# headstone



## bottle34nut (Nov 23, 2007)

anyone ever find one of these lying around?


----------



## bottle34nut (Nov 23, 2007)

another pic


----------



## GuntherHess (Nov 23, 2007)

> anyone ever find one of these lying around?


 
 Ya , normally next to graves. Not a good thing to get caught with in most places.


----------



## capsoda (Nov 23, 2007)

I found some in a ravine that had washed from a church cemetery up hill. I took them back and helped the pastor locate all the graves in the cemetery. He had a plat map of the cemetery so it was pretty simple.


----------



## Whisperingwinds (Nov 29, 2007)

Thats kind of wierdly cool.....Did anything do bump in the night while you had it?
 ww


----------



## OsiaBoyce (Nov 29, 2007)

Jeezus there's a lot of them behind this big white building I go to on Sundays though I've never thought about lugging one home. I've seen them in the deep,deep woods and left them there. Know why? Cause there's a grave there. Once I found a pile of bricks in the woods.One brick had a womans name on it. My dumbass thought it was the brick makers name. Wrong. Had to walk a mile to take a brick back,one brick. I've also been to peoples houses and seen Confederate Veterans markers in them [Malteese Cross w/ a Confederate flag in them]. And they were proud of their find. Then I had to tell them how stupid they were.You can get one a most graveyards. Listen to Ricky take it back to the spot from wence.


----------



## cobaltbot (Nov 29, 2007)

Done my heart good to see you two boys agreeing and all[]  

 Somehow I got stuck with takin care of our church cemetary. Weird but I kinda like it - lots of history in there.  Six Civil War vets, etc.  Rarely a new stone is ordered that incorporated more of the family and one could have been legitamitly discarded, but highly unlikely. I agree, unless you know otherwize that it's excess or lost, take it back.  You could use divining rods to see if theres a grave there.


----------



## cobaltbot (Nov 29, 2007)

Heres a freaky one..... a couple a year's ago I was out exploring Loch Raven Reservoir near Baltimore and came across a small cemetary out in the woods with only a handful of stones like this broken one in the pic.  Probably the remains of a family graveyard.  Laying in front of this stone was this very pristine and high quality little girl's dress.  Not sure if it was a tribute to a relative or a stranger long passed.  Hopefully it was something good and not evil......... ( insert chills here)...........
 lets go with the tribute thing......strange though!


----------



## bottle34nut (Dec 4, 2007)

i would love to return it but the town in which i found it in bought the property to build a new school and just bulldozed over the entire area.   there were other headstones broken into pieces and i think the excavation stopped for a while when bones were found.  i drove by recently and the building of the school is back on schedule.   welcome to new jersey.   we dont care about history.  its all about the money.    this state sucks, they just dont care.
 greg
 ps   i wish i had taken more pictures.   i now carry a camera at all times.   not that it matters.


----------



## bottle34nut (Dec 4, 2007)

i felt horrible taking it but realized it would have probably been lost forever (burried) if i didnt.   i dont know what happened to the other headstones. 
 greg


----------



## GuntherHess (Dec 5, 2007)

> Confederate Veterans markers in them [Malteese Cross w/ a Confederate flag in them].


 
 I see those in antique shops every so often. I try to make it clear to the people what they are and that they are something they shouldnt be selling. Most of the time once the people understand what they are, they take them out of thier shops. A lot of people are just ignorant of history.


----------



## cobaltbot (Dec 5, 2007)

Hmmm... that is a delima.  Probably good that you have it or it might have been destroyed.  You may want to secretly inquire if the graves and headstones were moved to a new location.  If they just moved on and built over top without doing anything that was pretty irresponcible on their part but I'm sure it happens all the time.


----------



## RedGinger (Dec 12, 2007)

Loch Raven is an interesting place, one of my favorites.  I've never seen anything like that there, but there are so many areas to explore.  It can be a creepy place.  I find things every time I go, though.  What else have you found there?  
 Laur


----------



## southern Maine diver (Dec 12, 2007)

Hey Greg...

 They made a movie many years ago about a housing development being built over graves.  "Poltergiest" was a big hit... "They'rrre  Baaack..."[&:]

 Wayne


----------



## BeachComber (Dec 12, 2007)

Hey, I once found several slate headstone peices with carved writtings on them. I guess some one had decided to build over an old Convict cemetary that was used here in the 1830s. So they took all the headstones and pitched them overboard in the ocean. I held onto a all the peices that I could find for about a year and then handed them over to a friend who put these back in their proper location on dry land. There were a few ghostly scares while I had them in my possesion, but im sure it was just my imagination!!


----------



## bearswede (Dec 12, 2007)

> So they took all the headstones and pitched them overboard in the ocean.


