George F. Teeter and his wife Jennie E.
@PainsOnSlate (21845)
Canada
November 12, 2015 11:44am CST
Have you walked in a cemetery just to read the stories on the grave stones?
It was something I've always done. Its so quiet and peaceful there. The older the stones, the better. Back in the olden days they told stories. Today's stones are quite boring, “just the facts ma'am” like Joe Friday used to say on the old TV show Dragnet.
Unfortunately acid rain and years of weather make the words etched in stone disappear.
While wandering around a local cemetery with my daughter years ago we found an old stone that told a story. It was about a young couple traveling in 1909 by horse and buggy in Grimsby, Ontario. They were killed crossing the railroad tracks in a snow storm.
The old stone my daughter and I found had a lot of information etched into it. We saw this stone before digital cameras so I didn’t get a photo.
That old stone has been replaced with a new one:
“In memory of George F Teeter and his wife Jennie E.” He was 29 and she was 22. Accidentally killed at the railroad crossing – no mention of the horse and buggy or the snow storm on the new stone.
The original history etched in stone will be lost forever.
I can't find the photo of the new stone so the photo on this post was one I took in a very old cemetery in Vermont last year.
Now I wish I had a photo of that old stone.
Are there interesting cemeteries near you?
14 people like this
12 responses
@Tampa_girl7 (54730)
• United States
12 Nov 15
I have always loved walking tnrough cemeteries. I particularly enjoyed the ones in Germany.
3 people like this
@PainsOnSlate (21845)
• Canada
12 Nov 15
I've never been to Europe but imagine those would be fascinating to see. So much older than what we see here in the US and Canada.
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21845)
• Canada
13 Nov 15
@JudyEv Here in Canada and in the US some decorate the stone with a garden, some of the bigger cemeteries don't allow it because it slows those who mow the cemetery.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382412)
• Rockingham, Australia
13 Nov 15
@PainsOnSlate We found that the cemeteries in France and Germany were much better maintained than those in Australia. Many had wonderful little gardens in front of the tombstones.
1 person likes this
@simone10 (54180)
• Louisville, Kentucky
16 Nov 15
@PainsOnSlate When I was a child, I guess I watched too much TV because on scary stuff happened there in the movies. Now, it wouldn't bother me at all and I agree, there are some really beautiful headstones out there.
1 person likes this
@simone10 (54180)
• Louisville, Kentucky
17 Nov 15
@PainsOnSlate The city I lived in, had a show that was on every Friday night. It was only a local show and it was called Fantastic Features. It had a guy who was supposedly a vampire who names Savid was the star of the show and it would have scary movies. When I see it now, it's pretty lame but back when I was a kid, it was scary. My parents probably shouldn't have allowed me to watch it.
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21845)
• Canada
16 Nov 15
@simone10 Very interesting. TV started when I was 5. Dad bought one, the first memory of TV was Queen Elizabeth's becoming queen. Sat. mornings had a show called the Buster Brown Show that I loved and my parents laughed out loud at Lucy and Desi. There was nothing scary on TV back then.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169534)
• United States
14 Nov 15
I have never explored cemetaries. I do not even visit relatives in them. It is too bad about the history that was lost with the old stone, though.
1 person likes this
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
14 Nov 15
@PainsOnSlate I thought I have already retired but my busy life continues even after I did.
I wish I can set aside some chores and activities.
I wish I can set aside some chores and activities.1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21845)
• Canada
13 Nov 15
I'm retired so there is time to do whatever i want to do but often when on vacations I would visit cemeteries. My mother in law always visited the family plot and then walked with me to read stones.
1 person likes this
@rebelann (117264)
• El Paso, Texas
19 Nov 15
Oh wow @PainsOnSlate did you get a shot of his stone?
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21845)
• Canada
19 Nov 15
The photo was taken in Vermont, it was a historical church and cemetery with many famous because of history.
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21845)
• Canada
19 Nov 15
It was taken in Bennington Vermont, the historic church is called The Old First Congregational Church. Robert Frost is buried there too.
1 person likes this
@Juliaacv (56358)
• Canada
12 Nov 15
There is a country church and cemetery not too far from our family farm. My Grandpa used that as a basis to explain and trace our family back when we were little children. It is interesting to see the first names that are passed down. I've not come across anything as interesting as you stumbled upon though.
1 person likes this
@Juliaacv (56358)
• Canada
13 Nov 15
@PainsOnSlate That trip out to the cemetery with the first of our generation inspired my Grandpa to write out our family history. He gathered original property deeds, wills and old stamps and samples of original penmanship and put them down in a story book like history book. I'm so glad that he gave that to us, its so great to know how much blood, sweat and tears your ancestors put into achieving what many of us rely on modern technology to do.
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21845)
• Canada
13 Nov 15
You are a lucky woman to have that family history shown to you as a child. My family did that for me and my siblings too. If we don't share that history with our kids they will never know about it. I am part of several genealogies too that have all my children included so they will be there forever.
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21845)
• Canada
13 Nov 15
@Juliaacv That is a treasure to have and pass down the line. He sounds like a very smart man
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21845)
• Canada
13 Nov 15
I realize it would be a huge expense to re do the stones but some of the old ones were so much more fun to read the the new ones. I do know they are all recorded, but I miss the more interesting stones.
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
13 Nov 15
We've got a few old ones around here, but I have never really stopped to pay attention.
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21845)
• Canada
13 Nov 15
If its not your thing that's ok, as a kid every time we traveled we would visit old cemeteries, especially if they held relatives and we would look for strange stones.
@wetnosedogs (1533)
• United States
12 Nov 15
I'm sure there are some interesting ones here.
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21845)
• Canada
12 Nov 15
We often go to see what we can find. The older the better.
1 person likes this
@NeldaHoxie (1381)
• United States
13 Nov 15
I have dozens of interesting cemeteries nearby. I do love walking in them and reading the stones too. Many of them are also wearing away. It's a very fragile part of history. I get really upset when vandals knock them over.
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21845)
• Canada
13 Nov 15
Me to about the vandals, you have to wonder what makes them do something so personal and hurtful. I also wonder when I see a stone we can't read, what history we are missing.
@PainsOnSlate (21845)
• Canada
13 Nov 15
It is hard to read the old ones now. A lot are being replace and lose their character.
1 person likes this
