Southern Graves

Did you get my feeble attempt at a double entendre? (Heh, Heh.) Since a lot of genealogists and family archivists read this blog ( big thanks! ), I thought it might be worth passing along this little tip I stumbled upon this morning. While I have no doubt this trick has been done over and over by other quicker thinkers, it was a light bulb moment for me. :-) I was digitizing a few photos that also contained captions on the back. (Grandpa Lincecum did a pretty good job remembering to do that on most occasions. That in itself is a rare find!) I wanted to combine the front and back so as to have the caption -- in his writing -- stay with the front image. I simply used the collage feature in Google's Picasa to do so with a couple of these, like this: Well, one of the front-back collage attempts wasn't working the way I wanted. I guess it had something to do with the size of the photo. Anyway, I was playing with the collage settings, clicked on Multiple Exposure, and v...

Here rests all that is mortal of HENRY M. BURNS Born Dec 22nd, 1844 in Chamber Co. Ala, he died Nov 1st, 1873 in Atlanta, Ga., a brave soldier of the Confederate Army, a faithful member of the Baptist Church, a consistent Mason, a patriotic Citizen & a true friend. As the editor of the "Greensboro Herald" from 1868 to 1872 he advocated with great ability, the doctrines of Jeffersonian Democracy and firmly opposed all departures there from. In early youth, poor and unknown, by virtuous industry, in a few years he acquired a competency and won an emiable name. His noble example lives -- a stimulus to the _____ ambition of young manhood. 📚 BOOK #AD -- A Graveyard Preservation Primer -- "A time-tested resource for those who are seeking information regarding the protection and preservation of historic graveyards." (As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualified purchases.) 📚 When I visited Greensboro City Cemetery (Greene County, Georgia) almos...

Some of you may have noticed I've been a little MIA lately. I haven't abandoned you, dear reader, I promise! What started out as an innocent attempt to rid myself of some paper clutter has turned into a much larger task. Though it is not really represented on the blog , I've been doing a lot of compilation work on Macon, Georgia's historic Rose Hill Cemetery. Transcribing obituaries, cataloguing photos, and the like. I'm up to more than 520 individuals in my Family Tree program . Rose Hill Cemetery contains thousands of graves, so I have a long way to go. What's exciting, though, is the number of obituaries that I have found regarding individuals that are not in the major databases, including Rose Hill's records online . I suspect these may belong to the many unmarked graves in the cemetery. Since I'm still working on a pile of printed articles and obituaries, I thought I would at least throw in a Flashback Friday post here at Southern Graves ....

I followed this story for some time -- the relocation of remains from an African American burial ground in Bibb County, Georgia. Throughout the process, I always felt proud of how the project was being handled. I remain so to this day. A kind Facebook friend shared this documentary with me. It is 30 minutes long, but time so very well spent. If you have an interest in archaeology, cemeteries, history, or African American history specifically, please watch. In addition, I wrote a post four years ago about a man who might just have a connection to this burial place -- Daniel Ryder, U.S. Colored Infantry . For more information about this project, including contact information if you might be related, please visit www.avondaleburialplace.org .

While visiting Lawrenceville Historic Cemetery in Gwinnett County, Georgia, I photographed the cracked and difficult-to-read tombstone at right. Then I turned around (literally) and saw this pristine rendition of the same stone pictured below. I love how it was cast in the same style, and of course that someone felt the need to make sure Mrs. Maltbie was not forgotten even more than 120 years after her death. That's true perpetual care! Our Mother Philadelphia Maltbie b. July 27, 1804 d. Sept 13, 1887 Blessed is he who considereth the poor.

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...

On a grand scale: save the planet. On what might seem like a smaller scale: save a cemetery. Everything we love about a cemetery -- the stones, the flowers, the trees, the landscape, the art -- is connected to our earth. I wrote more about my thoughts on the subject in a post for Earth Day 2009 . I hope you'll join me at Earth Hour 2010 .

