Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Catherine and Cecilia


Also
CATHERINE
Who died
January 30, 1860
AGED 2 Ys. 9 Ms.
AND
CECILIA
Who died
May 31, 1861
AGED 1 Yr. 6 Ms.


Regular readers of this blog know that I am enamoured of cemeteries. Enormous park-like arboretum cemeteries here and in New Orleans and in Glasgow. Small, wind-blown cemeteries on the Outer Banks and Iona. Quiet nineteenth century cemeteries associated with rural Catholic churches in southern Ohio.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

What heartbreak for the family! It is hard to imagine a time when this wasn't unexpected. I too love old cemetaries but often the sadness of tributes to young mothers and young children overwhelms me.

Kathleen said...

Cos Cob Ct. has a wonderful ancient Indian cemetery, est 1723. It is called the Strickland Rd. Park Indian Cemetery. All the kids in the neighborhood would play there.. hide and seek, tag, sometimes just take a rest while leaning back on a tombstone !!
It sounds a bit irreverent now, but I do think those old Indians delighted in our play and laughter.
Now you have me looking up the historical background..something I always wanted to do.. thanks.. nice photos..
(also I'm glad too)

alphawoman said...

I love them also. I love to read the head stones and wonder, like this one. So sad.

Lisa :-] said...

The inscriptions are amazingly legible for such old stones. The older ones in the cemetery next door and the one down the road are very difficult to read. Wonder if weather conditions in the NW (terminal dampness) are harder on them...

Paintdancer said...

This reminds me of when I visited the cemetary of Mary Althouse, whose diary I found at a garage sale. I'm not sure if you read the journal entry I did but I became totally obsessed with finding out all I could about little Mary and her family. In the end I found her gravesite last winter in Sellersville, PA, and she was buried with her husband and 2 year old daughter. The Althouse line evidently went no further.

I think the most fascinating cemetary I ever visited was in Boston along the freedom walk. Some of those graves were from the 1700's. It definitely filled all my cemetary needs!

emmapeelDallas said...

I love cemeteries, too, and have since I was just a kid. I feel so sad looking at this headstone, and also, selfishly, very grateful that I didn't personally have to endure such a hardship.

Judi