Local Cemetery Project

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Local Cemetery Project

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Reflection of week 4

I loved the trolly ride. It was so interesting to see how far the cemetery has come. We saw the parts of the cemetery where al of the gravesites looked exactly alike and there was absolutely no variety to any of them. We also went to the more contemorary parts of the cemetery where the monuments were not so large but more just average and for the more common families. Each section of Spring Grove has its own swagger. All the sections were from different times and eras and you can see what trends were popular and when. It was interesting to go to the top and look out it was as if the cemetery never ended. My favorite monument had to be the Mayor's where he was fishing on the back and formal on the front...can you say ICONOGRAPHY! Also I like coming around toward the front of spring grove where there was a central monument and many different people had bought sites around it. It was neat to walk around that circle of people and read the headstones...each were very very different people..but all ended up right in the same plot!

Monument Documentation

This is the Burnet Vault (crypt) Section 22 lot 52. From the first time I saw this crypt it caught my attention. It was so beautiful and elaborate. It is in fair condition considering the weathered surface with no signs of devestating vandalism. The one thing that caught my eye first was the angels holding the veil. The veil is supposed to represent the crossing over from life into death, but when I think of a veil I think of entering into what Christians call the Holy of Holies. This is the place in the temple where only the spirit can enter and I think that this family may have had some religious connotations attached to that veil. Maybe they believed they would all enter into God's presence after death into a new life. There are 2 spots on the front of the monument that look as if there might have been something there earlier on but there is nothing that says that there were. On many cathedrals though there are places like this on the outside walls where statues of saints are placed, maybe it is a symbol of emptiness or that the saints inside the vault have gone on to the next life.

Some iconography on the monument was an urn on both top corners of the front of the building used as a common decoration for this time period even though this monument has no one in it who is cremated. Kind of ironic. Also underneath the name carved under the angels are a bundle of poppy flowers which is normally associated with sleep or death. The angels represent intermediaries between God and humanity. This family must have believed in Guardian angels or that they had a very close connection to God. The two anges are holding up a viel and between them is an urn. Most monuments have the urn draped with the veil and I like that this one added a little twist to that common symbol. Also, right across from this beautiful monument is a lake with water springing up. I just thougth that was such a perfect place for this particular crypt.
Inside the crypt's vault I found through my research that there were the remains of at least 10 people in the Burnet family. Some were married in while others were born into the family. The following are the members buried in the vault for sure: David Burnet, George W. Burnet Sr. and Jr., hannah Burnet, harriot Burnet, Jacob Burnet Sr. and Jr., Robert W. Burnet, Staats G. Burnet, and Mary Stubbs.The earliest born member was George W. Burnet born in 1805. He was also the earliest burial, put in the vault on May 11, 1859. The lates deceases was Jacob Burnet who died on July 16, 1910 and was also buried last on July 21, 1920. A lot of this family was moved to the vault or the the lot from Presbetyrian Cemetery in Cincinnati, OH. The ones who came from this cemetery were David, Hannah, harriot, Jacob Jr., Jacob Sr., Robert Jr., and Staats G. The name used in the documentation for this vault was Vachel Worthington's vault. Only once was it called the Burnet vault. I'm not sure why that is. Also I am guessing that Charles Pomeroy and Robert Pomeroy either had some distant relation to the Burnet's, were close friends of the family, or bought those spots from owner Robert W. Burnet of the lot.

Here is a informational list of the people buried inside the vault:

David Burnet-died same month he was born. Son of Jacob and Rebecca.

George W. Barnet-died of pneumonia. Son of Robert and Margaret Barnet. Died at 32 years old.

George W. Barnet-died at 54 years old of consumption.

Hannah Barnet-died at one month old. Daughter of Jacob and Rebecca.

Harriot Barnet-died at one year old. Daughter of Rebecca and Jacob.

Jacob Barnet Jr.-son of Rebecca and Jacob Sr.

Jacob Barnet Sr.-died at 83 years old son of Mary Barnet

Robert W. Barnet-died at 90 years old. Owner of lot.

Staats Groesbeck Barnet-died at 7 years old. Parents were John and Rebecca.

Mary Stubbs-was born in England, died in Rhode Island, died at 88 years old.

The following is a list of the people buried on the lot but no in the vault:

John Groesbeck Barnet-died at 35 years old of diptheria.

Margarent Groesbeck Barnet-died at 75 years old of angina pectoris. Daughter of John and Mary.

Rebecca Barnet-born in Delaware, died at 89 years old of "congestion in lungs and heart."

Robert W. Barnet Jr.-died at 5 years old of "casualty."

Charles C. Pomeroy-died at 65 years old of heart disease. Born in cincinnati. Died in New York.

Robert B. Pomeroy- died at 5 days old of heart disease.

