The Elegance of Headstones

The meaning behind these elegant headstones. 

Last week I visited Bethel United Methodist Church with my Beyond the Grave class. Grave markers can tell stories about the departed. The beautiful art work on the markers can symbolize many different things and can be interpreted differently. 

The book, Stories Told in Stone  by Gaylord Cooper, has many different symbols listed with their meanings, such as, birds, animals, hands, geometric symbols, stars, plants, and objects.

The meaning of the symbols on the grave markers below will come from the book, Stories Told in Stone.

Each has its own meaning, some will have multiple meaning that are relatively close.
 to one another

The grave marker of Fleming, to the right, shows wreath with a ribbon tied at the bottom.

This is an ivy wreath which symbolizes conviviality, which means to be friendly and lively.








This bedstead grave marker has an open bible on a pulpit. A bible will represent a religious layperson or a cleric.

According to findagrave.com, This bedstead grave marker, marks the grave of Rev William H. Fleming, born in 1821 and died 1877. He was the reverend of Bethel United Methodist Church.


















According to findagrave.com, this grave marker belongs to Charles D. Bateman, he died at 61 years old. The symbol at the top is flowers, flowers represent frailty of life. To be more specific on the flower type, a crocus is a possibility meaning, youthful gladness.




























This grave marker has a flying angle. Angles can symbolize the agent of God, or guardians of the dead. This angle can symbolize rebirth.















 A dove with a wreath below can symbolize many things. A dove is a symbolic animal in Christianity representing the Holy Spirit. A wreath symbolizes victory and redemption. With the two together there are many was to interpret it. To me it means this spirit was possibly a Christian who reached victory and redemption over something.

















This grave markers shows a weeping willow, this represents nature's lament; sorrow and mourning. From what I could read in the inscription, she was a kind and indulgent person, and she was friendly to everyone. On findagrave.com there is not much information on her, so I am unsure why she would have weeping willows on her grave marker.














This marker is hard to read due to weathering, however the symbol is an animal, possibly a cow, goat, or lamb. I could not find this grave on findagrave.com, however, this could possibly be the grave of a child, lambs are the most common animal found on children's graves. They signify purity, innocence and Christ in his sacrificial role.

This grave markers shows a flying angle holding a wreath and looking at what appears to be an urn. A flying angle symbolizes rebirth, a wreath represents victory and redemption, and an urn signifies the body as a vessel of the soul. Often times an angle looking at or in an urn will appear to be them inspecting the contents. In this example it seems the angle is signifying the rebirth and redemption of the departed.
















This marker shows a crown with a cross. A crown signifies immortality, righteousness, victory, or honor or glory of life after death.

Wreaths can symbolize victory and redemption. There are many different types of wreaths that can mean different things, such as, a bridal wreath may signify the grave of a young bride or groom, or a laurel wreath may signify someone who attained distinction in the arts, literature, athletics or the military.