A Walk in the Cemetery

 

How is it that I came to be here, and find my walk in a cemetery dear?

If these headstones could speak what would they say of those of us who’ve passed away?

And what of the lives of stones themselves, what is the story that each would tell?

They speak of the world in which they were made, as they stand here silently in the shade.

Some stones are old and some have gone, though many bravely carry on.  

I hear them say that nothing lasts, that all we know of must surely pass.

When my father died in 2005 I had him buried in the cemetery a few blocks from my home. I like to pass thru it during my daily walk and it has had quite an effect on me.

If these headstones could speak what would they say of those of us who’ve passed away?

The headstones and grave markers speak to us down thru the ages and they use few words. They tell about the people buried here; their names, when they were born, and when they died. That can tell us a lot. A name tells you whether they were a man or woman, the family they come from, and hint at their ethnic background.

When they lived tells you something about the kind of person they were, someone who lived in 1920’s, 30’s, 40’s etc. had a particular world view.  It was a life shaped by a world that is long gone. When they died tells how old they were when they passed. Death is spread out among all ages. Many people die in old age, many die in middle age, in youth, and even in childhood. In the older part of the cemetery there is a larger proportion of people who died young, maybe because medicine wasn’t as good then. When I see the grave of a child or a young person, I feel sad that they didn’t get to live their full lifespan. 

The stones tell us about family relationships. In the older part of the cemetery there are family plots; small areas marked off by a low concrete borders where several generations of a family are buried. You can tell by the dates the relationships of the generations, grandparents, parents, children. You don’t see anything like this today. Maybe family meant more then.

Commonly I see religious sayings and symbols on the stones.  Some indicate Military service. My father was the US Army during WWII. Some men buried here served in the Confederate Army.  A Few indicate membership in Clubs and organizations such as the Masons or the International Order of Foresters.  On some recent grave markers, I’ve noticed the symbols of sports teams such as the Florida gators or the New England Patriots. Those people must have been very avid sports fans.

And what of the lives of stones themselves, what is the story that each would tell?

They speak of the world in which they were made, as they stand here silently in the shade.

There are hundreds of head stones and grave markers here and every one of them tells a story about itself and the world it came from. The oldest headstone was placed here in the year 1900. It is 120 years old. The youngest grave marker was placed this week. With the COVID epidemic the cemetery has been very busy.

In the older part of the cemetery, there are many large headstones. Some are highly polished stone and are intricately engraved. They must have cost quite a bit. They were common in the 1920’s. There must have been a lot of money around then and people could afford them. However, in the 1930’s, during the great depression, another kind of head stone became common; homemade headstones made of bricks and concrete. Times must have been hard then.

During the 1940s and 50’s large upright engraved headstones appeared again so things must have gotten better.  Then about 1960 the city changed its policy and they were banned. Only grave markers flush with the ground are allowed.  I don’t know why they made this change. We used to honor people with monumental headstones, now small plaques will have to do. The stones reflect the times.

Some stones are old and some have gone, though many bravely carry on.  

Grave markers are intended to last for a long time. But the stones themselves have a lifespan. Some of them are weathering and becoming illegible. Some are breaking into pieces; some are falling down, others are sinking into the ground. I noticed one that looks as though it was struck by lightning. There are many places where stones should be, but they are now gone.

Above is a picture of one my favorite headstones. It is large and made of white granite. Flowers are skillfully sculpted on it. It is unique and one of the most beautiful headstones in the cemetery. It marks the grave of Edith Edge. Whoever placed it here must have loved Edith very much. Edith was born in 1914 and died in 1920. She was six years old.

The people who loved Edith are long gone and her beautiful monument is aging. Its foundation is shifting, and the stone is beginning to slide off. Eventually it will tumble to the ground. Will there be anyone here to set it up-right again? Nothing lasts forever, not even granite.

This cemetery itself will eventually pass away. It will only exist as long as there are people willing to maintain it. Civilizations die as well.  When someone stops cutting the grass, this land will again become forest, as it once was. And the land itself will pass away.  South Florida is sinking beneath the sea, as it has done many times before.  This cemetery will become a sea bed and these head stones and grave markers will be visited by only the crabs and fishes.

I hear them say that nothing lasts, that all we know of must surely pass.

You can learn a lot about life from a cemetery.