Archive for the 'A Graver’s Thoughts' Category

Safety First

April 16th, 2007

One might think that graving is a relatively safe hobby. After all, who is going to cause you harm in such a sacred place, and what type of criminal would be lurking around a graveyard anyway?

In fact, graving is no different than any other hobby or activity that places you out in public - often alone. The same precautions you take when jogging, for example, you should take when graving. Always be aware of your surroundings and keep a cell phone on you. It isn't a bad idea to carry a bottle of pepper spray or mace on your person as well.

I speak from experience. Most cemeteries - especially older ones - are surrounded by urban or suburban sprawl. The neighborhoods around some may have fallen into the category of "bad". My mother and I were recently being watched while at a local cemetery, and then followed in our vehicle by two young men. At another cemetery the same day, a man was watching us from behind some bushes.

Though the second man was likely only curious, the two previous young men had trouble in mind. They watched us from their home across the street, they drove into the cemetery and parked by our car - getting out and talking to friends over the fence. Then, when we left they - waiting in their truck which they'd driven back to their home - followed us. When I turned around in my seat and they saw that I was aware they were following, they slammed on their brakes and pulled off on the side of the road. We took an alternate route and arrived home, only to see them flying by a little while later - looking for us (thankfully they weren't looking to the left or right, but only ahead).

The serenity and sacredness of a cemetery makes it appear to be a safe haven from the worries of the outside world - unfortunately, in this day and age, that just simply isn't true. Be safe when out graving, and - if possible - take someone with you. As much as we all love cemeteries, none of us are eager to become a permanent resident of one!

Secrets of New Orleans Burials

April 10th, 2007

Growing up in southern Louisiana, I never thought to question our traditions of above-ground burial or the methods in which multiple family members were interred in a seemingly small crypt. These were common things; burial customs that were accepted and understood by nearly everyone.

I have since learned that it is not quite so common in the rest of the country; indeed, our customs of entombment are the cause of intrigue and speculation for many tourists. I am frequently asked - and tour guides are constantly explaining - the whys and hows of southern, and mostly New Orleans, burials.

Perhaps I can help shed some light on things.

Yes, the great city of New Orleans is - and always has been - below sea level; something the world learned quickly after Hurricane Katrina. New Orleans and it's low-lying, surrounding areas are prone to flooding, as they always have been. It is, indeed, one reason for above-ground burial. Flooding can bring a below-ground coffin floating to the surface; I have seen it with my own eyes after Hurricane Andrew's visit to my hometown.

It isn't the only reason, though; a tidbit some tourists neglect to inform their tour groups. It's not that it's some big secret; just that the idea of a flooded cemetery with coffins bobbing about and rotting bodies possibly floating around provides a much more thrilling tale than the whole truth. The fact of the matter is, though, that above-ground burial was a tradition brought over from France and Spain; where the majority of New Orleanians and their ancestors had come from.

That's all fine and dandy, you say, but how do they fit entire families into a two-vault tomb?! The answer might surprise you in its simplicity.

Nearly all above-ground crypts, vaults, private mausoleums, and tombs have a "niche" (sometimes even a bag) - usually towards the back - where the remains of those that have gone before can be swept to make room for new occupants.

Bodies decompose rapidly in the sub-tropical heat of southern Louisiana, enclosed in brick and cement as they are. Still, there is a time limit - a set local ordinance - that has to pass between the opening and re-sealing of a grave. The limit is two years.

To give you an example, let's say Aunt Jane passes peacefully in her sleep and is buried in the family crypt in Lafayette Cemetery. Then, six months later, her sister, Aunt June, passes. June is to be buried in the family crypt as well - but it can't be re-opened for another year and a half. Aunt June would actually be put into a temporary "holding" vault - most cemeteries there have them - until the two-year limit has expired. After the two years, the family crypt would be opened and room made for Aunt June - who would then be moved into her permanent final residence.

It's actually quite an economical way of doing things, if you ask me. As the number of occupants grow, these types of cemeteries have no need for more land to accommodate their ever-growing number of dead; almost a necessity in small, urban areas with little room for further growth like New Orleans.

For me, knowing the truth of these burial customs doesn't dispel the mystery in the least; in fact, it makes it all the more intriguing.

A Story Behind Every Marker

April 3rd, 2007

Stumbling upon the markers of two family members this past weekend was a fruitful and exciting find. Yet it also brings to bear my "story behind every marker" concept.

The graves of James Doherty and Victoria Deauville Doherty sit still and unassuming in this small town cemetery that sees few visitors. They are simple markers; nothing about them would occasion more than a mere passing glance.

Yet they, like each headstone we walk by, has a story to tell.

Not even knowing Jim and Vic, as they were known in life, you can ascertain a few things about them and their lives from simply taking a moment to take in their final resting place.

Their tombstones sit beside one another, and their birth years are very close; Victoria has a maiden name etched into her headstone. It's a fair assumption, then, to allege these two were husband and wife. "Father" and "Mother" are also carved into the gray stone, so one can surmise that they had at least one child.

Both have been dead for over thirty years, and the bouquet of flowers between their graves is faded and bedraggled with age. It is likely, then, that their graves have not been visited for some time.

As you can see, even without knowing the truth about the person whose grave you are standing above, a few moments of simple reflection can offer much information.

In fact, our assumptions about the Dohertys would have been spot on. Jim and Vic were, indeed, a married couple who raised four children together. Most of those children are now in their 70s or have died; there were few grandchildren. It has likely been a very long time since these graves were visited and the flowers we see here were left.

Sometimes a name or a set of names will pique your curiosity for a seemingly unknown reason. You take down the names and dates you see before you, and set out on a quest to find out who and what these people were about while they were still alive. This was the case with myself and The Brandon Children.

Research into the Dohertys might have returned little helpful information or a lot. It may have connected you to a living family member eager to talk about their beloved deceased family or you may have come up with nothing and the grave remained a mystery.

In this way, regardless of the eventual outcome however, someone was remembered; either by facts found about them or by the imaginings in someone's mind of who they might have been. This is especially poignant for very old graves that have not likely not been visited, nor their occupants considered, in many long years.

There is a story behind the names and dates carved in stone before you - whether it be factual events of the person's former life, or the fictional invention your mind concocted as you contemplated the grave. For the creative dreamer, a cemetery can be the ultimate muse.

Speaking of stories, let us get back to our original protagonists. Here is a story about Jim and Vic Doherty: They began their life together as star-crossed lovers. Victoria's stepfather, who had raised her, did not approve of the young Doherty boy and refused to let her marry him. In defiance - and obviously in love - Jim and Vic ran off together.

Victoria's stepfather found them living in a tent on the side of the levee near Shreveport, Louisiana. He brought them home and the wedding was arranged. It's likely by that time Vic was pregnant. For whatever reason, the marriage was allowed to take place, and Jim and Vic lived a long, happy life together.

These were people who lived and breathed - who lived lives and still have stories to tell. Stop by a grave next time you find yourself in a cemetery and take a few moments to see what it's telling you. You might just uncover, or create, an amazing story.

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