Ogallala, Nebraska

The Boot Hill Genre:  Of those buried here, "many came by running afoul of the law -- some for stealing another man's horse. . . Most were buried with their boots on, thus the name Boot Hill. Their bodies, placed in canvass sacks, were lowered into shallow graves and marked with a wooden headboard." Over a hundred years later, the ordinary events that transpired on the Nebraska frontier are recalled by historical markers. Thus, our sense of place is not only perpetuated but mythologized. Boot Hill Cemetery. [2019]

Tombstone, Arizona

Focus on the Legendary Boothill Graveyard:  There are more than 250 graves in Boothill Graveyard. None of the markers are of stone: Ironic only because the town (see it?) is named Tombstone. Most of those buried at Boothill died with their boots on: So, not ironic is the name of the cemetery. True to classic cemetery location theory, the graveyard is located on a hill outside of town. It is now open as a tourist attraction. Have you ever heard of anyone buried here? [2018]

Lancaster, Virginia

Twas the Week After Christmas:  The wreaths remain. They are evergreen and here for the winter. But, they are not your everyday evergreens. They capture Virginia's Tidewater perfectly. One is made of magnolia leaves and the other is adorned with oyster shells. St. Mary's Whitechapel Cemetery. [2016]

Quartzsite, Arizona

Focus on Hi Jolly Cemetery:  When people died in the desert, they were buried in the desert. In Quartzsite, Arizona, that meant a simple grave with a wooden marker or a block of quartz. (The latter captures the spirit of place so much better.) A modern plot like this contrasts sharply with the oldest graves, which date back to the 1800s. Hi Jolly himself is buried by the pyramid that honors his role in trying to get a "camel-express" service going across the Sonoran Desert. [2015]

Big Coppit Key, Florida

Focus on Southern Keys Cemetery:  In the Florida Keys, everything is seaside, and palms are everywhere. Perhaps no other tree connotes peace and contentment as much as the palm, of whatever variety. What does an earthly paradise look like? Tropical islands, crowned in palm fronds, in a sea of blue. That may be our image of the eternal paradise as well. [2014]

Big Coppit Key, Florida

Focus on Southern Keys Cemetery:  Some memorials capture the spirit of place almost perfectly. Would you guess 'Florida' if you found an alligator like this on guard at ground level? This type of marker is called a ledger. It's a slab of granite that covers the entire body. Chief advantage: lots of room for memorializing words and pictures. [2014]

Julian, California

Focus on Haven of Rest Pioneer Cemetery:  Here's a couple who was proud of their community, proud of their horses, and proud of their love for each other. Shelter Valley is an unincorporated place (apparently one without a cemetery) about 12 miles east of Julian. It is now completely surrounded by Anza-Borrego State Park. [2013]

Blanding, Utah

Miners to the End:  What did he love in life? (1) his religion, (2) his marriage, (3) his children (4) his job in the mine, (5) his service station, and (6) Blanding. What did she love in life? (1) her religion, (2) her marriage, (3) her children, (4) her service to the community, (5) her piano, and (5) Blanding. This couple's life was about more than the mine. As for the evergreens and cones: symbols of everlasting life and the promise of rebirth. Blanding City Cemetery. [2013]



Our Love of Blanding is Only Exceeded
By Our Love of Our Children

 

Durango, Colorado

Miners to the End:  His name, dates, and mate are on the other side. This side is devoted entirely to the mine. It would be nice to think it was a silver mine since the cemetery is located in La Plata County. La plata means silver in Spanish. He died in 1977. Greenmount Cemetery. [2013]

Rainelle, West Virginia

Miners to the End:   It was the mine that supported the family.  Everyone should know that, and for a while they will.  But, these 'decorations' are ephemeral.  It's the bronze marker that's permanent.  Two types of space are available for commemoration of the dead:  (1) space on the marker, and (2) space contiguous to the grave.  On another front:  it's Mom 3, Dad 1.  Wallace Memorial Cemetery.  [2010]

Another Coal Miner in Heaven

 

Laramie, Wyoming

Focus on Green Hill Cemetery:  Annette Stott, in her book Pioneer Cemeteries, notes that "before the advent of art museums, public libraries, or civic sculpture, the western cemetery functioned as a repository of art and history." That continues to be true. The art on this headstone communicates a powerful sense of place that arises from the realms of history and economic geography. [2013]

Burnsville, North Carolina

From the Mountains:  Unlike many of the stylized mountains that appear on tombstones to symbolize the ascent to heaven, this marker is true to Burnsville's place in Appalachia. It's the closest town to Mt. Mitchell, highest peak in the Appalachian Mountains. Can you identify it on this memorial? 'Love of place' is called topophilia by geographers. When you really love a place, you take it with you to the grave. Burnsville Cemetery. [2012]

Steinbach, Manitoba

Focus on Heritage Cemetery:  The Steinbach community is richly traditional, but Motumbo's 'tumb-stone' is not only richly traditional, it is richly Canadian! Steinbach's main cemetery is alive with memorials that blend the sacred and the secular. [2012]

"I wonder if there is Hockey in Heaven?"