I mentioned this stone in the last blog. Notice how well the picture is carved how deep the background is. Now, look at the writing. I think we either had two different people working on this stone or the carver cared more for the picture. If you look close you'll see where the carver split the last name between two lines.

Here's a stone I ran into while roaming through a cemetery, the carving is a bit different.

We all know that an anchor stands for either HOPE or a SAILOR (which I think we can rule out in this case). What would a broken anchor stand for. Broken hope? She died young (at 28 yo).

Broken hope of spending a long life together?

Any ideas?

The following story is true, only the names have been omitted.

In a cemetery in Dearborn County is a very unusual grave. If you look at the picture you will see one stone off to the right, behind it is a large empty area...only it's not empty. The area behind the stone is 14 cemetery plots beneath this ground is a special grave.

Some years ago a lady lived in the area and her favorite passion was her red Cadillac. In her will she stated that she wanted to be buried in her Cadillac when she died. She also stated that she wanted her husband to be buried with her when he died. He is still alive.

According to a former caretaker of this cemetery (I have known him for several years), this was done according to her wishes. For the record, she is not sitting behind the steering wheel, she is in a casket on the drivers side (it's a convertable). This was done with the aid of a custom built burial vault and a crane.

Now comes the legend: When you drive through the cemetery and approach this spot, if you honk your vehicle horn, there will be an answering honk. For the record: I tried this and received no honk.

A couple of years ago while searching out some kin folk in a small cemetery, I found this stone.

This has got to be one of the busiest stone I have seen in a very long time when it comes to symbols.

While most stone have one or two carved on them this one seems to have about 5 different symbols. Besides the willow trees, you have the person in her grave, rising up to heaven, angels greeting her and an urn.

In this same grave yard was a stone that was so well carved (Jesus beckoning to a child) that it seemed almost lifelike (the carvings were raised). While the lettering on the same stone was so poorly planned that the last name was split between two lines.

I have passed this cemetery a few times but never had the time to stop. Today I did. This cemetery is located on the Madison-Hancock County line, it goes by the name Mendon Cemetery.

While wandering through, this was one of the last stones I saw. It is weathered enough that there is no name to be found. What struck me was that somebody had placed a small stuffed rabbit in the little girls' arms.

As weathered as the stone is I got to wondering how sharp and clear it must have been when first erected so long ago as this was located in the oldest section of the cemetery. I also wondered who took the time to place the stuffed toy in her arms.

Ke-ki-o-Kah

While the stone is not unusual, the story behind the stone is a legend in the area. This is in a cemetery near my house, the story goes:

In about 1888 there came to Carthage a stocky figure wearing fringed buckskin with long black hair reaching almost to his shoulders. This gentleman had just delivered a lecture at a town up the road and came here to repeat it. This gentleman's name was Ke-ki-o-Kah, better know to the locals as Blazing Star, he was a member of the Cheyenne tribe. (We had at the time several people who were a mix of Black and Cherokee living in the town) After the lecture he went back but decided he liked Carthage and the residents and returned, making this his headquarters for about three years. Any time he would run low on money he would leave and give his lecture in the surrounding towns. Seems for most of the time he would wear his plain buckskins but later added fancy bead work in several designs but he adopted ordinary cloths. He like to hunt and was considered and expert with either the rifle or shotgun. For a time he lived in one of the local hotels and later moved in with one of the local people. He died at the age of 32 from pneumonia on 2 Feb 1893, and was buried in Riverside Cemetery. A collection was taken up in order to provide him with a tombstone, he shares it with the owner of the plot a man named Weaver.

Sorry that it's been a while, but life gets in the way sometimes.

This was taken at Park Cemetery in Greenfield. From what I can find out it (so far, still researching) this is how he looked during WW I. While you can see a lot a statue's this is one of the few I've seen that is the person buried there.