Winged Skull Gravestone Symbols
Winged skull gravestone symbols were common in 18th-century cemeteries. While they may look strange to us today – even morbid or creepy – they held important meaning for our ancestors. Death was a frequent visitor to households in the 1700s. In many areas, it was…
Occupational Gravestones are Family History Clues
Occupational gravestones can help you discover the story of your ancestor’s life. It’s the dash between the dates! As family historians, most of us look for gravestones to find birth and death dates to add to our family trees. What a pleasant surprise when we…
Catholic Cemetery Symbols
Is your halo slipping or shining? Do you know why the rosary was invented? What does a sideways horizontal cross mean? This blog post will help you understand Catholic cemetery symbols. And after that, your trips to the cemetery will never be the same! My…
Remembering the Irish Famine
Gone but not forgotten. Not forgotten because WE are remembering the Irish Famine. Each St. Patrick’s Day my heart is turned to the Irish. My own father was born on St. Patrick’s Day and was fittingly given the middle name of Patrick. We live in…
Understanding Jewish Gravestones
If you’ve spent much time in cemeteries, you’ve probably seen some matzevot or Jewish gravestones. You may have wondered – what is the significance of the rocks placed on them? Why are some of the gravestones vertical and some horizontal? Or what do the inscriptions…
Portraits in Stone
Families have been immortalizing their loved ones with portraits in stone on their gravesites for thousands of years. After all, it’s hard to lose the people you love. So we rationalize that if we could have just one last look at their face, it might…
