Adairsville, Georgia

Burial or Cremation?  If you are going to be buried (without being cremated) there are three basic options: (1) burial below ground, which has been the time-honored method (except for those who could afford large mausoleums); (2) burial above ground, which is increasingly popular; and (3) burial at sea. Two of those options are represented here. Eastview Cemetery. [2013]

Brunswick, Georgia

Burial or Cremation?  Billboards can be used to advertise anything, including cremation. Rarely, though do you see them advertising cemeteries themselves. What factors determine whether a person is buried or cremated? And, if cremated, whether the ashes are buried or scattered? [2012]

Adairsville, Georgia

Picture-Perfect Farmsteads:  He (the one who "always looked for the best in others") is in the yard with his dogs. Cows are at pasture. But, where is the barn? Where will the cows be milked? Eastview Cemetery. [2013]

Brunswick, Georgia

Free-Range Figurines:  Like birds and butterflies, dolphins range across three dimensions. They can go anywhere, left or right or up or down, in the ocean of water that surrounds the planet. Land-lubbers, like cows and dogs, are so not free-range. City Cemetery. [2012]

Griffin, Georgia, USA

Log Cabins Forever:  "Let us go up to the mountain of the Lord." Just follow that stream to its source, and a whole new world will be yours. Once you get there, though, you won't be coming back to the old cabin anymore. Yet, how could a memory of the place you called home be any sweeter? New Oak Cemetery. [2014]

Macon, Georgia

Surname Initials as Identifying Logos ~ M:  The letter M is the 14th most frequently used letter in the English language. When you see a memorial shaped like this, with dates from the late 1800s, you expect to see a Gothic font? Pretty they may be, but generally unreadable. Riverside Cemetery. [2015]

Smyrna, Georgia

Bequeathed to the Living ~ Soothing Solace:  "Don't worry about a thing because every little thing is going to be alright." With thanks to Bob Marley and Three Little Birds! Riverview Memorial Park. [2018]

Augusta, Georgia

Fantastical Birds and Where to Find Them: Is that a bird house hoping to attract a new resident? Or, a waystation at heaven's gate hoping to serve a wayward soul? Westover Memorial Park. [2015]

Resaca, Georgia

The Cemetery as an Aviary:  The vivid red color of the cardinal matches the color worn by cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church. Their color marks them as high-ranking birds, if for no other reason than they really do attract attention (especially in the winter). And, don't forget: The cardinal is the state bird of seven American states. In cemetery art, the cardinal is often used as a symbol of truth, beauty, and power. Now, wouldn't you like to know the story behind the 'name train' on this headstone? Bethlehem Baptist Church Cemetery. [2013]

Macon, Georgia

The Confederate Battle Flag Lives On:  The Confederate battle flag, like death itself, serves as a great equalizer. It marks the graves of Johnny Rebs and Generals as well. Here's the grave of a General who didn't survive the Civil War. He died at the Battle of Port Gibson, with only 30 years to his credit. Though young when he died, he is honored with an historical marker right beside his grave. Oak Ridge Cemetery. [2015]

Waycross, Georgia

The Confederate Battle Flag Lives On:  He was born in 1841, so he would have been in his prime, his early 20s, when he served in the Civil War. With the first name John, he literally was a "Johnny Reb." He obviously survived, and the records say he became a minister in the Presbyterian Church. His grave boasts a foot stone and a body stone in a rather unusual combination. The body stones in this section of the cemetery may be mid-20th century additions to the landscape. Could they go back to the Civil War centennial in the 1960s? Oakland Cemetery. [2007]

Milledgeville, Georgia

The Confederate Battle Flag Lives On:  Here lies a soldier who fought in the Civil War. He has an old headstone from the 19th century and a new one from the 20th century. He also has a Confederate battle flag marking his grave. It is likely that the new headstone and the battle flag are meant not to keep his memory alive, but to keep the memory of the Civil War itself alive. Make sure you catch the name of the cemetery. Memory Hill Cemetery. [2015]

Brunswick, Georgia

Commemorating Historic Cemeteries:  The nineteenth century saw the rise of industrial economies and the concomitant expansion of city populations. That meant more people were dying in cities, too. So many, in fact, that the old church yards soon ran out of space. Voila! The rural cemetery, or garden cemetery, was born. The first was on the outskirts of Paris. By 1838, the rural cemetery movement had reached Brunswick, Georgia, making Brunswick a little more like Paris! Buried here were "over 100 Civil War Veterans," including Capt. Douglas Risley, who went on to found the city's first school for African Americans. The next question, however, is not answered by the historical market: How many of the students who attended his school were actually buried here with him? Oak Grove Cemetery. [2010]

Macon, Georgia

Say Goodbye to Your Pastor:  The Methodist year ends this month. That means a slew of United Methodist churches around the country will be saying goodbye to their old pastors and welcoming new ones. In the past, they would have departed and arrived on horseback, and on Sundays the circuit-riding preachers would have galloped from sanctuary to sanctuary bringing the word of God to multiple congregations on a single "circuit." The symbolism of the circuit-riding preacher is deeply embedded in Methodist tradition. Riverside Cemetery. [2015]

Adairsville, Georgia

America's Most Famous Lighthouse:  Here's the Cape Hatteras Light in the contiguous zone. It may not be tubular, but you can recognize it by its unique stripes. They serve as daymarkers. Every light has a different appearance so mariners will know where they are during the day. What are your daymarkers? What marks your path through life? Eastview Cemetery. [2013]

Hoboken, Georgia

Golf Forever:  Read his full name: Doesn't it just sound like a golfer's name? Doesn't that italic type add some forward motion to the drive? And that t behind the golf balls: Is that a monogram signifying his family name? Evergreen Cemetery. [2012]

Atlanta, Georgia

Golf Forever:  If you were at it in the 1930s and 40s, Bobby Jones would have been a name you knew. He's a legend, still, especially in his home state, where he founded "Augusta" and co-founded the Master's Tournament. Golf balls brought by the devout still spell out love at his grave. More interesting: the T (his middle initial) he chose for his headstone monogram. Oakland Cemetery. [2014]

LaFayette, Georgia

Liquid Refreshment in the Cemetery:  His drink of preference? Mountain Dew. It probably got him through many wrestling matches, many school parties, and many family gatherings. Now, whenever his survivors see a can like this, they must be reminded. If you are curious about the geography of Mountain Dew, cast your eyes down page to the map. Crestlawn Memorial Park. [2013]

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/27/mountain-dew-map_n_6555376.html

Decatur, Georgia

D is for Deadwyler:  The cemetery here is a flourishing business today, but it began as a graveyard for slaves prior to the Civil War; then it became popular with freedmen and their descendants. In fact, before the 1940s, it was marked as the “South’s most beautiful cemetery for colored people.”  The largest concentration of Deadwylers in the country is in Georgia. Washington Memorial Gardens. [2014]

Covington, Georgia

Canine Grave Guardians:  Man's best friend: in life and in death. A dachshund stands guard at his master's grave, looking as sad as every visitor who comes to pay their respects. Southview Cemetery. [2015]