Cast Iron Grave Covers

“Just whisper my name
in your heart
and I will be there.”

Following the Civil War when people were looking for inexpensive-yet-durable burial markers for their relatives, a civil engineer who tinkered as an inventor got a patent for his grave coverings, which included building supports below-ground.

Joseph R. Abrams of Greenville, Alabama patented the cover design in 1873, suggesting that the mound of earth on underground supports should be covered in cockleshells to prevent erosion and a frame of "any suitable material, separate for convenience in handling and transportation, and may be fitted together like the plates of a stove."

When put into practice, that suitable material turned out to be cast-iron. Soon, the covers, which look something like intricate roasting-pan tops or large oblong gelatin molds, dotted cemeteries across the country. They were made from pouring molten iron into decorative molds and cooling them. Although the inventor thought they would be durable, and they proved successful in preventing erosion and collapse, people soon found they rusted and turned brittle, causing the name plates and decorations to break. They could also break in freezing weather.

In 1875, Egbert Sipes of Pennsylvania for filed a patent for an improved design, stating: "This invention has relation to cast-iron grave-covers; and it consists in making the cover open at the sides, with four supporting legs of sufficient length to elevate the cover to the height of the mound of the grave. In this construction the grave-cover, being open at the sides and ends, cannot become broken by the effect of freezing, an accident which is apt to occur in cold climates."

Today, relatively few of the cast-iron covers survive.  

Oakwood Cemetery Jefferson Texas

The next few days I will be posting pictures and stories about my visit to Oakwood Cemetery in Jefferson Texas.  

Oakwood cemetery opened around 1846. Earlier one of Jefferson's Founders, Alan Urquhart, had donated a cemetery site that was unusable for burials. Mr. Urquhart then donated this present site which was much larger and contained more natural beauty than the previous site.

Oakwood Cemetery is culturally and historically unique in that it contains above ground burial sites similar to those found in South Louisiana, while also containing elaborately ornamental monuments that would have been found in the original thirteen colonies. There are many locally famous and infamous people buried at Historic Oakwood Cemetery including Diamond Bessie, John Vines, Outlaws Jesse Robinson & Bill Rose, Kate Woods, Jessie Allen Wise and Captain Joseph H. Platt.

John Vines served in the Civil War for the Confederacy as a Farrier. After the war he was the Sheriff of Marion County and was famous for bringing back Diamond Bessie's accused murderer, Abe Rothschild, back from Ohio to stand trial.

If you find a grave without a stone or inscription and consist of just two short poles linked by a chain, you have found the final resting place of Jesse Robinson and Bill Rose. Longtime outlaws and a real pain the neck to the people of Jefferson, they killed each other in a gunfight. Legend has it that the townsfolk buried them together in a single grave, chained together for eternity.

Kate Woods, a German immigrant who arrived in Jefferson in 1877, purchased and ran the Excelsior Hotel.

Also buried here is Captain Joseph H. Pratt, who served in the Confederacy. During the Civil War he led the 10th Texas Field Battery during the Civil War. Other Confederate soldiers are buried here too, along with soldiers from the United States of America who served and died in the Jefferson area during reconstruction.

When visiting Historic Oakwood Cemetery, or any other cemetery, please keep in mind that this is the final resting place for real people. Buried in these cemeteries are Fathers and Mothers, Sons and Daughters and Wives and Husbands. Always keep in mind that others may be paying respects to their loved ones, so keep your voices low. Please never walk or stand on anyone's grave and never sit or lean on someone's memorial. Also keep in mind that some of these gravestones are very old and are very fragile.

Leave all items - toys, coins, bottles of alcohol, stones on the grave or headstone. These mementos have significance.

For thousands of years, many people memorialized their loved ones by burying them and placing stones on top of their graves. Known as cairns, these stones were stacked on top of the graves to mark the burial site and to protect them from animals.

Today, leaving a stone, pebbles, painted stones on a grave is a way of continuing this tradition of commemorating loved ones. The number of stones placed on top of a headstone equates to the number of visitors.

It is a Jewish custom to place a stone or pebble on a headstone order to keep the soul of the deceased where it belongs.

A coin left on a headstone lets the deceased soldier's family know that somebody stopped by to pay their respects. If you leave a penny, it means you visited. A nickel means that you and the deceased soldier trained at boot camp together. If you served with the soldier, you leave a dime. A quarter is very significant because it means that you were there when that soldier was killed.

Please be respectful.

Ault Colorado Cemetery

“Here lies an atheist.
All dressed up with no place to go.”

Definitely homemade.  It shows the baby birds leaving the nest while one adult bird remains close to the nest and the other watching while perched on a limb.  Very unusual.

But those who wait for the Lord shall have new strength; they will raise wings like eagles; they will run, and they will not tire; they will walk, and they will not be fatigued.

Oak Leaf Rebekah Independent Order of Odd Fellows 

Gates of Heaven

Joe P Martinez Ault Colorado

Pvt. JOE P. MARTINEZ

Rank and organization: Private, U.S. Army, Company K, 32d Infantry, 7th Infantry Division.

Place and date: On Attu, Aleutians, May 26, 1943.

Entered service at: Ault, Colorado

Birth: Taos, New Mexico

G.O. No.: 71, October 27, 1943.

