Our trip to Ravine Cemetery

Our American Girl Club has been studying Felicity.  And one of the moms in our group read about learning history in a cemetery.  Another one of our homeschool friends (also in the group) is a member of the Historical Society in the Sylvania Area.  So she took us through one of the oldest cemetery's in the area to teach us how to read headstone markers.

This is a very unique marker.  Each side featured a family member's name and dates.

These help workers to find rows and certain plots.  You will notice them throughout most cemeteries.

She taught us about epitaph engravings.  Those are the sayings that are added to grave markers as a remembrance in most cases of the people that are buried in those plots.

This one was Gone, but not forgotten.

This epitaph is She was a friend to the poor and the orphan.

This is one of the older stones we saw.  It was 1851.  This cemetery was originally opened in 1856.  But was used for a cemetery for many years before that.

You can see the aging on this stone.  This marker is most likely marble, which was very popular during the 1830s - 1850s.  And it is prone to staining and wear from the elements.  This would be a grave marker that you would not want to do a rubbing of.   These markers are very fragile and if you are interested in doing grave rubbings, please be sure to research the proper type of stones to use.  You can google cemetery grave stone rubbings and get many sites to research.

This sassafras tree is the oldest known in the state of Ohio.

This stone featured a lily, which signifies peace.

This stone features ivy.

The girls had fun together.

Many years ago, the ages were included on stones.  You can see the wear on this stone also.  The orange mossy type material can actually damage the stone if removed improperly.  So careful cleaning of relatives stones requires research so that further damage is not done.

It was a very interesting field trip and I learned lots of things.  I always thought that the Potter's field section of a cemetery was for those who could not afford burial.  But originally it was meant for criminals or those unknown.  I am quoting Trini here...."Since it's a very old term it is hard to discern what it was originally intended for but that's where the unwanted, unidentified, etc. ended up. It also seemed to be the place where criminals and those who took their own life were buried as it seemed inappropriate to some people to bury them among the others in a religious cemetery. My intent was to point that out that it was just not the poor, but also those discriminated against even in death... being deemed not worthy to be buried with others."  

Thank you Trini for all the wonderful information (and the extra help)!!!

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