Let us Not Forget Their Final Resting Place

I have always been drawn to older cemeteries and the craftsmanship found on headstones and mausoleums. Cemeteries, such as the one pictured below (Milford Independent Order of Odd Fellows) remind me of those who came before and who shaped the cities, towns and villages, for better or for worse, that I enjoy exploring. This old cemetery within Carriage Way Park in Milford (Loveland Section) must have been quite remarkable in the day. Now a few old stones are found beyond the perimeter of the newer wrought iron fence and stones flush to the ground are covered in soil and debris. 

Waldschmidt Cemetery

The stones within the fence have not fared any better. It appears they have been collected and placed on the ground in one small area. I hope efforts are underway to restore these stones to their proper placement out of respect for the deceased. Soon, the names will be faint scratchings on the soft stone, dates and relationships lost to the elements and much of the symbolism, once common on headstones, only to be found in reference books.

Do you stop and read the headstones in cemeteries such as this? Most often we are only given the birth and death dates and marital status of the deceased. It is not uncommon to find headstones for those who fought in the Revolutionary War, Civil War and of course, the wars that followed, while Blue Blazing Ohio.

Early Settlers Burying Ground- Bethel, OH

Some say that when they visit a cemetery it makes them contemplate their own mortality. Others say they feel gratitude for all that we have today, such as medicines and an easier way of life. Others simply feel sorrow or a bit morbid walking about where the dead are laid to rest. I am sure I have some feelings such as those, but for the most part, I find these plots to be peaceful. They whet my appetite to learn more about the areas in which I travel; in a way, putting together the pieces of what the lives of the deceased may have been like. 

Fence around Milford Cemetery