Tuesday, May 26, 2015

First Gravestone Photograph

Anthony's First Time Taking a Gravestone Photo, 25 May 2015
So Many Questions

My grandsons aged 6 and almost 3 live across the street from two cemeteries. It is a good start for a future genealogist.

Hubs and I gave him a Fisher Price Digital Camera (currently unavailable) for his birthday and he has taken a lot of photos with it with varying degrees of quality as you might expect. But, yesterday, we went into the Glenwood Cemetery (1872) and walked to the back of the new section to find a couple of gravestones to photograph. 

It would be hard to anticipate his questions but I was prepared to listen and give answers. My daughter and I planned this adventure. The day was overcast and perfect to photograph these shiny contemporary gravestones. After I took photos, I asked Anthony if he would like to take a photo and this is the excellent shot I took.

We didn't linger long as we had a long walk back (with more questions). Grayson loved picking up the mourning mementos and giggling over the naked cherub angels that adorn many of these graves. Anthony asked me to read names and dates. He wanted to know how the people got buried. I remember asking some of these questions myself. 

When we looked out at the road he said, "My house is so far away." Distance and time are beginning to make sense to him. 

This particular grave memorializes someone his (honorary) Auntie JJ knew and grew up with. 

Taken too soon...

3 comments:

CarmenMJ said...

I can remember as a little girl going with my family to the cemetery. We either met them there or my grandparents came with us. I can remember hearing stories about different family members that always seem to come out at the cemetery. The "Remember When" scenario constantly happened. Now I seem to be the who knows all the old stories. It always seems to me that there are stories that are told just by looking at the gravestones. Families that are buried together where children die so close together or as young babies. Husbands who died many years before their wives. There are so many stories...if you know how to read them. Nice to see you are starting your grandsons out young!

Elizabeth O'Neal said...

Good for him! Getting an early start! :-)

A few years ago, when we took my daughter to the local cemetery to put flags on veterans' graves for Memorial Day, she asked what all those stones were for. When I told her that was where some people go when they die, and yes, there were dead bodies under those stones, she freaked. So hey, you have that to look forward to.

I also got asked where babies come from that same morning, so we covered the whole circle of life thing that day. #askyourfather

Jana Iverson Last said...

Midge,

I want to let you know that your blog post is listed in today's Fab Finds post at http://janasgenealogyandfamilyhistory.blogspot.com/2015/05/follow-friday-fab-finds-for-may-29-2015.html

Have a great weekend!