Portales, New Mexico

Identity Headwear ~ Hats Off!  Taking your hat off to show respect is a time-honored tradition that goes back to the Middle Ages. Various versions of the "kneeling cowboy" silhouette show up all over the American landscape, and it is not uncommon in cemeteries. Portales Cemetery. [2017]

Palmer, Massachusetts

Identity Headwear ~ Soldiers:  The slouch hat has been associated with military forces around the world for centuries.It was also a symbol that veterans of the Grand Army of the Republic adopted to call attention to their service and valor. This veteran would have been in his early 20s when he fought in the Civil War. Oak Knoll Cemetery. [2013]

Fort Mitchell, Kentucky

Identity Headwear ~ Saints:  Does a halo count as headwear? A crown surely does. In this case, the crown is on the head of Mother Mary. If you are the mother of God, you probably deserve to wear a crown. No crown for Joseph, however. St. Mary's Cemetery. [2017]

Wayne, Michigan

Identity Headwear ~ Tigers Fans:  He may be a Pistons fan, too, but he's wearing a Tigers cap. There's nothing in basketball that compares with the headwear that is primal to being a baseball fan. Perhaps because basketball is played inside. Westlawn Cemetery. [2018]

Santa Rosa Beach, Florida

Identity Headwear ~ Cubs Fans:  Want to bet they are transplants from Chicagoland?  Proud to be Cubs fans and proud to be Americans, they are. They don't even need to tell you that: You can see it on the baseball cap that marks their grave. Gulf Cemetery. [2018]

Westphalia, Missouri

Identity Headwear ~ Baseball and Softball Players:  The batter's helmet is similar to the football helmet: It is worn only for short periods of time and under very specific circumstances. It is as tough as the person wearing it, and in this case the person is female. St. Jospeh Parish Cemetery. [2015]

Duncannon, Pennsylvania

Identity Headwear ~ Football Players:  The football helmet is worn only for short periods of time and under very specific circumstances. Yet, even though no one ever wears one but on the gridiron, it is among the most common emblems on cemetery headstones. Evergreen Cemetery. [2013]

Northfield, Vermont

Identity Headwear ~ Skiers:  What is a ski cap? Anything you wear to cover your head while skiing. They may take many forms, but the tight-fit, knitted ones are those we know best. They symbolize an active life. Mount Hope Cemetery. [2018]

Huntington, West Virginia

Identity Headwear ~ Outdoorsy Folks:  "Don't worry. Be happy." That's Judy's mantra. And, that's Judy's name on her hat. Best to keep it on as you get to the pearly gates, lest you be mistaken for someone else. Woodmere Memorial Park. [2014]

Crawford, Oklahoma

Identity Headwear ~ Cowboys:  Hats off to the American cowboy. You will know him by his hat. In fact, the cowboy hat may be the most common headwear on cemetery tombstones. Thank you John Batterson Stetson. Now, take a look at the names of their kids: perfect Western imagery. Silent Home Cemetery. [2018]

Beckley, West Virginia

Identity Headwear ~ Coal Miners:  Cemeteries in West Virginia are packed with miners who spent their lives bringing the nation warmth and creature comforts. Then came the day when they left their mining helmets behind as they ascended from the darkest depths to become one with the Son. Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens. [2014]

Osyka, Mississippi

Identity Headwear ~ Railroad Workers:  Daddy worked for Illinois Central. It looks like even his kids knew him by his hat. He made a living as a railroad man; he made a life as a family man. And his kids knew it: "To the world you may have just been somebody, but to all of us you were the world." Osyka Cemetery. [2018]

Pell City, Alabama

Identity Headwear ~ Firefighters and Nurses:  Who are you? Your hat may say it all. If so, why not take it to the grave with you? Lots of people do: nurses and lots of firefighters, for instance. We start March with a lion of firefighter and a lamb of a nurse. (That's a March 1 reference!) All month: hats and caps. St. Clair Memorial Gardens. [2018]