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No gophers, but I did find a hole.

3/15/2018

3 Comments

 
 
​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 :)

Picture
Graceland Park Cemetery, Omaha, Douglas Co., NE

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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. 
Picture
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!

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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.

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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!
3 Comments
Keith Graham
10/10/2018 04:47:28 pm

Not uncommon for this cemetery. Digging up buried markers is a low priority for them. I have documented this whole cemetery and used my data to help people locate markers on memorial day week end. While making the list I would dig markers up because I had info that there was a marker. It is still a neat cemetery with lots of history.

Reply
History Walks LLC link
10/12/2018 06:11:24 am

Hello Keith! It is a wonderful cemetery. I am actually pretty impressed with how well they maintain the monuments. Many cemeteries make no efforts to preserve grave markers. It is very common for flat stones to sink in Midwestern cemeteries. They are many reasons for this - the ground was not tamped properly when the stone was set, there were no irrigation efforts made when the stone was set and over time water erodes the soil beneath the marker, the base was not large enough to accommodate for the size of the marker, etc.
Since we have started doing cemetery preservation work, I'd say at least half of our calls are to reset a stone that is completely or partially sunken.
It is so wonderful that you help folks find grave markers!! Thank you for your comment, and happy hunting!

Reply
Keith Robert Graham
12/9/2018 01:10:15 pm

The Marker is in Sec 5 Row 46. Do you plan to do a history walk for this cemetery?




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  • Home
  • Tours
    • Cemetery Tours >
      • Emmanuel Evangelical Cemetery
      • Fairview Cemetery
      • Prospect Hill Cemetery
      • Virtual Cemetery Tours
    • Community Tours >
      • Buildings that Built Omaha
      • Plattsmouth
      • Wicked Omaha
  • Services
    • Genealogy
    • Grave Marker Preservation
    • Guided History Tours
    • Presentations
  • Save a Grave
  • About
    • Contact
    • FAQ
    • Our Team
    • Memberships
  • Store
  • Cemetery Talks
  • Gen Family Grave Survey