virginia are Watching and Waiting (Tombstone Tuesday) - Symbolism of the Oak Leaf - A Pair of Infant Shoes, Times Two! - Maud (Henry?) Hambrick & the Railroad - Darling Anna (Today's Epitaph) - The Howells of Duluth - Southern Cross of Honor And here are the most viewed posts of 2010 (according to Google Analytics): - Southern Cross ...

This fairly typical tombstone was found at Duluth Baptist Church Cemetery in Duluth, Gwinnett County, Georgia. It is inscribed with the following: Maud Hambrick Born Oct 13, 1882 Died May 26, 1907 A precious one from us has gone, The voice we loved is stilled. A place made vacant in our home, which can never more be filled. Pretty straightforward, right? Well, Maud had a couple of surprises for me. First of all, I initially assumed "Maud" was female. After noticing the engraving above the epitaph, I was a little perplexed. In the cemetery it was a little difficult to see, but the image at the top of the stone appeared to be a big truck or something to that effect. When I got home, I tried to enhance the image. This is what I came up with: (click to enlarge) You might have to enlarge the image to see what I'm about to describe. It looks to be a train engine. To the extreme left is the front, with 623 on it. Moving to the right, you can see the ...

About a month ago, I wrote a A Short Essay on Victorian Children's Gravemarkers for the Graveyard Rabbit Online Journal. While the most common recurring Victorian theme on an infant's grave is that of a sleeping child, there are other symbols frequently found. One is a pair of infant shoes, clearly representing a child now gone. At the time I was writing the article, I did not have any photos of sculpted infant shoes on a tombstone in my personal archive. Then a funny thing happened. Just a few short days after the article was published, I attended the Atlanta Family History Expo in Duluth, Georgia. I made sure to make a side visit to the Duluth Cemetery and there found two examples of this very symbol! So here they are.

I have posted more than 40 photos from Midway Baptist Church Cemetery to my Picasa web albums. This small church cemetery is located in Lizella, Bibb County, Georgia. Midway Baptist Church Cemetery Surnames include Blasingame, Clark, Davis, Elder, Gates, Greene, Hamrick, Ingram, Lamar, McCallum, McCord, Moseley / Mosely, Williams, and Yarbrough. Photos may be viewed individually or as a slideshow. Some commentary is included, and comments are enabled.