Southern Graves

As noted in Maryland's Baltimore Sun , Katie Johnson, wife of Philip, died suddenly in 1889 at the age of just 28 years.  Her remains rest at Oak Hill Cemetery in Newnan, Georgia next to those of the couple's two year old daughter Hannah (1886-1888). My Wife Kate Daughter of Lazarus & Hannah A. Barton Wife of P. C. Johnson Born Feb 1, 1861 in Baltimore, MD Died Nov 14, 1889 in LaGrange, GA Thy memory shall ever be A guiding star to heaven. On one side of Kate's tombstone was carved a beautifully intricate basket full of flowers.  The bounty within is plentiful and diverse.  Using the great reference titles of Stories in Stone and Forever Dixie , below is the symbolism of those flowers I recognized. Plants, especially flowers, remind us of the beauty and the brevity of life.  They have served as symbols of remembrance ever since we began memorializing our dead… Bellflower:   "In the symbolism of flowers, the bellflower is given the attributes of constanc...

(From November 2008) - I love sunflowers. So when I found some blooming in Sardis Cemetery , I had to photograph them. One particular plot -- Charles H. and Mary Ann Jones Johnson -- was covered with them. Here's a question: were they put there for a reason? Are these sunflowers symbolism? Let's start with the photos: Now, as much as I love cemeteries, I don't have a large library on the subject. I do have a few books, though, dealing with symbolism and southern cemetery symbolism. In only one book, Douglas Keister's Stories in Stone: A Field Guide to Cemetery Symbolism and Iconography , did I find mention of sunflowers in cemeteries. He was referring to a sunflower carved into a gravestone. They signify devotion to the Catholic Church. This would seem to strike down the theory of symbolism in this case. Sardis Cemetery is attached to a Primitive Baptist Church. I did go looking online as well, and come across "Gravestone Symbolism" at Grave Ad...

More than fifty photos from Snellville Historical Cemetery are now online. This cemetery is located in Gwinnett County, Georgia. You may view the photos individually via the album online here . Surnames include the following: Barnett, Biffle, Biggers, Brownlee, Cofer, Donaldson, Greer, Gresham, Haney, Holmes, Johnson, Lanford, Magill, McQueen, Pate, Pratt, Rawlins, Rollison, Sawyer, Smith, Snell, Watkins, Wiley, Williams, and Worthy.

When I found Williamson Johnson in the 1910 Gwinnett County, Georgia Federal census with his wife Katie Lou, I noticed the entry states Katie had 13 children. All of the children were listed as living, too, which is such a rarity. Though only five were listed in the household at that time, I decided to try and find all the children using only census records. Lucky for me, Williamson and Katie Lou lived in the same county from 1880 through 1920. Williamson was always easy to spot, with a few variations for Katie. Sometimes it was just spelling, and once she was listed as Callie. In 1880, they were found as William and Catherine. Anyway, here is a pieced together list of the 13 children of Williamson and Katie Lou Johnson: Effie [totally guessing at name, but definitely a daughter] (b. abt 1871) *1880 James B. (b. abt 1873) *1880 Stephen (b. abt 1874) *1880 Benjamin / Ben (b. abt 1876-1878) *1920 & 1880 Asberry (b. 1878) *1900 & 1880 Roman W. (b. 1879-1880) *1900 ...

Kick yer feet up, folks, this is a long one. Don't worry, it's fun and full of pictures.  You'll enjoy it! A scavenger hunt in a cemetery? You know I'm there! I excitedly played along for the next edition of the Graveyard Rabbit Carnival. I chose to try and find all the suggested items at one cemetery. That could have been a challenge in itself, but I put the odds in my favor by selecting Riverside Cemetery in Macon, Georgia as my hunting ground. This cemetery was established in 1887 and covers a beautiful 125 acres. It is a delightful mix of old and new tombstones. I especially love it because even the "new" sections have maintained an increasingly "old style" look. Upright markers are the norm, and plots can be decorated to the hilt. I know this makes upkeep more challenging, but I am grateful Riverside has chosen to continue with this layout. Fifteen items were on the list -- from crosses to flowers to stars to mausoleums -- and I found...

I love sunflowers. So when I found some blooming in Sardis Cemetery (Bibb County, Georgia), I had to photograph them. One particular plot -- Charles H. and Mary Ann Jones Johnson -- was covered with them. Here's a question: were they put there for a reason? Are these sunflowers symbolism? Let's start with the photos: Now, as much as I love cemeteries, I don't have a large library on the subject. I do have a few books, though, dealing with symbolism and southern cemetery symbolism. In only one book, Douglas Keister's Stories in Stone: A Field Guide to Cemetery Symbolism and Iconography , did I find mention of sunflowers in cemeteries. He was referring to a sunflower carved into a gravestone. They signify devotion to the Catholic Church. This would seem to strike down the theory of symbolism in this case. Sardis Cemetery is attached to a Primitive Baptist Church. I did go looking online as well, and come across "Gravestone Symbolism" at Grave Add...

I made some contributions to FindAGrave from the Beech Springs Methodist Church Cemetery in Bullard, Twiggs County, Georgia. Items include transciptions and photos. Surnames include BULLARD, COOK, GOODWIN, GRESHAM, JOHNSTON, LOWE, MCCORMICK, and RAMEY. According to New Georgia Encyclopedia , Bullard was first the site of a steamboat landing on the Ocmulgee River. It later became Bullard Depot on the Southern Railway. According to Towns & Communities of Twiggs County, Georgia , this town was named after the Daniel Bullard family. Following is a video of Beech Springs Methodist Church Cemetery: