The Old Folks Home

[superchemicalgirl]

This is a really neat thing you do. Have to ask what happened to get you started?

Always loved and was fascinated by graveyards, even as a kid. I went to England and Ireland when I was a young teen and the tour group went to a bunch of castles. I never made it inside. I spent the entire time in the graveyard. Grew up down the street from a graveyard and used to walk through it and read a book in it on a regular basis. In college I'd walk down to the cemetery where Poe was buried and study down there to get away from the Baltimore crowds. There are a bunch of small graveyards near me that needed repairs that would irritate me every day driving by (not anymore, now I smile!). In 2016 I got an email showcasing a 4 day workshop for people to attend to learn to care for and repair gravestones. It was put on by a graveyard group for the state. The email stated it was for sextons, caretakers, town clerks, genealogists, etc. I thought about it, sat on it for a while and then decided to sign up for it if there were still openings. The first day came and I had some significant social anxiety over it, thought maybe I shouldn't have signed up. I went to the initial class before heading to the graveyard, and I sat in my car for a while, trying to convince myself I wasn't a moron and to go inside. I noticed the car next to me had a White Zombie sticker on it (one of my favorite bands) and that's what prompted me to go inside. I had found my people! My town had never fixed the stones I had called in as broken near me (thankfully because the guy they used to pay to repair them did the concrete/bathtub caulking mess) so I called and offered my services. I ended up joining my town's cemetery committee and I'm also now on the board of the state group that put on the original workshop in 2016. I've worked in many towns around the state.
Not too bad for someone the workshop wasn't intended for Oh and the girl with the White Zombie sticker is now the president of said organization.

I've met a lot of amazing friends, young and old, in this venture and been lucky enough to care for those that time has forgotten. It's quiet (unless I'm chiseling), fulfilling work.

 

[ronott1]

Always loved and was fascinated by graveyards, even as a kid. I went to England and Ireland when I was a young teen and the tour group went to a bunch of castles. I never made it inside. I spent the entire time in the graveyard. Grew up down the street from a graveyard and used to walk through it and read a book in it on a regular basis. In college I'd walk down to the cemetery where Poe was buried and study down there to get away from the Baltimore crowds. There are a bunch of small graveyards near me that needed repairs that would irritate me every day driving by (not anymore, now I smile!). In 2016 I got an email showcasing a 4 day workshop for people to attend to learn to care for and repair gravestones. It was put on by a graveyard group for the state. The email stated it was for sextons, caretakers, town clerks, genealogists, etc. I thought about it, sat on it for a while and then decided to sign up for it if there were still openings. The first day came and I had some significant social anxiety over it, thought maybe I shouldn't have signed up. I went to the initial class before heading to the graveyard, and I sat in my car for a while, trying to convince myself I wasn't a moron and to go inside. I noticed the car next to me had a White Zombie sticker on it (one of my favorite bands) and that's what prompted me to go inside. I had found my people! My town had never fixed the stones I had called in as broken near me (thankfully because the guy they used to pay to repair them did the concrete/bathtub caulking mess) so I called and offered my services. I ended up joining my town's cemetery committee and I'm also now on the board of the state group that put on the original workshop in 2016. I've worked in many towns around the state.
Not too bad for someone the workshop wasn't intended for Oh and the girl with the White Zombie sticker is now the president of said organization.

I've met a lot of amazing friends, young and old, in this venture and been lucky enough to care for those that time has forgotten. It's quiet (unless I'm chiseling), fulfilling work.

That is a great way to get into something as altruistic as your Cemetery work

 

[pennyJo1960]

A wonderful undertaking for you SCG I am impressed with what your capable of

 

[Cynthia12]

One day my mother was pulling out old family portraits and handed me one to look at telling me that was my great grandmother on her side of the family. Without thinking I asked her what I was doing in that picture...then paused realizing I was looking at my Great Grandmother, Della and other than her being heavier and taller than I am, we could have been twins.


