I've always had a fascination for cemeteries. Ever since I can remember I liked walking around, looking at the names and dates. The older the better. I'm not sure where this fascination came from or why.
I'm fortunate that my husband has accepted this strange quirk of mine and has taken me to several through the years. Once, while we were in his semi, the cemetery was next to the truck stop and we were able to walk there.
One of my favorite cemeteries is Lake View Cemetery in Cleveland,Ohio. Many famous people are buried here - The most famous, of course, is President James A. Garfield. Architect George Keller designed the Garfield Monument, which was dedicated on Memorial Day, 1880. The Garfield Monument stands 180 feet tall. Around the exterior of the balcony are five, terra cotta panels by Casper Bubel, with over 110 figures all life size, depicting Garfield’s life and death.
The Memorial Hall includes rich, gold mosaics, beautifully colored marble, stained glass windows and deep-red granite columns. The stained glass windows and window like panes represent the original 13 colonies, plus the state of Ohio, along with panels depicting War and Peace. Standing in the main floor is a statue of the President sculpted by Alexander Doyle.
Venture up 64 steps from the lobby to the outdoor balcony. On a clear day you can see 40 miles of the Lake Erie shore. It's called Lake View Cemetery due to the magnificent view that one can see of Lake Erie from the outdoor balcony.
Another famous person is Eliot Ness as well as John D. Rockefeller, founder of Standard Oil Company of Ohio and first billionaire in the United States.
The gardens are beautiful as well as the statues throughout.
A smaller cemetery is in Twinsburg, Ohio - It was the setting in Trouble Comes
The sandstone vault standing sentry at the entrance of the cemetery was born out of necessity The earth proved too hollow during the winter so bodies lied in waiting until the ground thawed.
A much smaller cemetery was one we visited several times in Hocking County. I'm not sure it even has a name. It's next to a vacant wooden church (another thing that fascinates me). Some of the markers are so old you can't read them. There are only about 25 graves there (give or take). We stopped there often on our way to and from the town of Nelsonville, when we vacationed in a cabin at Lake Hope State Park. There's something so peaceful about cemeteries. I'd often stop at the graves and wonder about the person who lived there.
Strangely enough, I seldom visit the cemetery where my parents and two of my siblings are buried. I guess I'd rather remember them full of life.
Should you ever come to my area of the county, I can show you several interesting cemeteries. Keep writing.
ReplyDeleteThank you, where is your area?
ReplyDeleteHundreds of fascinating stories in these places. Nice topic ... and always a place to go to look for stories.
ReplyDeleteI like visiting cemeteries too. I'm relieved to know I'm not the only one :)
ReplyDeleteMe too, it must be something shared by us authors. And one very sad thing about some of the older cemeteries here in Australia is that there are many children's' graves from the early settlers days.
ReplyDeleteI, too, like visiting cemeteries. I look at names and dates and try to figure out who's related to who and how. Some of the old Boston cemeteries have more of a person's history than do our more modern stones, which usually only have names and dates.
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