Citation:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action with the enemy. Over a period of several days, repeated efforts to drive the enemy from a key defensive position high in the snow-covered precipitous mountains between East Arm Holtz Bay and Chichagof Harbor had failed. On 26 May 1943, troop dispositions were readjusted and a trial coordinated attack on this position by a reinforced battalion was launched. Initially successful, the attack hesitated. In the face of severe hostile machine gun, rifle, and mortar fire, Pvt. Martinez, an automatic rifleman, rose to his feet and resumed his advance. Occasionally he stopped to urge his comrades on. His example inspired others to follow. After a most difficult climb, Pvt. Martinez eliminated resistance from part of the enemy position by BAR fire and hand grenades, thus assisting the advance of other attacking elements. This success only partially completed the action. The main Holtz-Chichagof Pass rose about 150 feet higher, flanked by steep rocky ridges and reached by a snow-filled defile. Passage was barred by enemy fire from either flank and from tiers of snow trenches in front. Despite these obstacles, and knowing of their existence, Pvt. Martinez again led the troops on and up, personally silencing several trenches with BAR fire and ultimately reaching the pass itself. Here, just below the knifelike rim of the pass, Pvt. Martinez encountered a final enemy-occupied trench and as he was engaged in firing into it he was mortally wounded. The pass, however, was taken, and its capture was an important preliminary to the end of organized hostile resistance.

Private Joseph P. Martínez was the first Hispanic-American and first Coloradan to receive the Medal of Honor during World War II.


Martínez was buried with full military honors at Ault Cemetery, Ault, Weld County in Colorado. On April 13, 1945, the United States Navy named one of its ships, which served as a troop transport during the Korean War, the USNS Private Joe P. Martinez. The state of Colorado has honored his memory by naming a street and renaming a former base reception center and early officer's club which currently serves as the service center after him. The government named a Disabled American Veterans chapter in Colorado and an American Legion post in California in his honor. Three statues were erected with his likeness and are located in the Colorado cities of Ault, Greeley at the Weld County Veterans Memorial Park, and Denver. The U.S. Army also named an Army Reserve military installation in Denver, Colorado after Martinez. The 7th Infantry Division honored him by naming the Fort Ord Welcome Center (originally the Post Headquarters built in 1941)Martinez Hall in 1977. Although Fort Ord closed in 1993, Martinez Hall still serves as a Veterans Transition Service Center. The City of Denver has also named a park after Private Martinez, "Joseph P Martinez Park", which is at 900 N Raleigh St, Denver, Colorado.

Sligo Cemetery Grover Colorado

"A loved one is gone from our circle, on earth we will meet her no more. 

She has gone to her home in heaven and all her afflictions are over"

Sligo Cemetery is located in Township 10N, Range 60W, Section 31 near the town of Grover. There used to be a town name Sligo here. According to history the town was named after a county in Ireland. Presumable some of the residence were from that area or Ireland.

Very small cemetery located near the Pawnee Buttes National Grasslands.  A lot of the graves are lost.   The wind was ferocious, and I was not able to use my dowsing rods to try to locate unmarked graves.  It was mowed and tended to.

Loveland Cemetery Loveland Colorado Part Two

Now I lay me down to sleep,

I pray the Lord my soul to keep.

If I should die before I wake,

I pray the Lord my soul to take.

The 47-acre site consists of two facilities: Loveland Burial Park and Lakeside Cemetery. The two facilities are physically divided by Colorado State Highway 287. As a result of its central location, the cemetery and burial park are easily accessible to the community.

Woodmen of the World Headstones Woodmen of the World was a fraternal benefit society founded in the late 1800's. One of the benefits for members was a distinctive headstone, usually in the form of a tree stump.  The arms of the tree shows the age of the person.  Longer arms means longevity.

  

Clasped Hands," "Hands Together," and "Shaking Hands" are phrases used to describe the image.  This symbol has a few accepted meanings. A heavenly welcome, an earthly farewell, simple unity, or friendship.

If you look a little more closely, you will notice the sleeve attached to one hand is feminine, and the sleeve attached to the other hand is masculine. These hands, carved in this way, symbolize holy matrimony.

Loveland Cemetery, Loveland Colorado

Fold her, O Father, in thine arms,

And let her henceforth be

A messenger of love between

Our human hearts and Thee

Cemetery date back to the 1800s and are rich in early Larimer County pioneering family history.

The 47-acre site consists of two facilities: Loveland Burial Park and Lakeside Cemetery. The two facilities are physically divided by Colorado State Highway 287. As a result of its central location, the cemetery and burial park are easily accessible to the community.

Books on a headstone - Faith, learning to read and write, a scholar.  It may represent the Book of Life and is often shown as a Bible.

Fern - Because it conceals its beauty in the depths of the forest, the fern represents humility in solitude.

The sleeves of the shirt/coat will tell you the sex.  In this case it is a male holding a bible that is surrounded by a calla lily which represent marriage and fidelity.

Woodmen of the World Headstones Woodmen of the World was a fraternal benefit society founded in the late 1800's. One of the benefits for members was a distinctive headstone, usually in the form of a tree stump.  The arms of the tree shows the age of the person.  Longer arms means longevity.  

This stone shows the gates of heaven and a bible.

Another example of the gates of heaven and a bible.

From the song "Rugged Cross," 

I will cling to the old rugged Cross And exchange it some day for a crown

Another example of the gates of heaven and a bible.

Another example of the gates of heaven and a bible.