3rd Week Reflection

This week was particularly interesting. I really enjoyed looking at all the inconography around the cemetery. I think its neat to think of your own meaning for the symbols before you look up the meanings. I believe some of those symbols were meant to speak and some were meant just to look pretty.The picture below was my favorite photo I took this day. It was part of the tree monument we looked at with the priest, squirrel, and ax on it. I loved that monument. It had to be one of the most symbolic monuments at Spring Grove. I like this picture because it is like God's hand pointing to the person's name in the Lamb's book of life.

2nd Adventure Reflection

Wow. What an experience. Those mausoleums and crypts were amazing. I never understood the difference between them until yesterday. It is so interesting to have this entire place that is just a big museum of people's lives. Monuments built to honor the dead and the family names. We live in such a culture that has so much respect for the dead and their burial when under neath all the faded bronze sculptures of beautiful angels and high monuments reaching toward the sun all we will find is the shell and remains of what once was a human being. But still, no soul, no beating heart, and no emotion...just a name and some sort of marker showing the world who they were. The only thing that is really living and breathing in the entire place of Spring Grove besides the on-lookers are the luscious flowers and various plants. They are as intriguing as the history underneath them.

25 Questions about Spring Grove????

1. Is there any meaning to the Ivy growing in patterns on the ground?
2. Why are so many monuments in the same shape (the tall and pointed tops)? What does this symbolize?

3. Why are the doors to the house-like monuments with many family members bolted and locked shut even though the doors are ones unable to be opened?

4. What does the G symbol with two arrows around it mean? 5. Who were the Harrison's, there are so many of them buried together?
6. What does the wooden arch mean?
7. There was a double stacked coffin burial stone. Why was this made this way? Was it redone because it had worn away or because another person was buried there? 8. Is it disrespectful to sit on the bench-type monuments?
9. Who was Ottomar Topff? Is this his picture?

10. What are the wooden planks on the ground and what do they mean?

11. Why are there such grand monuments for some people? Were they famous or rich if they had large memorials?

12. What does this burial mean? Is this supposed to symbolize a doorway to somewhere?

13. What is the meaning behind the art on the Leon Van Loo monument?
14. What does F.G. Fore mean? Why was it on several graves?
15. Why do some graves only have initials, or first names or titles written on them such as Mamma without other defining characteristics in order to know who was buried there?
16. What do the leaves on house-like monument mean? Are they symbolic to the family or do they have some general special meaning?
17. Do the angels on some of the graves symbolize what the person may have done in their lives? Some are of guardian angels and some are of warrior angels?
18. Are the bodies of those in the house-like monuments buried in the walls of the structure?
19. What does perpetual care mean? It was on several burial sites?
20. What does the symbol that looks like the star of David mean when it has the letters O, E, and S next to it?
21. Are the leaves around the tree stump monuments just for beauty or do they represent something more?

22. Who was Samuel Davis Jr.?

23. Who was Daniel Drake?

24. Were all the Drakes who were buried together family?

25. Who is Charles Davis?
26. What does the little lamb on graves mean? Does this mean a child is buried here?

My Thoughts Feelings and Experiences with Cemeteries

My Thoughts Feelings and Experiences with Cemeteries
I have never really given much thought to how I really feel about cemeteries. I guess between the ghost stories, the death, and the sadness that surrounds them I don’t really have any good things to say about them. I have only known them as a scary, eerie, or sad place. I would even venture to say that I would probably be a little scared to go to one in the middle of the night just because of the character that a cemetery holds. I am excited to be able to get a new perspective on cemeteries and I am glad to be able to have this opportunity at such a well known cemetery.
The emotion that stands out from the rest I think would be sadness. I have had a lot of people close to me die in the past few years and can almost not stand even walking into one. Also, just the thought of walking on ground where underneath you are hundreds of dead bodies….ewwww….and what the bugs are doing to them. I am excited about this class but at the same time I hope it really changes how I view cemeteries. Maybe I won’t look at them in such a negative light after I learn a little more about the details and the heart of this one cemetery.
I know that there is a lot of thought that goes into picking each gravestone and each inscription on them. There is so much history in a cemetery. Each six foot deep grave holds a different story yet all the people ended up in the same piece of land. The inscriptions are very interesting to read. Each inscription is like a small window into the person’s life that lies underneath your feet. It is like for just one second you feel like you have just met that person.
Maybe my feelings about cemeteries are a bit bizarre, but I can’t help it to feel the way I do. I see the reality in what they really are..a place to put the dead and that really creeps me out. I want to walk away from this class looking at Spring Grove as a place for those of us who pass to rest in peace. Spring Grove is a beautiful place and I don’t want my way of thinking to cause me to miss out on a true work of art.