Batesburg, South Carolina

The First Shall be Last, and The Last First:  Say "Andrew's Son" real fast three times, and you will end up saying Anderson. Now, say "Andrew" fast three times, and you will end up saying Ander. Unlike names that are highly localized, the Anderson name is ubiquitous. Haven't we all known an Anderson? In the British Isles, "Andrew's son" was very common because of the popularity of St. Andrew. He brought Christianity to England, and his cross is on the UK flag, Of course, the origin may be Nordic as well, perhaps as Andersen. Amick Grove Pentecotal Church Cemetery. [2018]

Bekeley, West Virginia

The First Shall be Last, and The Last First:  As a nonagenarian with a name like his, he must have been the first in many lines. His Anglo-Saxon family name is one that is saturated with West Virginia history, and no matter where you find members of the Atha clan today, they almost certainly can trace their roots to ancestors in the central Appalachian Mountains. Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens. [2014]

Moyock, North Carolina

The First Shall be Last, and The Last First:  Yesterday's A-name was Atsi. Today's is derived through Norman French from Atso, meaning "noble." In fact, the word 'ace' still has a noble connotation. It is used to compliment a person who excels at something. Yet, this last testament says nothing about what this couple excelled at. So, let's surmise what we can from their [standard-issue] headstone. Look at their given names. What did they want to go by in the next life? By the same names they went by in this life: Charlie and Margie, not Charles and Margaret. That says something about how they treated each other, and how others treated them. Memorial Cemetery. [2018]

Chattanooga, Tennessee

The First Shall be Last, and The Last First:  All that remains of the Brainard Missionary Station is the cemetery. One of the students is "Buried Here." His Cherokee name was Atsi, but he was soon re-Christened. Even his new name began with an A, though. Not only was he a student, he was an interpreter and "exorter." He died in his 27th year, thus missing the even greater tragedy that was to befall his beloved Cherokee nation. Your assignment: Write a screen play attesting to the life of Atsi, a life spent in that miasmatic zone between two worlds and between two times. Brainerd Mission Cemetery. [2013]

St. Charles, Minnesota

The First Shall be Last, and The Last First:  Why a month of A-names, you ask? Because we had a month of Z-names at the beginning of the year. As the ZZZs led the parade into annum 2019, the AAAs are going to take us out. Such reversals are, of course, a violation of natural order, but we will all get through it. Any questions? Just ask. [2019]

Portsmouth, New Hampshire

The First Shall be Last, and The Last First:  Here is someone who did not get the memo: A last, Z first. Instead, we have a name that spans the alphabet from A to Z. What's the national origin? Clue 1: blend-defying consonants in close proximity. Clue 2: a cross bedecked with a rosary. Clue 3: a lighthouse that looks like a pole. Now, can you think of a name that spans the alphabet from Z to A?  Calvary Cemetery. [2019]

Northwood, Iowa

The First Shall be Last, and The Last First:  Is being first in alphabetical order a recipe for success in life? You can't get much closer to the beginning than a "double A." In their school days, they must have been right under the teacher's gaze, and recipients of much pedagogical praise. But, did it all guide their adult pathways? South Shell Rock Cemetery. [2019]