Unfortunately, I could show you far too many photos from "forgotten cemeteries," the topic for the latest Graveyard Rabbit Carnival. To be fair, most of the cemeteries I come across can actually more accurately be described as containing forgotten individuals. This photo shows what the area surrounding a cemetery in my part of the country often looks like. It is more common to find a cemetery that was once on family land or attached to a church rather than a large perpetual care cemetery. Especially if you find yourself traveling in rural areas away from any sizable town. These cemeteries are not always abandoned, though. They are sometimes still in use. It's just that not every burial site within the cemetery is visited or taken care of. This is New Bethel Cemetery. It is located near Emerich in Dooly County, Georgia. Until yesterday, I had never heard of Emerich. It is on the map, however. Many parts of this cemetery are quite overgrown. There are many gr...

Please go read Ruth Coker Burks' article I'm Stunned at the last2cu blog . It is about a 60 year search that resulted in a heart-breaking find. She's been searching for remnants of a family cemetery that she knew was destroyed decades ago. What she found is both amazing and sad. If you have any advice for her, please comment.

Ms. Amber Leigh left a comment yesterday on the most recent In Case You Missed It post, and I'm highlighting it here so hopefully more readers will see it. "...I'm writing from StoryCorps , America's largest nonprofit national oral history project. I thought you and your readers would be interested in listening to StoryCorps' latest story to broadcast on NPR this morning. Sam Reed, a mortician and the caretaker of Atlanta's historic Oakland Cemetery talks about how his interest in the funeral business started at a young age. You can take a listen here: http://www.storycorps.org/listen/stories/sam-reed . StoryCorps is an independent nonprofit project whose mission is to honor and celebrate one another's lives through listening. Since 2003, tens of thousands of people from across the country have interviewed family and friends through StoryCorps. Each conversation is recorded on a free CD to take home and share and is also archived for generations to com...

Why do people put rocks on grave stones? Some time ago, I learned that the rocks signified a visitor. That is true enough, but I decided to learn a little more about the custom and share my findings with you. Putting rocks on tombstones is most often described as a Jewish custom. There are many "Ask a Rabbi" columns out there, but I did not find one that knew for sure where the custom originated. They all agreed, however, that a rock symbolized a visitor and when put on a tombstone said, "I remember you." I also read that some people pick up a rock wherever they are when they think of a person that has passed. Then, the next time they visit the grave, they place the rock to say, "I wish you were here." Rabbi Shraga Simmons offers a deeper meaning: "We are taught that it is an act of ultimate kindness and respect to bury someone and place a marker at the site. After a person is buried, of course, we can no longer participate in burying them. H...

Only a couple days left to vote! Sarah, a Twitter friend, alerted me to the finalists for the National Trust for Historic Preservation 's Places that Matter Contest. Riverside Cemetery in Macon, Bibb County, Georgia is on the list! At this moment, the cemetery is in 3rd place. Other finalists include the following: - The Bradley-Boggs House in Pickens, South Carolina - Spokane Preservation Advocates "Unveiling" in Spokane, Washington - Plum Island Boathouse in Door County, Wisconsin - St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club in St. Petersburg, Florida - The Star Hotel in Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania - Morris Avenue in Bronx, New York - Miller's Grocery in Christiana, Tennessee - Humble Oil in San Antonio, Texas - Hapa Trail in Kaua'i, Hawaii - Alaska Founders Monument in Seward, Alaska - Tuxedo Junction in Birmingham, Alabama See all the finalists and vote for your favorite today! You can vote once a day between now and 12PM eastern, October 9th. If y...

More than a month ago I posted about an article I read regarding some unmarked graves from 1800's found in south Bibb County, Georgia . They were believed to be part of a slave cemetery on a McArthur family plantation. An update has recently been reported. The number of burials is up to 38, and it's believed that the cemetery was used beyond emancipation. Descendants from all parties involved are working together to uncover as much as possible. It is really nice to see. Follow the link to read the full article by Phillip Ramati --> Black families used south Bibb County cemetery beyond slavery era, DOT finds .

