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 spotted this one, but instead of numbers, the T1-30’s display simply reads, “HELLO.”
For some reason, each time I call Restland Cemetery over in Dallas, Texas to find out the story behind this unique calculator monument, they transfer my call. I then leave a voicemail, and no one ever calls back! So, as far as I can tell, this interesting monument was placed here as part of a memorial garden for employees of Texas Instruments. It doesn’t appear to be a headstone for one single person.
MORE QUIRKY HEADSTONES:
In any case, my favorite headstones are the quirky ones! Here are a few other ones I’ve run into along the way:Footwear-Themed Headstones
Jesus in Cowboy Boots
Douglas the Confederate Camel’s Grave
Space Alien Grave in Aurora, Texas
Want to read more?
To read about more weird, offbeat, and overlooked places, check out my best selling travel guide: Unexpected Texas.
For ghost hunting hot spots, check out my best selling travel guide to haunted places: Paranormal Texas.
For a strange-but-true tale of Texas history, check out: The Lynching of the Santa Claus Bank Robber. Happy travels!
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Tui Snider is an author, speaker, and photographer who specializes in North Texas travel, cemetery symbols, and haunted lore. As she puts it, “I used to write fiction – but then, I moved to Texas!”
Snider’s best-selling books include Paranormal Texas , Understanding Cemetery Symbols, and 100 Things to Do in Dallas - Fort Worth Before You Die.
Snider has several more books in progress, and enjoys connecting with writers and readers all over the globe through social media, her newsletter and her website: TuiSnider.com.
[…] A larger-than-life sculpture of a Texas Instruments calculator in Dallas. […]
Crap, I had something witty to say about this and I forgot it. (Yeah, I am commenting that instead of keeping quiet. LOL)
Haha! Glad I’m not the only one that happens to. :D
Tui:
It appears that this is the “Final Memorial” of the TI-30 Calculator based on this post https://plus.google.com/+EugeneFilleyFineArt/posts/EMFM2uy8yQf Not for certain, but that is what it appears to be. Thought it might be a headstone for Jack St. Clair Kilby, the inventor of the calculator, but it wasn’t. He is buried in Hillcrest Cemetery…. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=11213902
Heya Sumoflam! Thanks for dropping by. Yeah… I saw that link, too, but it didn’t satisfy me. I really hoped Restland Cemetery would answer my questions, but they repeatedly brushed me off. Oh, well! From what I could see when I visited the cemetery, the calculator is located right beside an area dedicated to people who worked at Texas Instruments. I don’t think there’s actually a calculator buried there. Thanks for all the info. I’ll have to check out Kilby’s grave when I get a chance! :)