Wednesday, September 2, 2020 Grave Musings 8: Evergreen

Previous: Grave Musings 7 Epitaphs

I went back to Mantorville recently to have lunch with another friend – it’s my new favorite meeting ground. This time I looked up the local cemetery location and after we finished our lunch, off we went. I’ve noticed that quite a few cemeteries have the same kind of sign over the entrance. I approve.

It’s an old cemetery with many monuments and interesting stones, so I had an immediate sense of kinship with the place upon getting out of the car. There was a lovely little tower next to a shed right in the middle – probably a little water tower that services just the cemetery. Someone was working the grounds while we were there, but I refrained from taking his photo. I like to think that someone who does the groundskeeping at a cemetery appreciates the somewhat “holy” ground upon which they tread.

We were surrounded and watched over by majestic old trees. In futility I took a photo looking up the trunk of one of these stalwarts, but I knew it wouldn’t tell the whole story.

There were a whole host of these – perfect climbing trees if you are of the age and agility to be able to do so. We were not, but mused upon the days when we used to do such things, although I was never one to clamber up to the top, due to fear of heights. Lower limbs were the ticket for me.

One of the first monuments that struck us was a large one for a young child. There were many details lovingly placed in memory of this son, Lukas, who was missed so much by his family. Our mother’s hearts were touched by this display and we stopped to ponder and grieve over this little one whom we did not know.

Across the way, we saw this interesting monument next to a large flat stone that seemed to be some sort of vault but which had no markings. Perhaps my fellow cemetery enthusiasts (Teresa and Lori) will be able to give some insight on this:

Someone put a metal painted flag in the crook of an old tree and it was crying out to be photographed, so I obliged. It was painted on both sides, the other side being solid red.

From there we came across a marker for a single mother of two children, who appeared to have taken her own life. There were some plastic bracelets with a 1-800 number for what we guessed was a suicide hotline. It’s hard to imagine the heart-wrenching pain associated with that kind of death. Loved ones left behind created a place to grieve, to remember and to try and help others in despair.

Everywhere you look in a cemetery, you see the efforts of those who lost loved ones and don’t want their names and lives to be forgotten. In older times, these monuments had many symbolic details and in our modern times, the details are sometimes more whimsical or artistic and evocative of the life that was lived.

I love the simple farm life represented on that last stone. What a beautiful way to remember the Paulsons, whoever they are.

We noticed a large grassy field in the distance with very few grave markers that was bordered by a stately column of trees. We meandered over there for a while and talked about people we’ve known who have died and where we would be buried when it’s our turn. My friend already knew where she and her husband would be planted, but even with my love of cemeteries, I have given surprisingly little thought to our resting place. Something to ponder, I guess.

Moving back toward our cars, I saw a couple “Bartholomew” markers. That was my maiden name, so I wondered if these could be distant relatives. My mom did quite a bit of genealogical research back in the day and I think if we’d had relatives in this area, I would have known about it.

One of the last markers that I saw gave me pause. The epitaph was so interesting and enigmatic.

This must have been Sally’s motto: “It’s a great life if you don’t weaken.” She either said it a lot or at least exemplified it in her life. What do you think it means? Is that a motto that resonates with you? Was she talking about physical weakness? Moral weakness? Emotional weakness? I keep thinking about what the apostle Paul said about weakness:

“But God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things that are strong…”
and
“[God’s] grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”

There’s a lot to think about when you roam through a cemetery. Grave musings, indeed.

Next: Grave Musings 9 Chasing the Sea Wing

Start at beginning: Grave Musings 1 Maple Lawn I

I’ll probably delete this in the morning while pondering where my husband and I should be buried. 🤔