Understanding Cemetery Symbols – Interviews, News & Reviews!

After a lifetime of exploring historic graveyards and several years of earnest research, I released Understanding Cemetery Symbols: A Field Guide for Historic Graveyards on August 19th, 2017. Hooray!

It went to #1 in at least two categories on Amazon straight off the bat! Wheee!

Interviews, Reviews & News for Understanding Cemetery Symbols:

As interviews happen and reviews roll in for my new book,Understanding Cemetery Symbols , I’ll share them on this page. Here’s what’s happened, so far:

Coming soon: Interview with radio host, Jim Harold
I don’t know the air-date yet, but I was recently interviewed by Jim Harold, “the paranormal podcast guy since 2005.” He specializes in airing true ghost stories. It’s perfect to listen to when housecleaning – even though the eerie stories make me jumpy! My interview with Jim Harold, however, is a brief, but in-depth discussion of my book, Understanding Cemetery Symbols.

Guest Post at Author Patricia Lynne’s : Grave Robbery in America 
My friend and fellow author, Patricia Lynne, invited me to write a guest post for her blog. Since she writes books about vampires, I wrote about the creepy-but-true topic of grave robbery in America, and why it was such a big concern throughout the 1800’s.

Rogue Talk Radio with Sheila Gay & Kelly Dewbre
The day that Understanding Cemetery Symbols launched, Rogue Talk Radio hosts, Sheila Gay and Kelly Dewbre, threw a book launch party for me on their two-hour podcast!

Haunt Jaunts Radio with Courtney Mroch
Courtney Mroch invited me to her paranormal travel show called Haunt Jaunts for a rip-roaring hour-long chat about our passion for historic graveyards and haunted travel. Courtney’s show is fast-paced and fun. We had a bunch of listeners in her chat room, too. The hour flew by and we had a blast!

The RIFT Radio Show with Howie Odell & Dawn Rogers
Hosts, Howie Odell & Dawn Rogers, interviewed me for The RIFT Radio show. We talked about so many things, including the 5 years that I lived on a little island with a population of 7 people.

Spooky Little Halloween with Miranda Enzor
Miranda Enzor of Spooky Little Halloween invited me to write a guest post for her haunted #TravelTuesday series. Like Zen Master Hughes, I got to meet her in person recently. She and I explored Houston’s National Museum of Funeral History together!

15-minute YouTube Interview with Zen Master Hughes
On my recent cemetery research road trip, I met several of my newsletter subscribers in person, including Master Hughes. Besides being a noted Zen practitioner, he is also a filmmaker. He shared a 15-minute interview with me on his YouTube channel.

Laura Irrgang a.k.a. the Rhinestone Armadillo
Laura Irrgang gave me and my upcoming book a lovely shout out over on her blog, the Rhinestone Armadillo. (I love rhinestones, armadillos, and Laura!)

Blog Interview by Julie Reeser: Author Tui Snider
Julie’s a poet, so our interview veers into some thoughtful areas, such as why people travel and why a trip to historic graveyard can be such good fun for young and old.

Radio Interview: Bridging the Paranormal with Becky Vickers
I had a blast chatting about historic graveyards on KCOR Radio with host, Becky Vickers. The hour flew by, but she got me talking about how to identify different Saints and angels, grave robbing, and funny epitaphs.

Blog Interview with Deb Atwood on Pen in Her Hand
In this written interview, I share a scary event from my childhood that took place in a historic cemetery. Perhaps my fascination started then?

Dear Texas Radio Special Authors Marketing with Tui Snider
Click the link above to hear my interview on Dear Texas Radio. It was fun! (If you like it, please give it a thumbs up on YouTube.)

The ebook is already a #1 best seller!
It only took a few hours for the ebook version of Understanding Cemetery Symbols to climb the charts and hit #1 on Amazon as you can see from image on the left. Exciting, eh?

Interview: Tui Snider: New Book Release! – I was interviewed about Understanding Cemetery Symbols by fellow author, Donna B. McNicol. Click the link to read it!

Interview: Tui Snider – Featured Author on Lone Star Literary Life – I was thrilled to be the featured on Lone Star Literary Life recently! (I’m a big fan of their site. They’ve even got a map of the Top 10 Bookish Bookish Destinations in Texas. Talk about a fun road trip tool!)

Check out my 30-second book trailer:

 

What’s the book about?

