We spent the weekend in the southwest Missouri Ozarks visiting some of R’s relatives and extended family including the ones that are in the ground. We looked for relatives in two cemeteries: one in Lanagan and the other in Pineville, both maintained by volunteers and donations. The one in Lanagan had flowers on every grave and flags for all the veterans.
These were surprisingly social places, and R’s parents found that the people there often knew of them and their kin. Surprisingly, these cemeteries were full of life, and not just of the avian variety, though I did enjoy watching a pair of Broad-winged Hawks circle ever higher over the Lanagan cemetery.
It’s odd how much I enjoy wandering around graveyards. When I was in college, I took a photography class in which we here assigned to shoot found objects. I spent a semester exploring cemeteries, graveyards, boneyards and gardens of eternal rest. I read tombstones and imagined the lives and stories they commemorate. Graveyards are great places to let the imagination wander while listening to birds and the wind.
I came across a grave for a young man in his twenties who died on November 11, 1918. The last day of World War I. He wasn’t marked as a veteran so who knows how he died, but for someone, I guess that was an unhappy day.
I especially like looking for the oldest person. I didn’t check them all, but this was the oldest I found.
I don’t know anything about this person. Only that he probably served in the Civil War. He would have been in his ’30s, and he was a doctor. I wonder what he saw, how many limbs he may have amputated. It fascinates me that he lived through the end of the frontier and the inventions of movies, electric light, the telegraph, automobile and airplanes. Whoever he was, someone cared enough to place a flag near his grave.
This was another one that fascinated me. R’s aunt found it and led us to it. Dr. Chenoweth was almost 48 when he was assassinated, “a martyr to the cause of temperance and religion.” The Latin inscription beneath says, ‘the truth will prevail.’ There’s not enough to know anything about what happened to him, but just enough to let the mind wander down the dusty lanes of invention and imagination. Such is the wonder of old cemeteries.
James Brush is a teacher and writer who lives in Austin, TX. He tries to get outside as much as possible.
Nice post, James. I enjoy wandering around cemeteries, too, even though I don’t do it much. They have such a special air of peacefulness. My favorite cemetery is the Père-Lachaise cemetery in Paris. So huge and very full of history. And did I say huge?! The B&W is a nice touch on these photos, by the way.
I haven’t been there. I’m a fan of smaller ones, thought the massive uniformity of Arlington is amazing.
Great post, James. I like wandering cemeteries, too, although you have spent more time than I have.
Your post reminded me of something I read several years ago about cemeteries becoming wildlife sanctuaries (it was British, I think, and was specifically talking about old Jewish cemeteries, the ones that survived the Nazis in Europe). Your post reminded me I wanted to write about it.
Lovely memorial to the fallen, the memories, real and imagined.
That’s interesting about the wildlife. I did see a surprising number of birds around the cemeteries we visited. I suspect the night critters are pretty interesting too. I hope you so write about it.
I have always enjoyed cemeteries. I live near to a military cemetery and often take walks there. I like the symmetry of the white stones. Interestingly, my father is buried in the Pineville Cemetery that you feature. He was a boy in Pineville, and moved away for many years. After he retired he moved back. He loved the creeks and woods in McDonald County, so it’s a fitting resting place for him.
Melinda, thanks for your comment and sharing your story. That was the only time I’ve been up there, but it was a wonderful place to be.
You can read the story of the murder of Dr. Chenoweth at this website link which is a PDF version of the history of McDonald County (page 29 of 74) AND another link is for the PINEVIEW CEMETERY wher you can view all the headstones by online photos!
Whoops, I forgot to post the links, here they are . . .
http://www.librarymail.org/genehist/sturgesbookv2_2.pdf
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~our21familytree/Cemeteries/Pineville%20Cemetery/Pineville%20Cemetery.html
Copy & Paste links into your browser window.
Thanks for your comment and for the links, MC.
That first picture wm p jeffers is my great, great grandfather! Thank you for the picture I just found it in the graveyard.
Paulette Jeffers Waters