Special Marker

Sarah F. SCHOFIELD, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

This small marker next to my 2nd great grandparent's stone has been scratching my head.

Mystery solved: A reader from my circle at Google+ (Carol) suggests: "Those are funeral home markers, sometimes they are ALL I find on graves, they last for years, and for that I have been thankful. The newer ones don't always have raised stamped dates like this one, the dates appear to be attached with paper print type materials. Has her death year ever been inscribed ON the monument??" 

Yes, I think this is right. I have taken photos of funeral markers near gravestones! This is why this was vaguely familiar. Yes, Carol, the year of birth and death are on the monument (see like below) Let's have a round of applause for Carol!
I keep wondering what it is doing there. Sarah Frances Gardiner, wife of Joseph Schofield was born in 1845 not 1856 as it says on this marker. She did die in 1944.

There are birth and death years on the stone. Since her husband died in 1917, I think that the monument was put there when he died. As custom in my family, her year of birth and the line would have been put there at the same time and the year of death put there when she died.

Perhaps this was a sister of her husband Joseph who was unmarried and had the same name? No, that isn't the case.

Is this some kind of fraternal marker for her? It seems so generic>

Ideas are welcome.