Here’s the current blurb for my book Understanding Cemetery Symbols :

Graveyards don’t exist merely to shelter the dead. They also nurture the living. As strange as it sounds, America s garden cemeteries were our nation’s first public parks! People used to visit graveyards not just to mourn the dead, but to have a fun day in nature.

Yes, FUN!

More and more of America’s cemeteries are applying for arboretum status and being placed on the historical register. Many now offer tours, annual festivals and events which run the gamut from jazz picnics, birding, costumed reenactments, performances of Shakespeare, and more.

Along with this renewed appreciation for historic cemeteries, comes the realization that we have forgotten the meaning behind many of the symbols and acronyms our ancestors left on their headstones.

Tui Snider s book, Understanding Cemetery Symbols, describes the meaning behind the symbols and architecture found in the historic graveyards of America.

History buffs, genealogists, ghost hunters and other curiosity seekers will gain a deeper appreciation for and understanding of these messages from the dead with a copy of her book on their shelf, or better yet, in their hands, as they explore America’s open-air museums for themselves! (For more info, click here.)

Hey, you! Want to keep up with me?

PRIVATE NEWSLETTER: If you’d like to keep up with me, you might like my newsletter, which comes out twice a month. Use the form below to sign up if you’d like to know:

• What I’m up to
• Where I’m speaking next
• When my next book comes out
• What’s going on behind the scenes
• Any other fun news!

As a thank you for signing up to my newsletter, you’ll receive a historic cemetery symbols guide I created called “A Quick Guide to The Many Meanings of Hands.”

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Different Types of US Military Headstones

Since many of us visit cemeteries over Memorial Day Weekend to honor those who gave their lives serving our country, I’m sharing an excerpt from my book Understanding Cemetery Symbols about how to identify different types of US military headstones.

You may also wish to learn: Memorial Day’s Surprising Origins. (Will you be setting your alarm for 3 p.m. on Memorial Day? I will!)

Yesterday was overcast, cool and breezy here in north Texas, perfect weather for taking photos in a historic graveyard, so my husband, Larry, and I went over to the beautiful City Greenwood Cemetery in Weatherford in search of US military headstones. Here’s what we found:

Civil War Type – not just for the Civil War!

Military headstones are a formalized style of grave marker, although their design has been modified over the years. The first official military headstone designs were adopted by the US War Department in 1873. These marble markers are 4 inches thick and 10 inches wide. As for height, regulations require the above-ground portion to stand 12 inches tall.

Regulations versus Reality

As you can see from my photos, these monuments often stand taller than 12 inches. So just because the original regulations say 12 inches, doesn’t mean that’s how you will find them in historic graveyards! Why? I’m not sure, but it’s important to keep in mind that many of these headstones have shifted or even fallen over over time, so they have been re-situated.

Look for an engraving of a shield:

Civil War Type headstones are decorated with a carved image of a shield which usually contains the soldier’s name, rank, and home state inscribed inside it in bas relief. The above ground marble is polished and has a slight curve along the top side. We now refer to this original US military headstone as the “Civil War Type” and were originally available only for Union soldiers.

Below is an example of a Civil War headstone for a Union soldier: Lieutenant (Lieut.) George Freeman, Company G (CO.C.) Second Division (2) West Virginia Cavalry (W.VA.CAV.) Note the rounded top and the raised lettering inside the engraved shape of a shield: 

Civil War Design Used for Other Wars, too!

Although it’s called the Civil War Type, this style of headstone was also used to mark the graves of soldiers from the the Mexican War, Indian Campaigns, the War of 1812, the Spanish-american War and even the American Revolution.

I found a couple examples of this yesterday at Greenwood Cemetery in Weatherford, Texas. (At first glance, the one for the Spanish American War looks as if it’s for the SPAM War.)

War of 1812

Here’s another example of a Civil War Type US military headstone, only this one is for a soldier who served in the War of 1812. Apparently, at the time it was first engraved, all that was known about Abraham M. Pipkin is that he served in the Georgia Militia.

At some later date, his loved ones added an additional marker of their own with his birth and death date on it:

 

Confederate Soldiers Eventually Get Headstones,Too

It wasn’t until 1906 that the US Congress passed a law to provide official military headstones for Confederate soldiers. Even so, these headstones differ slightly from other Civil War style markers; the tops come to a point rather than being rounded, and the shield design is left off entirely.