Thanks DD. I felt pretty lousy last night. Dr did a treatment on me that he called percussive massage. He was pretty amazed at the muscle spasms I was having in my neck. The machine was hand held and it felt like a soft hammer beating against my muscles. Not hard. Just a steady rapid thumping. Afterwards, my neck muscles started to feel really warm. When that happened he knew the muscles were relaxing and he began to do adjustments. I suspect it released a load of Lactic acid in the muscles because I was bone numbing tired and nauseous to the point that I couldn't eat dinner and fell asleep on the sofa. For a while I was dizzy when I got up so I just kept laying around all night. Fell asleep early and slept till 7. I feel about 75% better this morning. The bit thing is I can square my shoulders now without a lot of pain.

DH let the dogs out about 5 and when he let them in, here comes Roxi along with Buck and Spot. Then here came Diesel....oops. They were supposed to be in the back yard fenced in area but noooooo two of them decided to stage the great escape and tunnel under the fence. Luckily they stayed with Buck and Spot and unfortunately looked all too pleased with their accomplishment. We have been out all morning attaching rebar and piping to the fence so they can't push against it and under it any longer.

At moments like this I get a reality check from those 5 little monsters.

Oh my goodness! Finally .. someone that knows this breed of dog! I see so many for sale around here, and families are buying them. They end up in the pound because folks weren't aware of how protective they can be of the family. These dogs aren't just watch dogs, they are guard dogs. Some dogs will actually chase the family's small child.. herding instinct..and nip..or bite their child as it ran. Had two attack my sister's mother in law in a park..tore her legs up. Had one of our neighbors dog come running at my boy one day..thank goodness he knew his name, as I said the dogs name to my son..here comes Buster...my son calls out..BUSTER..in a cherfull little voice. That dog had the hair on the back of his neck up, ready to attack..with owner running behind, he had gotten loose, but when he heard his name yelled out, he put the brakes on as I was reaching for my boy. All apologetic the owner grabbed him and took him home. I'm thinking my hair was standing up on the back of my neck! Glad my son repeated his name. Thought a friendly dog was running to him. They do best on ranches, or large properties. Not all are like this, but one more. One of our daughter's got one. Neighbor kid chased her son, this dog bit the neighbors kid. Very protective, or .. well..like your photo.

 

[Cynthia12]

Always loved and was fascinated by graveyards, even as a kid. I went to England and Ireland when I was a young teen and the tour group went to a bunch of castles. I never made it inside. I spent the entire time in the graveyard. Grew up down the street from a graveyard and used to walk through it and read a book in it on a regular basis. In college I'd walk down to the cemetery where Poe was buried and study down there to get away from the Baltimore crowds. There are a bunch of small graveyards near me that needed repairs that would irritate me every day driving by (not anymore, now I smile!). In 2016 I got an email showcasing a 4 day workshop for people to attend to learn to care for and repair gravestones. It was put on by a graveyard group for the state. The email stated it was for sextons, caretakers, town clerks, genealogists, etc. I thought about it, sat on it for a while and then decided to sign up for it if there were still openings. The first day came and I had some significant social anxiety over it, thought maybe I shouldn't have signed up. I went to the initial class before heading to the graveyard, and I sat in my car for a while, trying to convince myself I wasn't a moron and to go inside. I noticed the car next to me had a White Zombie sticker on it (one of my favorite bands) and that's what prompted me to go inside. I had found my people! My town had never fixed the stones I had called in as broken near me (thankfully because the guy they used to pay to repair them did the concrete/bathtub caulking mess) so I called and offered my services. I ended up joining my town's cemetery committee and I'm also now on the board of the state group that put on the original workshop in 2016. I've worked in many towns around the state.
Not too bad for someone the workshop wasn't intended for Oh and the girl with the White Zombie sticker is now the president of said organization.

I've met a lot of amazing friends, young and old, in this venture and been lucky enough to care for those that time has forgotten. It's quiet (unless I'm chiseling), fulfilling work.

This is great! And now you're on the board. Makes sense to me. Cemeteries can be beautiful, thanks to you, many are looking better. I have to agree also a great place to be when wanting some quiet alone time. Back in the early 90's I lived near a nice sized cemetery. There were a lot of stones..all well kept! Even the old ones, and there were many older ones. Now I have to wonder, who keeps that place up. I would quietly ride my bike through when I wanted to have some alone time. Beautiful trees. Peaceful.

