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Category: Historic Cemeteries

Cemetery Symbols: What does Draped Cloth Mean on a Grave?

FREE Cemetery Symbols Guide: Would you like a FREE guide to historic cemetery symbolism? If so, click the image below: What does draped cloth signify on a headstone? You know how some folks say a person “saw curtains” as a euphemism for death? Those curtains refer to the veil that separates the living from the dead. In the first photo on this post, the draped cloth simply refers to the person passing from this world to the next. On the next photo, however, the book represents the pages of the deceased person’s life. The cloth falling upon the right side…

Cemetery Symbols: What does Wheat Signify on Headstones?

WHAT DOES WHEAT SIGNIFY ON A GRAVE? You don’t have to visit many historic cemeteries for the statistics of life expectancy then-and-now to hit home. It’s one thing, for instance, to read that infant mortality in the United States of America was 90% higher 100 years ago than it is now. It’s quite another experience, however, to walk through a historic cemetery in a town that was hit by disease and see a section full of grave markers for children under 6-years-old. For that reason, I am always happy to spot depictions of wheat on a headstone. Wheat, you see,…

Cemetery Symbols: Quirky Calculator Headstone

What does a larger-than-life T1-30 calculator symbolize in a graveyard? CALCULATOR GRAVE MARKER: That really is a larger-than-life replica of a Texas Instruments T1-30 calculator at the top of this post. Your eyes are not playing tricks on you! So, what exactly does this unique cemetery headstone represent? Is it symbolic of a human adding and subtracting all their good deeds from their bad? Or, perhaps, did an eccentric mathematician bury his or her favorite calculator there upon its demise? I didn’t get close enough to photograph the calculator display because, sadly, I was actually attending a funeral when I…

Mineral Wells: Did I Hear Ghosts in Elmwood Cemetery?

Two Paranormal Investigations in Mineral Wells, Texas As I mentioned in yesterday’s post about Haunted Hill House, my husband and I spent last weekend with with our dear friend and talented psychic, Teal Gray, over in Mineral Wells, Texas for a writing research trip. Part of that research included participating in two different paranormal investigations. The first investigation took place at Phil Kurchoff’s Haunted Hill House. You can read all about by following the link I shared above. The second investigation was at the Crazy Water Hotel. This historic venue is not open to the public and difficult to gain entrance…

Historic Cemetery Symbols: Roses

What does a rosebud signify on a headstone? ROSE: Not only do roses represent earthly passion (just think how many are given at Valentine’s Day) but they also stand for heavenly perfection. When carved on a headstone, roses nearly always have 3 leaves. A quick look at my backyard rose bush confirmed that this is not botanically accurate! Symbolically, however, this trio of leaves represents the holy trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Rosebuds most often appear on the graves of children and teens as a way of expressing that they were not able to achieve their full potential. A…