15 February 2011

Tombstone Cemetery--Stone Pictures of Bull Cemetery

Pictures in stone.  One of the things I like about cemeteries is the pictures and ornate carving on the monuments.  These stones are all located in Bull Cemetery that was a featured cemetery back in 2009 on this blog.  These pictures today are different than those shown then.
This stone startled me when I realized it was a man's stone.  Benjamin Dake, died May 23, 1865 at age 74.  What startled me about this stone was that it was for a man and not a woman.  It has such a graceful shape, with the curved top.  And with the flowers etched across the curved top as well as down each side of the stone, it just looked so feminine.
This stone for Betsy E Briggs, who died April 14, 18_2, has a wonderful picture above the name.  The lovely weeping willow is so often a symbol of the mourning and sadness.  This one has an image of an obelisk-like monument next to the tree.  I don't think I've seen an image of a grave marker, on a grave marker.  Another striking thing about this stone is that it is still whole!  You can see why so many of the old marble stones get broken.  This seems so fragile and thin.  And did you notice the little stones in the grass near the stone?  Sandy thought they could be foot stones, as opposed to head stones.  They are in the shape of little stumps of wood.
This stone marking the grave of Benjamin, husband of M. Westbrook has a familiar picture of the hand pointing to heaven.  It is in a shield shaped indentation.  What caught my eye is the ribbon shape above the finger. When I enlarge the picture, it appears to be letters on the ribbon, but I am unable to decipher them.
Finally this stone for Rudy A Hanger (Ranger?  Banger?) who died Feb 6, 1882 at the age of 32 years, 8 months, 6 days.  I have rarely seen the image clearly depicted here.  The picture of a crown with the star above the finger pointed heavenward is so crisp for a stone of that age. 
All these stone are great examples of cemetery art.  Simple stones with great pictures as monuments to ordinary lives.

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