Tombstone Photo of the Week

Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow

Comanche Tribal Chairman

Otipoby Cemetery

Tombstone Photo of the Week

Kelly Cemetery

Angry

Just minutes after entering the Kelly Cemetery I saw this. I was so angry I wanted to scream. I have seen my share of cemeteries where the big old stones have been toppled over, but never this. Should I not be shocked? The person[s] that did this should be made to publicly apologize to any living family and the community. Then he/she should be ordered to do 5 years of community service in the local cemeteries, mowing, raking and trimming, with the work being inspected daily. And, they would need to make an annual contribution to the Association of Gravestone Studies [or like organization] for those same 5 years. It still makes me mad, because the others I didn't photograph had profanity written on them.

Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow

Sits on the edge of the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery.

Tombstone Photo of the Week

Gilead Cemetery

What I didn't like...

... at Mt. Carmel Baptist Church Cemetery.

I wish I had taken a full view photo of the little back porch on the church. I was shocked that it was built right up to a tombstone.

I also have to wonder about the stones leaning against the church. Where did they belong?

Mt. Carmel Baptist Church Cemetery

Although most of the stones were illegible I found this little church cemetery to be charming.

The Lone Headstone

Ft. Larned, KS
National Historic Site

Click on picture to enlarge

Improvements at Wildmead

Wildmead Cemetery

My father-in-law, Elmer Wall, is buried at the Wildmead Cemetery. I recently had the opportunity to work on the committee to have the kiosk, benches and memorial stone added to the cemetery. Wildmead is located in Nickerson, KS, a small community of about 1,000 people and about 10 miles from where I live in Hutchinson. As a member of the local genealogical society I have been tasked to update and provide the printed burial lists for the information boards. I hope to also include tidbits of cemetery history and perhaps highlight some of the residents.

This is where Barry and I own our plots. That is unless he goes first. I keep telling him that he may get buried in my beloved South, in Georgia. Only time will tell.

10-4 Good Buddy

Whitewater Cemetery

New Books

I have added these two books to my cemetery bookshelf:

• Keister, Douglas. Forever L.A.; A Field Guide to Los Angeles Cemeteries and Their Residents. Layton, Utah: Gibbs Smith. 2010.
• Strangstand, Lynette. A Graveyard Preservation Primer. AltaMira Press. 1995

The other day [on facebook] I asked Douglas Keister about his next book. Forever New York is what he is working on now and it's expected to release late 2011. I believe this will be his 5th cemetery book. I have the other 4 and the original Stories in Stone and Forever Dixie are my favorite, followed by Going Out in Style and Forever L.A. He does other photography too. He could probably photograph doorknobs and make a good book out of it.

Tombstone Photo of the Week

Rural Kansas - Groveland Cemetery

Faces of New York

Walks Updated

I have updated my "Walks" page with the New York cemeteries I visited last week. I will share them in future posts and upload to my online albums. You can view the photos I took for the gravesite of President Roosevelt online.

• NY, Dutchess: Roosevelt - President
• NY, New York: St. Paul's Chapel
• NY, Putnam: 1st Presbyterian
• NY, Putnam: Ballard Barrett
• NY, Putnam: Barrett Free
• NY, Putnam: Chuang Yen Monastery
• NY, Putnam: Crane 
• NY, Putnam: Gilead 
• NY, Putnam: Hill 
• NY, Putnam: Kelly 
• NY, Putnam: Long Pond [cremains @ Miller's] 
• NY, Putnam: Mt. Carmel Baptist 
• NY, Putnam: Old Baptist 
• NY, Putnam: Raymond Hill
• NY, Putnam: Union Halstead 
• NY, Westchester: Old Dutch Church 
• NY, Westchester: Sleepy Hollow

Died in War

Raymond Hill Cemetery

Annie Moore

I didn't get to see the actual burial place of Annie Moore, the first immigrant through Ellis Island. I did, however, see her statue and information about her gravesite on display at Ellis Island.

Standing Tall

Most of the headstones I saw in the New York cemeteries were thin and showing their age. Some however have stood the test of time.

Barry at Mt. Carmel Bapt. Church Cem.

Gilead Cemetery

Former wife

I found it interesting, for this time period, that it listed her first husband.

Old Baptist Cemetery

200th Cemetery

While in New York I took photographs in my 200th cemetery. It was in the Old Baptist Revolutionary War Cemetery located in Carmel NY. I will update my "walks" list this week.

Cemetery Cat

Cemetery Cat - Kelly Cemetery

I survived a whole week on the lake in New York without TV, cable or internet - with the exception of my Blackberry. I am thankful I had that access to the outside world. My son is serving in Afghanistan and his base was hit on Wednesday and he was in combat. Thankfully he called to tell me instead of me seeing it in the news.

While we played tourist in NY I also got to see many of the local cemeteries. My favorite was the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. An hour wasn't enough to absorb it all. On the edge of the property is the Old Dutch Church Burying Ground. Finally I was able to see some of the old stones I see on other blogs and in books.

Now I have to play catch-up. Why do we need a vacation to recover from vacation? I did stop by and visit the blogs I follow and enjoyed the posts. I hope to bring you some interesting posts in the days ahead.

Tombtone Photo of the Week

Hillside Cemetery