Epic Epitaphs

For those of you who do not know what an epitaph is, an epitaph is a phrase or statement written in memory of a person who has died in scripted on a tombstone. Usually it consists of a bible verse or poem! The last few months I have visited many cemeteries and have seen tons of different epitaphs, here are a few I found:

Drake Tombstone

These first four epitaphs I found are all from the cemetery that belonged to Hoopers Creek Baptist Church. This first die on socket belongs to John W. Blake and E Belle Baker Drake. It says, "Our Father Which Art in Heaven." This is a part of the Lord's Prayer which signifies that they are most likely very religious.

Lanning Tombstone

This next tombstone belongs to John and Martha Louise Lanning. On the bottom of the die on socket marker it says, "We stroll across heaven together." I think this is very sweet considering these two were married, died, and explain that they walk in heaven together. They must have really been in love!

Brackett Tomstone

Another grave that has an epitaph is the Brackett grave. This die on socket belongs to James Robert Brackett and Mary Essie Brackett. It has a picture of two hands reaching to the heavens for God's hand. Then, beneath the photo it says, "Precious Lord Take my Hand."

Martha Sue Aytes

This last tombstone that I found at this cemetery was a very unique one! It belongs to Martha Sue Aytes who lived from May 24th, 1938- November 3rd, 2010. It has a mother holding a little boy's hand while looking up at the clouds. Then, in the sky, it says, "Mamaw, If I climb the mountain and crawl out on to the clouds, can I touch the moon?" This is a metaphor for reaching for the stars and having a big imagination. Lastly, on the wooden plaque, it says, "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom I shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom I shall be afraid? Psalm 27:1" I personally love this bible verse because I have always heard this from my parents and it gives me the strength to do things I thought I could not do before.

John Ravenel 

These next six tombstones come from the Magnolia Cemetery!  This first monument belongs to John Ravenel and says, "In this mortal life he strove, faithfully to interpret nature. And make the band give up its secrets: Toiling for no selfish ends. But for the welfare of his countrymen. His labor done, he entered gladly the life eternal, March 16th, 1882." This epitaph just expresses how much of a wonderful person John Ravenel must have been and that he entered heaven happily! I wish I could have met him!

Emma C McCabe

This next grave belongs to Emma C McCabe, who was born on September 1, 1875 and lived until December 18, 1958. On the bottom of this bevel marker, it says, "Blessed are the pupe of heart." I think this must be a typo actually because the word "pupe" does not exist. After doing some research, "best are the pure of the heart" is the bible verse Matthews 5:8.....maybe they were going for that?????

Rosaliecarr McCabe Cradle Grave

Next, we have a cradle grave which belongs to Rosaliecarr McCabe, who lived from Jan. 2nd 1846-Sept. 12th 1924. On the bottom of the cradle grave it says, "In thee Have a Trusted" which comes from a song by Georg Friedich Handel. This song talks about trusting the lord in order to follow him properly.

Rosa M Pringle's Headstone 

This next headstone belongs to Rosa M Pringle who lived from July 29th, 1823-March 2nd, 1919. On the bottom of the tombstone it says, "Time Could Not Chill. Nor Did Years Age. Her Hearts Unageing Youth." This is a more common poem of the final occasion and just explains that time is not stopped, while years did not age, and that her heart has always been youthful. This is very sweet!

Interesting Stories Found Right Outside of Asheville.......

Hoopers Creek Baptist Church

On my way to my sister's wedding in Asheville, I happened to stumble upon this little church with a little cemetery right across the street! This church was the Hoopers Creek Baptist Church. This church was located in Fletcher NC, right outside of Asheville.

The Mathis Couple

This tombstone really stood out to me because it is a bench! This bench belonged to Velma "Sue" Mathis who is still alive and was born on August 23rd, 1946. She married to Dennis Woodrow Mathis who was born on October, 11th 1948 and died on September 28th, 2013. It also says that they got married on October 14th, 1967. These people must have really been in love considering the wedding rings and the fact that it states the day they got married which most people do not do!

Kyle Wayne 

This next tombstone also caught my attention because it is the first headstone I have ever seen that is completely black with a colored picture on the front. It also has flowers which signifies that someone had been here recently.

