Cemetery mysteries, some solved.

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Moab Man

Senior Member
Shooting pictures today in the cemetery for the cemetery thread opened a lot of questions. Here are some of the interesting mysteries we found. Some we solved and others we did not. If you know the answer feel free to share. Pictures are edited to show the image in question without concern for the overall picture.

This one is off an 1895 tombstone. Researching there are a number of meanings for clasped hands and various positioning of the hands. I can't find anything explaining the significance of the extended index finger.
IndexFinger.jpg
 
M

Moab Man

Senior Member
This one was a wife of a Mason. The closest we can find is the Sisters of Secrecy. However, the star if tough to tie to there symbol, but yet it's kind of close.

UpsideDownStar.jpg

Found this for the symbol by researching her name Elizabeth McNees Bower: Queen Esther chapter, No. 4, Order of the Eastern Star

From research it seems to be tied to Pagan symbols and a pentagram. It is a part of the Masons.


  • Pentagram: The emblem of OES has a five-pointed upside-down star. This, of course, represents black magic, the Goat of Mendes, Baphomet, or his most popular name, Satan. They also use the right side up five-pointed star which represents white magic, the Light Bearer, or Lucifer, the other name for Satan.
Strange stuff indeed.
 
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Don Kuykendall_RIP

RIP :(
Moab Man said:
​Tried that one. Didn't have it.
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My main Web site is all Genealogy and I spend a lot of time in cemeteries and I don't remember ever seeing hands on a tombstone. I am going to have to keep my eyes open for them.

If you want to see my site just Google my last name and I am the first one on the list.
 
M

Moab Man

Senior Member
Here is a tombstone for one of the "Woodman of the World" (WOW). There are a number of various tombstones from the WOW, but this one is different from all the others and has a cube on top that we can't find meaning too. It could mean nothing, but nothing on this stone matches correctly with all the other Woodman stones.

Cube.jpg
 
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M

Moab Man

Senior Member
Here is a Woodman of the World tombstone. The "broken" branches, I would call cut, may symbolize other family members. There is other WOW symbology on this one such as the vines.

WOWTombstone.jpg

Here is the close up of the placard. It reads:
The monarch of the wood sinks prone
The axeman's sturdy blows before
While earth proclaims with echoing moan
The strong tree will be seen no more.
So when a Neighbors flickering lamp
Goes out to kindle ne'er again.
The cry of grief wails through the Camp
And saddens all the tanks of men.
WOWTombstonePlaque.jpg

Various symbols of the "Woodman of the World" also interchanged with "Woodmen."
Logo1.jpg Logo2.jpg
Logo3.jpg

And the logo for the wives of the Woodman: Women of the Woodcraft
LogoWomen.jpg
 
M

Moab Man

Senior Member
This one is the greatest mystery. It was a cylinder stone resting in a cradle. The rock was a red granular rock. The ends of the stone/cylinder were made to look like chipped rock while the sides were polished. This symbol was on the underside quarter and the only one we found. I don't know if the cylinder was reset into the cradle and if there is more to this symbol that can no longer be seen.

It is a circular symbol with a triangle similar to the Masons compass. In the center is what looks to be a pine tree in outline but not showing actual branches. Coming in from the "compass" are two arms moving into the tree on a downward angle. Positioned above the tree is a bird looking to its right and the wings are raised upward. On both sides of the bird appear to be either flames or maybe wheat stalks curling up - but can't be sure. To the lower right is another bird, but it is facing to its left and the wings are down-turned. Lower left is a building, cabinet, not sure? On the outside of the "compass" are the capital letters of B and L.

The lines coming in from the "compass" and the trunk of the tree would all intersect at the center of the pine tree.

So anyone have any ideas on this one? There were other cylindrical tombstones like this one, but this is the ONLY one that had a symbol and the only stone that had this symbol.

Photo has been manipulated to make the worn symbol show better.
BLSymbol.jpg
 
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Dave_W

The Dude
Moab Man said:
That is the right symbol, but with all the various explanations for different handshake positions I have to believe the extended finger means something.
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Since it's the male hand doing the pointing, I'm thinking it is meant to say she was to stay on earth while he went off to heaven. Kind of like what you would say to your dog...stay!!! :D
 
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fotojack

Senior Member
A hand with the index finger pointing upward symbolizes the hope of heaven, while a hand with the index finger pointing down represents God reaching down for the soul.
 
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