 

[Alaskan]

I love looking through old cemeteries... my kids think I am nuts...

I have added a bunch of photos to findagrave. It is fun.

 

[Alaskan]

Always loved and was fascinated by graveyards, even as a kid. I went to England and Ireland when I was a young teen and the tour group went to a bunch of castles. I never made it inside. I spent the entire time in the graveyard. Grew up down the street from a graveyard and used to walk through it and read a book in it on a regular basis. In college I'd walk down to the cemetery where Poe was buried and study down there to get away from the Baltimore crowds. There are a bunch of small graveyards near me that needed repairs that would irritate me every day driving by (not anymore, now I smile!). In 2016 I got an email showcasing a 4 day workshop for people to attend to learn to care for and repair gravestones. It was put on by a graveyard group for the state. The email stated it was for sextons, caretakers, town clerks, genealogists, etc. I thought about it, sat on it for a while and then decided to sign up for it if there were still openings. The first day came and I had some significant social anxiety over it, thought maybe I shouldn't have signed up. I went to the initial class before heading to the graveyard, and I sat in my car for a while, trying to convince myself I wasn't a moron and to go inside. I noticed the car next to me had a White Zombie sticker on it (one of my favorite bands) and that's what prompted me to go inside. I had found my people! My town had never fixed the stones I had called in as broken near me (thankfully because the guy they used to pay to repair them did the concrete/bathtub caulking mess) so I called and offered my services. I ended up joining my town's cemetery committee and I'm also now on the board of the state group that put on the original workshop in 2016. I've worked in many towns around the state.
Not too bad for someone the workshop wasn't intended for Oh and the girl with the White Zombie sticker is now the president of said organization.

I've met a lot of amazing friends, young and old, in this venture and been lucky enough to care for those that time has forgotten. It's quiet (unless I'm chiseling), fulfilling work.

Great explanation, thanks for sharing

 

[Bunnylady]

Poking around in old graveyards can be interesting, but the stories the markers tell can be heartbreaking. Like the double headstone with the names of a man and a woman, and a line of smaller stones beside them, some with nothing more than "Baby Boy," and a date. Or the 6-foot-tall monument with the names of a woman and a girl, with the date of the woman's death being the date of the child's birth, and the child only living a few days. The tales of epidemics and other tragedies are hinted at by clustered dates, and sometimes even several names on one grave.

The iconography of the old stones can be beautiful, and poignant - a lamb or a cherub usually marks a child's grave, for example. I find the Jewish tradition of placing a pebble on the headstone somehow charming.

Which is why I find my parents' choice to be buried in a veterans' cemetery a bit sad and disappointing. Small, identical headstones, in regimented rows in a wide-open, sterile, religiously manicured landscape, with strict rules about what can be placed on the graves and how long it can stay.

Ah, well, it's just her body. She doesn't need it any more, and maybe she is better remembered in the places she loved and lived in, rather than the windswept field that is her final resting place.

 

[Cynthia12]

Bunny, they are different. Have an Uncle that is buried at a veterans cemetery. Went to the burial. Just as you described, all the same. On Memorial Day, we often find folks standing and staring at my sister's children's graves. It takes them a short minute to realize, that a mother and father had lost three children in our generation. She lost a 19 month old, then a few years later a 5 year old son, same month as first, in Feb.. then same year, her 7 year old daughter, just before Christmas. If we come up to the grave as they are still standing there trying to figure out the dates .. some will ask. What happened? They all passed from the same illness never explained. Encephalitis. The Drs. had no idea why. One quote on a stone, her first little girl's...Budded On Earth, To Bloom In Heaven. ..they all have pretty stones. Ending on a happier note. They have three children, boys. They have children, two different ones have named a child after one of their little siblings that passed. Melody, my sis, loves having a Holly and a Heather granddaughter. I'm telling you, she's one strong woman...now. Took a while.

 

[Cynthia12]

Off to get our little dog groomed..bright and early. Then picking up a pretty rocker/recliner.