The photo below, for example, is for  Private (PVT) William G. Burrell of Company H (CO H) for the Confederate States of America (CSA.) The symbol at the top of the headstone is the Southern Cross of Honor, and means this soldier served honorably. Note the pointed top and the lack of an engraved shield: 

The General Type – still in use today!

Shortly after WWI, a new design was created for US military markers. Called “the General Type” because the committee which created it included two generals (General John. J. Pershing and Quartermaster General Harry L. Rogers) this style of military marker remains in use to this day.

The General Type is a military headstone 4 inches thick and 13 inches wide, with the above ground portion measuring 42 inches tall. As always, the above ground height will vary in the real world. Yesterday in Weatherford,  for example, the only General Type of US military headstone that I came across was flush to the ground.

US Military Headstone: Emblems of Belief

The tablet of a US military General Type marker is inscribed with the soldier’s name, rank, regiment, division, date of death and home state. In addition, the General type of military marker allows space for a religious emblem. At first the only choices were a Latin Cross for Christians and a Star of David for Judaism. This has really expanded, however, and now includes emblems for atheists and even Thor’s Hammer!

To see a full list of the US military’s “Emblems of Belief”  check out this link: US Dept of Veteran Affairs: Emblems of Belief.

Alternatives to Official Military Headstones

It should be noted that veterans are not required to use official military headstone markers. They are provided upon request out of courtesy and respect. So when you visit a historic graveyard, don’t assume that the only veterans are the ones with official government headstones. Here’s an example, once again from Weatherford’s Greenwood Cemetery:

Unknown Soldiers – old & new style

At first, the monuments for unknown soldiers differed from those whose name and rank were known. If you come across a numbered cube in a historic graveyard, there’s a good chance that it is one of these original Civil War type markers for an unknown soldier. These headstones are marble cut 6 inches on all sides and then 30 inches long. The top of this and the first 4 inches of each side are polished. Use of this numbered cube style of headstone for unknown soldiers was gradually phased out. (Unfortunately, I have not photographed an example of this style of grave marker… yet!) Unknown soldiers now receive the same style of headstone as those who are known.

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As a thank you for signing up to my newsletter, you’ll receive a historic cemetery symbols guide I created called “A Quick Guide to The Many Meanings of Hands.”

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Understanding Cemetery Symbols – book release this summer!

After a lifetime of exploring historic graveyards and several years of earnest research, I’m finally releasing my cemetery symbols book. Hooray!

The book is called Understanding Cemetery Symbols: A Field Guide for Historic Graveyards. As you can see from the image below, it has two companion workbooks to go along with it. I don’t have the exact release date, but I’m aiming for mid-August. I am so excited!

I could use some help!

You know the saying “it takes a village to raise a child”? It’s the same with releasing a book! Despite my stubborn, independent streak, getting the word out about a book is not something I can do alone. So I’m asking for help. In return, not  only will you have my undying gratitude, but hopefully you will have FUN!

Want to join my Launch Team?

So, would you like be part of my book launch team? A book launch team is a group of readers who help an author get the word out. So, for instance, as a Launch Team member, I could tag you on Facebook when I mention the books. You could also help out by sharing my posts and telling friends about these books, etc…

Even though this is my fourth book, this is my first official Launch Team, so I will be learning as I go. But the main goals are simply to help spread the word about my book Understanding Cemetery Symbols and have FUN!

Being a Launch Team member does not need to be time-consuming, either. Everything I request of you folks is simply that: a request. If I have a list of 10 requests and you only do one thing off that list, you are still helping me out!

Launch Team members get FREE books – just saying!

Plus, in addition to my undying gratitude, Launch Team members will be mentioned in the book’s ‘Acknowledgments,’ get copies of the books in advance, as well as other goodies along the way. (I’ve got some surprises up my sleeve!)

If this sounds fun to you, leave a comment below and I’ll get back to you in a day or two about this whole Launch Team thing! And if you’d like to help me out right now, then please share this post on social media. Remember to tag me @TuiSnider so I’ll see it. Thanks again! :D

Hey, you! Want to keep up with me?

PRIVATE NEWSLETTER: If you’d like to keep up with me, you might like my newsletter, which comes out twice a month. Use the form below to sign up if you’d like to know:

• What I’m up to
• Where I’m speaking next
• When my next book comes out
• What’s going on behind the scenes
• Any other fun news!

As a thank you for signing up to my newsletter, you’ll receive a historic cemetery symbols guide I created called “A Quick Guide to The Many Meanings of Hands.”

Sign up for my newsletter below:

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