 
 Wonder what they did with the bodies...?



 Ron


----------



## RICKJJ59W (Dec 12, 2007)

Yes we found a broken one in a backyard  while looking for pits.It was on the outskirts of town, the yard was big.The owner said they buried there own in the yard some times.I don't know if he was chitin us,but the stone was there regardless.I take pix of everything under the sun but I didn't take one of that.(superstitious)  Rick


----------



## RICKJJ59W (Dec 12, 2007)

I found thissssss!!!! when I lifted up the broken stone! Bhahahahahah!!!!!!


----------



## LC (Dec 12, 2007)

I found a five gallon bucket full of these Veteran grave markers about ten years ago in a junk yard. I could not believe someone had sold them for scrap metal. There were markers for Civil War - WW1 - WW2 - Korean War. I bought them from the propriator, and broght them home and gave them to my local V. F. W. They were happy to get them to put on the graves of Our Veterans.


----------



## rlo (Dec 12, 2007)

that's so disgusting someone would do that!  it's right up there w/ the protesters at our soldiers funerals!  Thank you for caring enough to buy the markers & give them to vets  Kuddos to you


----------



## LC (Dec 12, 2007)

Well, I am a Vet myself, so I took it kind of personally, but I got them out of there and into the proper hands, so that is all that mattered.


----------



## aridice53 (Feb 20, 2008)

Hi All,
 I found this site researching bottles and found these posts referring to headstones.
 Please, please, please, try to carry a camera with you, and try to get readable pictures of the info on the stones, or, if its just a few stones, jot down the info. You can turn it in the the local historical society, or if you'd like, send it to me and I'll see its posted to the proper web site.
 I never thought of this before I read these posts. As a genealogist I can tell you that it could really make someones day to find an ancestor's grave. 

 Thanks 
 Char


----------



## JGUIS (Feb 20, 2008)

That website would be www.findagrave.com
 []


----------



## capsoda (Feb 20, 2008)

I would call the law and report the jerk who bought them for scrap and they will find out where they came from. It just happens to be against the law to deface or other wise destroy a veterns grave site. They are concidered historical.


----------



## aridice53 (Feb 21, 2008)

Exactly Josh! Thanks  I also post to the US Genweb. 
 Char


----------



## JGUIS (Feb 27, 2008)

> ORIGINAL: bottle34nut
> 
> anyone ever find one of these lying around?


 What is the fathers first name?  I can't read it, and can't find info on the mother or daughter.


----------



## aridice53 (Feb 27, 2008)

Hi Greg,
 Can you tell us where you found it, I mean generally, as in county, and what the parents names are??  Please

 Char


----------



## NCdigger5 (Feb 27, 2008)

Hey everyone, I found a graveyard near my house not long ago. You could read a couple of the tombstones and it said they died in 1860. It's pretty cool.


----------



## aridice53 (Feb 27, 2008)

Hey Ryan,
 If its not too much trouble, can you get more info, like names, dates and location. Pics would really be wonderful.
 It means a lot to me, because I moved here to AL ro research my ancestors, they were here 1810-1860s. And I have found nary a stone for any of them. Most were probably buried in graves marked with field stones, or off in a long forgotten little cemetery like the one you've found. 
 I try to get these graves posted online for other people, and hopefully someone will find my people one day and post the info for me. 
 Thanks,
 Char


----------



## NCdigger5 (Feb 28, 2008)

Hey aridice, one of them that I could read said Elizabeth Rogers born in 1827 and died in 1860. The graveyard is in Raleigh and it is in the woods. I will try to get pics for you. Alot of the stones were unamed infants. Kind of sad.


----------



## LC (Feb 28, 2008)

There is an old graveyard a mile or so from me, with some of the stones dating into the late 1700s. The biggest portion of all the graves in that cemetery are children. Collera epidemic.


----------



## aridice53 (Feb 28, 2008)

Thanks Ryan!!!
 I really appreciate that. 
 I'll hold onto this til you get a chance to check out the others, then I'll post all the info on the NC Genweb page. It might really help someone.
 I know what you and Lou mean about the babies. One of the things I do is document old cemeteries, and sometimes it gets really depressing.
 Now, I don't mean for ya'll to get info on cemeteries that are out on the roadside and available, (unless you'd like to!) I'm talking about when you come across a stone or two hidden back in the woods and such, or buried in someones yard. Its invaluable info for a genealogist!!