A few days ago, the Today Show spotlighted Milledgeville, Georgia in their An American Story segment. The story is about the thousands of lost and unnamed graves on the grounds of the Central State Hospital . Here is the video. It's less than 5 minutes long and well worth a watch.

I don't know how I missed this article by Travis Fain on macon.com, but I did. I think it's important enough to still share, though. (From 7 April 2009) Unmarked graves from 1800s found in south Bibb By Travis Fain - tfain@macon.com A small cemetery of unmarked graves has been found in the path of the Sardis Church Road extension, and the Georgia Department of Transportation plans to unearth and move the bodies... ...The cemetery is in the Avondale Mill Road area in south Bibb County, and the graves appear to be connected to the former McArthur family plantation site there. It’s on land that was part of the plantation, and there is a marked McArthur cemetery nearby, the DOT said... ...The DOT has asked anyone who knows something about this cemetery to visit www.avondaleburialplace.org or to contact Coco at (770) 498-4155, extension 103, or jcoco@newsouthassoc.com. [ Read complete article here. ]

I was going to make this a Wordless Wednesday post, but decided some words were necessary. I’m pretty 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-grained metamorphic rock that splits into thin smooth-surfaced layers - rock :  relatively hard, naturally formed mineral or petrifie...

The Macon Daily Telegraph , Georgia 27 March 1907 Viewable online at GenealogyBank . Caught on the Wing By JOHN T. BOIFEUILLET The remains of the daughter of a former Governor of Georgia, the dust of a president of the first bank in Macon, and the ashes of other persons once well known in this city repose in the old cemetery situated near the foot of Cherry street. This is the burial ground which Alderman Bowdre, with commendable spirit, desires to have reclaimed by the Mayor and Council from many long years of neglect. Broken tombstones, bearing inscriptions to the memories of members of families formerly prominent in Macon, lie on the ground, under leaves and dirt, the walls of the graves in a crumbled state. Some of the tombstones still stand erect, and the lettering on them is easily read, but in the majority of cases the marble memorials are badly broken and the inscriptions almost obliterated by the corroding effects of time. In numerous instances there is scarcely any sig...

In February 2008, I posted about the destruction at Gunn Family Cemetery in Centerville, Houston County, Georgia. At one time, this cemetery was in the woods. Time (progress?) eventually brought it out into the open, and the land surrounding it was stripped. You can ready the original post here --> Destruction at Gunn Family Cemetery . I pass by this cemetery often enough, and I have been keeping my eye on it for the past year. So far, a strip mall has been built right next to the little cemetery. A short wall was built around the raised land of the cemetery, and there are KEEP OUT signs posted around it. The stones are still in bad shape. I went by today and took some photos. I did not climb up to see for sure, but it looks like all the broken markers that were strewn around are gone. There is a real estate sign in front of this would-be shopping plaza, so I wonder if there are even any renters of the spaces. I'm thankful the cemetery wasn't moved or bulldoze...

Question: When photographing a gravestone, is it OK to move an object or objects blocking the inscription or in the way of the "perfect photo?" Hmmm. That's a tough one. While I don't think an all-or-nothing kind of answer is applicable, I often cringe when I hear people speak flippantly of moving objects from gravestones. Have I ever moved something to read an inscription? Sure. So don't think I'm going "holier than thou" on you. However, I try to remember that more often than not, things were placed on that gravestone with purpose, love, and care. I do want to point out a pet peeve of mine, though. I shudder to hear of rocks being removed from a gravestone. I do NOT remove rocks from gravestones. Even those little pebbles that are most likely gravel accidentally kicked there by a passerby. Remember this: Rocks often signify a visitor to a particular grave. That rock someone chooses to remove in order to "clean up" the ston...

Schelly Talalay Dardashti at Tracing the Tribe wrote a nice post entitled " Louisiana: Natchitoches Jewish Cemetery, Video ." It links you to a video the Natchitoches Preservation Network prepared, as well as more information about the cemetery and a listing of burials. Southern Graves Home