Wrapping up 2013

Wow! Where did the year go? I've had a great time working on my photography business and am excited for what 2014 holds.

I'll be back to blogging on a regular basis in the new year. I had hoped to end the year with 350 as my count for cemeteries I've photographed (partial or complete). I'm at 349.

My son returned in early August from his second deployment to Afghanistan. We are so thankful for his safe return and that we will celebrate Christmas all together.

Thank you for following my blog and taking these cemetery walks with me. In case I don't have time to post before the end of the year I'll leave you with this photo from the St. Thomas Cemetery in Denton County, Texas.

Ludwig Blumberg walked this earth a short time. In the 1900 Federal Census, for Denton County, Texas, he was 11 years old. His mother had 4 of 8 children living at the time. Ludwig would die 7 years later. Such heartache I can only imagine.

I missed my birthday

Not really, I remembered, but I didn't celebrate or blog about it.

I've been busy with my photography business and I've taken a little break from blogging. That hasn't stopped me from taking cemetery walks though. 

Long car rides are not how I like to spend my time. So, when visiting my son we drive halfway. In early August we made the trip to welcome him home from his second deployment in Afghanistan. Coming home we stopped in Springfield, MO and I visited 3 cemeteries: Hazelwood, Springfield National and Temple Israel. 

I checked my list of walks and the count is 348 cemeteries in which I have taken photos. The big question I must answer by the end of my new flickr year is do I keep paying to have them online? What will happen to them when I step into eternity? I don't have time (or the desire - don't ask) to put them on Find-A-Grave. I've considered contacting and donating to Ancestry.com (would they even want them?). Do you have any suggestions? I'd love to hear from you.

Springfield National Cemetery

P.S. It's my 5th blog birthday

Happy Independence Day!

Have you missed me? I've been spending all of my time working on my photography business and hope to have a good workflow and plan in place soon. I hope you'll stick around!

Today as we celebrate as a country our family is also joyfully counting down the weeks until our son returns from his second deployment to Afghanistan.

Family Tree Magazine Top 40 Genealogy Blog

I received a message this morning that Digital Cemetery Walk has received the honor, for a second time, to be named a top 40 genealogy blog by Family Tree Magazine. Thank you to my readers that spend time with me.

Read the online article here: Family Tree Magazine Top 40

Here is the snippet from the current issue (which I haven't received yet)

(Shared by Midge Frazel)

Dirge for a Young Girl

Arlington Cemetery
Reno County, KS

I photographed this little marker on a previous visit because I love finding the zinc monuments on my cemetery walks. You can find other posts on White Bronze and zink by using the labels on this post.

I recently had an opportunity to visit the cemetery again and decided to use my glove as a reference of size.

When I find any stone with an epitaph I tried to find the source: Scripture, poem, song, etc.

This epitaph is from the poem "Dirge for a Young Girl" by James Thomas Fields. {source}

Underneath the sod, low lying,
 Dark and drear,

Sleepeth one who left, in dying,
 Sorrow here.

Yes, they 're ever bending o'er her,
 Eyes that weep;
Forms, that to the cold grave bore her,
 Vigils keep.

When the summer moon is shining
 Soft and fair,
Friends she loved in tears are twining
 Chaplets there.

Rest in peace, thou gentle spirit,
 Throned above;
Souls like thine with God inherit
 Life and love!

Frank Bick

 

Social Media Changes

A while back I felt a social media overload and deleted my Google+ account. I couldn't find a way to make it work. I think I've figured out how I can now separate the two things I blog/do the most: genealogy/cemeteries and photography.

I officially launched my photography business this year after I spent last year preparing on the business side while stepping down, letting go and resigning from many things in order to make more time for fewer tasks, with big hopes of doing a better job on each. I still haven't decided if my Piney Woods & Prairie Winds genealogy blog will come out of hibernation or not.

So, with all of that said here is where I'm active these days:

• Digital Cemetery Walk {you are here}
• Eastside Cemetery: Blog for my "pay it forward" project, researching the oldest cemetery in our city.
• Gale Wall: Blog where I share what doesn't fit anywhere else... recipe and misc photos.
• Gale Wall Photography: My business - Blog, Facebook and G+ Page.

Many of you were in my G+ circles and had me in your circles. Please add me again. Thanks!

Now, I think I've figured out my Google Reader dilemma. For now I've chosen Feedly for my PC and Android. It's on my iPad but I'll see if my Feeddler app continues to work.

Revolutionary Voices

Revolutionary Voices: A Last Muster Film

 I'm backing this Kickstarter project and hope you will take a moment to consider doing the same.


You can also find more information on the website 

Sisco Sisters

Carrie & Olive Sisco
Doyle Valley Cemetery
Marion County, Kansas

Did these 2 siblings die of the same illness just weeks apart?
How tragic to lose not one, but two children like this.

I have never seen this cemetery art before. Have you?

Dead Bodies By Mail

Dead Bodies by Mail

When Cremated They May be Sent for 4 Cents a Pound

Washington, October 2 - Third Assistance Postmaster General Madden today received a request for information as to the postage rates of cremated bodies.

Mr. Madden after due deliberation, prepared a ruling to the effect that cremated bodies should be classed as merchandise and should pay the regular rate of 1 cent for four ounces.

As a result of this decisions four air tight tin canisters, containing the cremated remains of a family shipped from New York to San Francisco were forwarded from Washington post office, where they had been held up pending a determination of the postage rates for the funeral journey.

October 2, 1903 Hutchinson News