Saturday, we went on a cemetery tour at Hillside Cemetery in Delta Township led by two retired archaeologists. They talked about the different types of headstones and the art on those headstones.
We started in the oldest part of the cemetery. The graves went back to the 1860's. Before the Victorian era, cemeteries were not an inviting place. The Victorians began the tradition of garden cemeteries that were landscaped and park-like. It was a place you wanted to go to visit the dearly departed. Also during this time, the headstones became more elaborate and adorned with symbolism of the time.
The first headstone I saw is below. The back has a weeping willow carved into it. The willow was a symbol of sadness or mourning. The front of the stone shows hands clasping. When I have seen these in the past, I thought it was people shaking hands. If you look closely, you can see from the clothing depicted one hand is female and one is male. It appears the male hand is clasping the female hand while the female hand appears limp. This indicates the live husband clasping his dead wife's hand for the final time as she bids farewell to earthly existence.
We started in the oldest part of the cemetery. The graves went back to the 1860's. Before the Victorian era, cemeteries were not an inviting place. The Victorians began the tradition of garden cemeteries that were landscaped and park-like. It was a place you wanted to go to visit the dearly departed. Also during this time, the headstones became more elaborate and adorned with symbolism of the time.
The first headstone I saw is below. The back has a weeping willow carved into it. The willow was a symbol of sadness or mourning. The front of the stone shows hands clasping. When I have seen these in the past, I thought it was people shaking hands. If you look closely, you can see from the clothing depicted one hand is female and one is male. It appears the male hand is clasping the female hand while the female hand appears limp. This indicates the live husband clasping his dead wife's hand for the final time as she bids farewell to earthly existence.
 Weeping willow |  Clasped hands |
The photo on the left below shows another example, but in this one, the female hand appears to be clasping the limp male hand. The photo on the right has another hand motif. In this case, the hand is pointing up, toward heaven. The scroll above it says "At Rest."
 Clasped Hands - In Memory of our Parents |  Hand pointing to heaven |
I find it sad to see the graves of children in a cemetery. The idea of a parent losing a child is heartbreaking. During the late 19th century, it was not unusual for young children to die. The children's headstones often have a symbol of youth. The stones below are adorned with lambs as a symbol of innocence.
 Child's grave with a lamb lying down |  Another lamb |
The three stones in the photo below on the left have flowers in various states of bloom. None are fully opened symbolizing the young lives that did not fully mature.
The photo on the right shows two headstones. The left headstone is another child with a dove motif. The dove is a symbol of peace. The stone on the right is someone who served in the 7th Michigan Cavalry during the Civil War. This headstone was provided by the U.S. government. He probably died after the war, since he was buried at home.
The photo on the right shows two headstones. The left headstone is another child with a dove motif. The dove is a symbol of peace. The stone on the right is someone who served in the 7th Michigan Cavalry during the Civil War. This headstone was provided by the U.S. government. He probably died after the war, since he was buried at home.
 Three children's graves with floral motifs |  Dove motif (left) Civil War Veteran (right) |
The photos in the gallery below are taller monuments. We were not able to stick around for the full talk, so I can't tell you the meaning of these.
The rest of the photos are headstones I found interesting.
Thanks for stopping by.
Rob
Rob
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