New Millford, Pennsylvania

One True Love ~ The Family Farm:  Some people take a headstone this size and use it for only names and dates. These farmers, however, saw a blank slate and wanted to fill it with some geography. They seem to have known that this would be their last view of life on earth, the view they would have as they glanced back just one more time on their flight to heaven. New Milford Cemetery. [2017]

Laurel, Delaware

One True Love ~ The Family Farm:  Together they spent their life on the farm, and now they will be together forever. It was the farm that defined their life, their souls, and their family. It was with them every waking minute, and they probably dreamed about it at night. Now, the old tractor's empty. Perhaps the next generation decided they didn't want a life on the farm like their mom and dad. Odd Fellows Cemetery. [2013]

Millville, New Jersey

One True Love ~ The Family Farm:  They're full of life and in the saddle, but they're getting ready to ride off into the sunset. Before they leave, however, they have stopped to take one last look at the family farm, perhaps with the intention of giving the kids and grand kids one last chance to wave goodbye to mom and dad, mom-mom and pop-pop. Greenwood Cemetery. [2016]

Damascus, Maryland

One True Love ~ The Family Farm:  Aerial oblique, but a sketch, not a photo. What crop did they pick to symbolize their connection to the land? Wheat, a symbol of resurrection. That fits the inclusion of a church, perhaps their church, way out there on the other side of the fence. Orthodox Syrian Church Cemetery. [2007]

Shippensburg, Pennsylvania

One True Love ~ The Family Farm:  Three silos: That's the mark of a prosperous operation. And, it looks like they needed more space in the old barn, too. Over the course of their lives, they probably saw the size of their herd, double and double again. They had to keep up with economies of scale. Springhill Cemetery. [2013]

Cynthiana, Kentucky

One True Love ~ The Family Farm:  Farmers or miners? Both. Miners because they mined the family archives to find an 'old timey' photo of the farmstead when everyone was young and the tractor was new. Battle Grove Cemetery. [2015]

Parkersburg, West Virginia

One True Love ~ The Family Farm:  The aerial photo doesn't suggest farming, but the tractor does, and so does the horse. Perhaps a corner of the old farmstead was chosen for their new suburban home, a place where they could enjoy their golden years. Quiz time: What's the name of the river you see here? Mt. Olivet Cemetery. [2014]

Laurel, Delaware

One True Love ~ The Family Farm:  Judging from the number of buildings, this couple built a prosperous family business. Judging from the number of silos, they must have had some livestock to feed. Judging from the number of tractors, they must have had some cash crops to grow and sell. And, judging from the epitaph, they must have respected and loved the land they farmed: "A Great Love For The Land." Odd Fellows Cemetery. [2013]

Earth, Texas

One True Love ~ A Man and His Tractor:  "I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil - This is the gift of God." Ecclesiastes 3:12-13. Earth Cemetery. [2016]

Carroll, Ohio

One True Love ~ A Man and His Tractor:  Looking for a research topic? How about gender roles as depicted on cemetery memorials? Clearly he took care of things in the outside world, and she took care of things at home. Betzer Cemetery. [2017]

Dry Ridge, Kentucky

One True Love ~ A Man and His Tractor:  Maybe he and his tractor shared a single soul. It looks like the angels came for both of them. Or, maybe his tractor was the angel that carried him away to heaven. Judging from the empty seat, however, the tractor may have just dropped him off and returned to the farm. Hill Crest Cemetery. [2015]

Capeville, Virginia

One True Love ~ A Man and His Tractor:  The holy triumvirate: farm (symbolized by the tractor), country (symbolized by the stars and stripes), and God (symbolized by the steeple that backs up the churchyard). Capeville UMC Cemetery. [2016]

Washington Court House, Ohio

One True Love ~ A Man and His Tractor:  A few years later, a lyricist, Jason Aldean, put it all in perspective: "And I can take you on a ride on my big green tractor, We can go slow or make it go faster, Down through the woods and out to the pasture, Long as I'm with you it really don't matter." So, maybe the tractor isn't always a farm boy's one true love! Washington Cemetery. [2016]