Some words last a lifetime. Others fade before the ink is dry. But when something is written in stone, we expect it to transend time; to be with us forever. That's why grave markers are made of stone. They are supposed to provide eternal remembrances of our loved ones.
On a recent road trip, Husband and I stopped at a pretty little cemetery in Darien Wisconsin. We took 94 headestone pictures. I was moved by the War of 1812 star below. There are pioneers and farmers and heroes buried here.
The condition of some of the headstones was troubling. This stone is almost completely under ground and so weathered it is illegible.
The marker above was the most sunken, but others follow close behind.
Some stones are sinking vertically, taking information they contain with them.
Those are signs of aging. But vandalism is also an issue in this cemetery as it is in so many others.
The top of the headstone below was broken off and lying face-down in the dirt. It was hidden under the branches I'm holding over to the right so Husband can take a picture of the part still standing. I'm so proud of the commitment he has made to Find A Grave.
Once we found the missing piece, we could see Abner Long was buried here. There are other Long family members in this cemetery too.
At least the broken pieces below are all present and standing.
This cemetery really is lovely. The grass is mowed, flowers are on several graves, caretakers are evident. But no one can stop the ravages of time. Lichen, wind, and rain wreak havoc on these beautiful old stones.
Written in stone. Only temporarily.
1 comment:
What a fascinating post! Amazingly enough, yesterday I also blogged about a cemetery visit I'd made in northern Minnesota last week. It was in a guest post on http://www.seducedbyhistory.com. Hope you enjoy it.
Deb Maher
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