It is early on Christmas morning, the dog is snoring at my feet, the family is still sleeping, and it is pouring down rain outside. I can hear the rain splashing on my front patio. Under the Christmas tree Santa left many gifts, in a few hours the house will be a clutter of gift wrap, and smelling like Christmas dinner. And I am thinking about graveyards.
Back east the cemeteries are covered with snow; wouldn’t it make a terrific picture? Here the ground is wet and the gophers are having a gay time.
Our historic treasures mostly stay the same winter after winter, summer after summer. Season after season. As I drive by MY cemetery (Sunnyslope) I see the seasons change. Yesterday there were bright red poinsettias spotted throughout the cemetery. A couple months ago there were American flags places around every section by the American Legion. When I drive by I always think of someone who is buried there, for I know many of them. If I didn’t know them in life I learned a little about them to have a nodding acquaintance.
A long time ago most cemeteries were put in a location way out of town. In time the town grew up to surround it. That is true here in Corona. Now it is on a main road that I past several times a week. I have dear friends that live a short walking distance away. I have spoken to people that have passed the cemetery hundreds of times and until I mention it they didn’t even realize that they were passing one by, it became so familiar to them. Everyone is on their way, busy, busy and in the cemetery are hundreds of people that made the town what it is. Some people made their mark on other towns, then came to Corona and made their mark here too.
While researching in the web I found a small cemetery that has really touched me. There is a listing of graves, just a few, but the wonderful family that put it together, posted pictures of markers that aren’t even there anymore. Closser & Horn Family Cemetery, Amwell Township, Washington County, PennsylvaniaThe stones have disappeared but they had old pictures of the stones in their scrapbooks. The stones pictured here were not found in 2002. This gave me a lot of new thought. How many stones have disappeared to time, and someone, somewhere, has the pictures?
The family is getting up, time to celebrate the meaning of Christmas. Tomorrow I will be thinking of cemeteries again.
Happy Everything to Everybody!
Back east the cemeteries are covered with snow; wouldn’t it make a terrific picture? Here the ground is wet and the gophers are having a gay time.
Our historic treasures mostly stay the same winter after winter, summer after summer. Season after season. As I drive by MY cemetery (Sunnyslope) I see the seasons change. Yesterday there were bright red poinsettias spotted throughout the cemetery. A couple months ago there were American flags places around every section by the American Legion. When I drive by I always think of someone who is buried there, for I know many of them. If I didn’t know them in life I learned a little about them to have a nodding acquaintance.
A long time ago most cemeteries were put in a location way out of town. In time the town grew up to surround it. That is true here in Corona. Now it is on a main road that I past several times a week. I have dear friends that live a short walking distance away. I have spoken to people that have passed the cemetery hundreds of times and until I mention it they didn’t even realize that they were passing one by, it became so familiar to them. Everyone is on their way, busy, busy and in the cemetery are hundreds of people that made the town what it is. Some people made their mark on other towns, then came to Corona and made their mark here too.
While researching in the web I found a small cemetery that has really touched me. There is a listing of graves, just a few, but the wonderful family that put it together, posted pictures of markers that aren’t even there anymore. Closser & Horn Family Cemetery, Amwell Township, Washington County, PennsylvaniaThe stones have disappeared but they had old pictures of the stones in their scrapbooks. The stones pictured here were not found in 2002. This gave me a lot of new thought. How many stones have disappeared to time, and someone, somewhere, has the pictures?
The family is getting up, time to celebrate the meaning of Christmas. Tomorrow I will be thinking of cemeteries again.
Happy Everything to Everybody!
1 comment:
A beautiful and thoughtful post. I enjoyed reading it!
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