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No gophers, but I did find a hole.

3/15/2018

I went to Graceland Park Cemetery in Omaha the other day looking for tree stones to take pictures of for a new blog post. I stepped into another topic on accident and ended up chasing a squirrel. Not a literal squirrel, but a figurative one - ya know, like I do :)

Graceland Park Cemetery, Omaha, Douglas Co., NE

I found a squirrel in that hole at Graceland Park Cemetery, Omaha, Douglas Co., NE

I spotted some interesting stones and stopped to take a few pictures when I accidentally stepped in a hole. It happens when you frequent the cemetery. They do, after all, exist in nature, and one learns how to walk...differently. It's not exactly a cautious gait but you learn to keep your balance when you step on strange things like hidden gravestones, cut down tree stumps, zombie claws, etc.

So there I was, meandering about when I stepped in a hole. I went on about my business and kept on walking, ended up cleaning an old stone to read the inscription, and then headed back to the car. For reasons I can't quite understand, I revisited the hole I stepped in. I had an inkling it might be more than just a hole.
Turns out, I was right. Good thing too, otherwise this blog would end here and would be rather boring.

Gravestone for Draginja Medakovic, Graceland Park Cemetery, Omaha, Douglas Co., NE

Below you can see what I found. The stone had quite a bit of mud on it, but the amazing thing about this is, I would bet you good money someone is watching after this stone. Someone has been here recently (within the year) and has cleaned up this stone. Someone is still remembering this memorial.

Consider this my fellow grave diggers - how many stones no longer have holes for us to stumble into? Some of them aren't even dips in the ground anymore. They're completely covered, just lying there, waiting for someone to come along and dig them up...literally!

Thurman Cemetery, Fremont Co., IA

So the next time you go to the cemetery and you don't see a stone where you expect to find one, it's not necessarily accurate to assume there isn't one there. Check with the cemetery office, ask them if they know a) if a stone was placed and b) what kind of stone it was. A flat stone may be hiding just under the surface.

Prospect Hill Cemetery, Omaha, Douglas Co., NE

Do a little research digging before you pull out a shovel, but let's remember - when you're in the cemetery, just because you don't see it, that doesn't mean it isn't there :)

Happy hunting!

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It's not a roll, it's a bolster!

3/5/2018

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This past Saturday was the first warm day of 2018. The day was preceded by a week of sunny weather, which was perfect. These two things culminate into one glorious event - cemetery hunting!
While wandering the lanes of the Oak Hill Cemetery in Plattsmouth, NE, my young companion sees a gravestone and asks, "Hey Shannon, what does that one mean?" The answer she received was a vague, less than informative response along the lines of "well, the circle shape represents life eternal, with no beginning and no ending". Well, I'm probably right :)
So this of course prompted me to run right home and do a little research (as most quandaries at the cemetery do) and instead of just shooting her a text, I thought "why not start a blog?" So here it is ladies and gentlefolk - not only does History Walk, we also have Cemetery Talks!

Lucinda Gibson, Oak Hill Cemetery, Plattsmouth, Cass Co., NE

It's called a bolster and they were most popular in the early twentieth century (State of Indiana).
The meaning behind the monument is not an easy thing to find. There is no listing for a bolster in my favorite cemetery resource, Stories in Stone by Douglas Keister, and contrary to popular belief Google doesn't know everything.

According to dictionary.com, a bolster is most often used to describe an item, such as a pillow or log, used to support or uplift. Perhaps the symbolism behind these cylindrical monuments is to uplift and support the spirit? Alas, I have found no resources to confirm or debunk my interpretations. If I come across one, I'll be sure to update this blog post.

Christina Westrom, Prospect Hill Cemetery, Omaha, Douglas Co., NE

Thanks for visiting, and Happy Hunting!

References
Bolster. (n.d.). Retrieved March 06, 2018, from http://www.dictionary.com/browse/bolster?s=t
Keister, D. (2004). Stories in stone: a field guide to cemetery symbolism and iconography. Salt Lake City: Gibbs Smith, Publisher.
State of Indiana. (n.d.). Terms used to describe cemeteries and grave markers . Retrieved March 5, 2018, from https://www.in.gov/dnr/historic/files/cem_glossary.pdf

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Cemetery Talks

No gophers, but I did find a hole.

It's not a roll, it's a bolster!

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