Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Epitaphs

'He giveth His beloved sleep' -Psalm 127
                              



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'Not lost but gone before'


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'Forever resting with the Lord.
Peace to his dust.'





Thursday, May 9, 2013

Not Today, Little Dove

Innocence and peace has no better harbinger than the dove. 


In the Bible, the dove was sent from Noah's ark to search for a sign of land during the great flood.


The dove returned to the ark with an olive branch in its mouth, symbolizing God's peace with mankind. 


Doves in the graveyard may symbolize many things, including the passing of a beloved child. "Little Ella" here is no exception.


Thursday, May 2, 2013

Calmoutier and its French, Iron Crosses

Calmoutier (Pronounced Cal-mooch) was home to one of the first Catholic churches in Ohio. Although the original church is long gone, St. Genevieve's Church continues to be the Northernmost location of the Columbus diocese. 


This cemetery/church has a fascinating history! Calmoutier was settled by French immigrants who named the area after their homeland. Many of the early grave markers are in French, including these iron crosses. This small French, Catholic community is seemingly misplaced in the middle of "Amish Country", which makes its existence all the more interesting. 






Iron crosses of this type came the height of their popularity during the Victorian Era. I've noticed that Catholic cemeteries often have large concentrations of this type of marker, for whatever reason. 

This video provides some great information about the cemetery, as well as a tour of the cemetery grounds: