Morgan Cemetery: May 2012

Monday, May 28, 2012

Wee Sarah

Edith Aloft ~taken from a Victorian children's book

It was not a grand revelation that once I began to wander the cemetery I would

quite naturally, and in accord with human (and writer!) spirit, begin to develop an affinity

for certain graves and wonder greatly at their story. The children, of course, always tug at your heart.

I will say, there aren't a great many for such a time, but enough to make one stop

and ponder the circumstance.

For the era, and in a rural location besides, I was quite in awe of the extensive work that had been able to be done on a great many of the stones. Those final words that the parents chose so carefully in their grief.

I bring to you then one of my favorites:

SARAH

Daughter of

S.S. & P. DEWEY

Died Feb.22 1853

AE. 8 yrs. 2 mos.

& 11 Ds.

She was lovely she was fair

And for awhile was given

An angel came and claimed his own

And brought her home to Heaven.

I love that there is a little lamb carved in the top of the stone.

Bless you, wee Sarah, you have been thought of this day.

engraving taken from a Victorian children's book 1897

Sunday, May 27, 2012

The Rest of Yesterday

A lone flag was place beside an unmarked stone which, I admit, made my heart feel too big.

Here are some random shots of the cemetery that I took on yesterday's artistic prop journey.

Saturday, May 26, 2012

A Grave Perspective

In preparation today for setting up some more elaborate scenes, I took some lovely vintage props to the cemetery to see how they might work with the telling of wordless stories.

Quite honestly, I could spend forever on this project I was so excited by it!

As my daughter said this morning: "That's the kind of thing you stay up all night

thinking about, isn't it?"

Yes. :)

I spent a few hours getting to know the stones and carvings and I was so incredibly touched by what they revealed. My only wish is that I could know more about the lives of those

buried all these many years.

But still, I truly hope I will do them justice and that their stories remain, whatever they may be.

Friday, May 25, 2012

FACING WEST

(*Disclaimer: Although there are only a few, in any and all cases I have opted not to post any stones with a D.o.D. past 1965 in order to provide a respectful time frame for the family. It is my hope that this art project will provide a photographic rendering of the cemetery as it stands today, 2012, for future ancestors seeking their kin.)

Set of Stairs from Nowhere located on the Wetzel Road entrance side.

Parking is to the right.

********

Morgan Cemetery, aptly enough, faces Morgan Road in the Town of Clay.

Though the monuments are generally four sided, the tombstones all face Morgan Road.

Oddly, there is a wide-wide, overgrown gully betwixt the road and the first row of stones.

Since the entrance is located on Wetzel Road, it has always seemed odd to me that there is no longer a *front* to the original cemetery but has been redesigned to enter from the side.

Stone to the far left is the front row stone. Immediately in front of that is the drop off.