 Thanks again!!
 Char


----------



## RedGinger (Feb 29, 2008)

It is so sad, but fascinating to read what the stones say.  When I was little, my Grandfather would take me to old cemeteries with paper and charcoal and we'd copy them.  There are some beautifully written epitaphs in New England.
http://www.gravematter.com/


----------



## cowseatmaize (Feb 29, 2008)

Headstones.
 Yup, I found one and took it home, ground my pets name into it. NOT, I did take one home and repair it and put it back. It was in three pieces and they were found more than a few feet apart because it had shifted so far. I may have missed a little in the yard but I tried. I later called the historical society and we all got together and tried to do the rest. It was very cool.
 Vet markers
 Also, found them on the side of the road and at the dump. It doesn't matter where you return them. The VA is just as willing as the American Leigion or the Elks for that matter. They all care, just give them back to someone who isn't an A h-- that took them.


----------



## TROG (Feb 29, 2008)

This is a photo of a headstone with a great epitah that I took in outback New South Wales , Australia a couple of years ago


----------



## aridice53 (Feb 29, 2008)

Hi David,
 That's a beautiful stone and wonderful sentiment!
 Thanks for sharing it!

 Char


----------



## NCdigger5 (Feb 29, 2008)

Hey aridice here are some pics.


----------



## NCdigger5 (Feb 29, 2008)

That was Elizabeth E. Rodgers.
 1839-1860.  My mistake.
 This gravesite is in between Raleigh, Durham, and Wake Forest.


----------



## NCdigger5 (Feb 29, 2008)

Can anyone make this out?


----------



## NCdigger5 (Feb 29, 2008)

Cool writing!!!


----------



## Poeticallyinsane (Feb 29, 2008)

I can see Jim Manewa or Mangvia
 Born
 April 29 1820
 Died
 Feb 23 1861

 But the name still might be wrong.


----------



## aridice53 (Feb 29, 2008)

Yep, J. M. Mangum b. April 30, 1822 d. Feb 23, 1861

 Listed on the 1850 census for Wake Co. NC:
 James M. Mangum age 54 Farmer 
 Lydia Mangum age 60
 Joseph Mangum  age 21
 Mary Mangum age 18
 Lydia Mangum age 13

 The headstone may belong to the son Joseph, he was the only one on the 1850 Census the right age.

 Cool!!!
 Char


----------



## aridice53 (Feb 29, 2008)

Krystal, Ryan....
 I downloaded the picture and switched it to negative, this often helps reading an old stone.
 I forgot to mention, Joseph Mangum was listed on the census as a school teacher. Also, I found a listing of a family bible of the Ferrell family. It lists a Lydia Ferrell b. Dec. 23, 1790 d. May 1874 married (?unreadable) Mangum. So, the age of 60 on the census is probably a transcription error.

 Is the one of the stones you were telling me about, Ryan?

 Char


----------



## NCdigger5 (Mar 1, 2008)

Yea the first one.


----------



## bottle34nut (Sep 7, 2008)

char,

 the headstone reads    Charlotte/daughter of/john & mary/HARDING/died/AUG. 17 1853/aged/10 months,  and was found in essex county new jersey.


----------



## poisons4me (Sep 7, 2008)

That should be given to the local historical society,they would probablly place in a cemetary,which is better than nothing. I've stood a few back up but never displaced them, something feels wrong there.My opinion only.


----------



## glass man (Sep 7, 2008)

SAD ,we have a very old AFRO-AMERICAN cemetary in the county with nothing but bricks or stones showing where the people are buried. IN town we have a lady buried with her dogs muffy and [don't remember]  this was during the depression when the cost of buring the mutts could have fed people


----------



## aridice53 (Sep 7, 2008)

> ORIGINAL: bottle34nut
> 
> char,
> 
> the headstone reads Charlotte/daughter of/john & mary/HARDING/died/AUG. 17 1853/aged/10 months, and was found in essex county new jersey.


 
 Cool! Thanks Greg!!!


----------



## glass man (Sep 9, 2008)

The ALLMAN BROTHERS had a song based on a name from a tombstone at ROSE HILL CEMETERY in MACON GA. ,where the band used to go to late at night and jammed,drank wine, and smoked pot.The song and the name on the tombstone was IN THE MEMORY OF ELIZABETH REED.This is the same cemetary where DUANE ALLMAN AND BARRY OAKLY ARE NOW BURIED! A cool place to go to with all respect,very peacefull place.[DICKIE BETTS WROTE THE SONG}


----------



## RICKJJ59W (Sep 9, 2008)

Here I lie in my grave​no more bottles I will crave.​Whats on my grave stone will be classy.​I'm six foot down and it still feels glassy.​​Ode to a privy digger.[]​


----------



## RICKJJ59W (Sep 9, 2008)

I agree with Rick...
   Do not mess with the souls.You may think it is just a stone,but its  a personal stone,made for a reason.
   I knew a kid once growing up that stole a stone and pit it in his bedroom.Needless to say bad things happened.[]


----------