Kyle Wayne Guice Closeup 

To get a better look at this headstone, I took a close up picture (to the right) which says "Kyle Wayne Guice Nov. 12,  1982 May 13, 2007 Beloved Son And Friend. For "Flowerdils" Are Blooming." I was not sure what this meant, so I decided to google this saying, but sadly nothing came up. Although, what I did figure out was that "Flowerdils" must be a word Kyle Wayne Guice must have made up because it is not a really word. I believe that this saying just means the world is still beautiful and, assuming this is his favorite flower, they continue to bloom for him. I was very curious to know more about this headstone considering this man only made it until 25 years old so I decided to look up his name. I actually found out that Kyle Wayne Guice committed suicide because he was on house arrest for a first degree-burglary and attempted sexual assault.  It also explains that Kyle shot himself but would not say where he shot himself. This was by far my most interesting find all year.

Katrina Dawn Gosnell

Lastly, I enjoyed this tombstone because it is a heart. I have never seen a heart tombstone! It is very sweet! This tombstone belongs to Katrina Dawn Gosnell who lived from June 18th, 1984- July 17th, 2004. I also decided to find out more about Katrina Gosnell because she died at such a young age. Although, it did not say the causer of her death, I did found out that her grandmother was as Reverend. Her grandmother's name is Shelby Joseph Beaver.








I encourage everyone to stop if they ever see an interesting cemetery because you'll never know what you'll find out!

The Mysterious Unitarian Cemetery

Candid Shot of Unitarian Cemetery 

A few weeks ago, on easter, I was wandering around the beautiful streets of Charleston and  happened to stumble upon the most beautiful cemetery I have yet to see; Unitarian Cemetery. At Unitarian Cemetery all the shrubs, wild flowers, and Spanish moss are overgrown surrounding the tombstones (see picture on the left).  It was almost as if I was walking into a secret garden! Unitarian Cemetery is part of Unitarian Church, which is a big, beautiful, tall, yellow church (see picture below).

Unitarian Church 

Before I get into my findings at the cemetery, I'd like to give a brief history of Unitarian Church! Unitarian Church is a large Gothic church that was built in 1854 by a religious group called the Society of Dissenters. It is actually known to be the "oldest church in the south" and was declared a national landmark in 1973.

For the Enslaved Workers

When I first walked into the Unitarian cemetery this was the first tombstone I saw because it was right in front. This tombstone was very interesting because it said, "In memory of the Enslaved Workers Who Made These Bricks And Helped Built Our Church 1774-1787" (see picture
below for a closer look). Then, on the front it looks like some type of a bird.

Closer look of the Enslaved Worker's Tombstone

Jane Mcleod and Henry Inman

This tombstone stood out to me because it first says Jane Mcleod Sept 11 1946-July 1 2015. Then, on the second line it says Henry Inman Jan 25 1942-. This means Mr. Inman is still alive but I am wondering if there two were married since their is a different last name? Interesting!

Lastly, this monument really caught my attention as well because of the size of it! On this monument it says. "Beneath This Monument Rest The Mortal Remains Of The Rev. Samuel Gilman, D.D. Who Was Born In Gloucest, Mass. Feby. 16th, 1791. And Died In Kingston, Mass. Feby. 9th 1858." Clearly, this Reverend was appreciated because of the detail put into this monument!









I recommend that you should all visit Unitarian cemetery, because like I said, it's my favorite cemetery in Charleston!

The HAUNTED, Old City Jail.....do not be fooled.......

The Old City Jail

 On Monday, April 3rd I visited the Charleston Old City Jail. The Old City Jail was operational from 1802 until 1939.  The jail was built four stories tall, but today we only see three stories. We only see three stories now because of the earthquake in 1899 that knocked off the top story.

  

Our class was lucky enough to get a great tour guide, named Randall Johnson, from bulldog tours to show us around! He told us many stories about the jail which kept it very entertaining! 

We started the tour outside, where Randall Johnson explained that the Old City Jail was shut down in 1939 because of the inhumane treatment. The jail was only allowed to hold around 200 people, but instead there were over a thousand prisoners at times.

Where Punishment was Held

The first room we went to was the room where the prisoners would get punished.  In this room (picture to the right) is where they would hang the prisoners by their arms and would whip them. According to Randall Johnson, on average, a punishment was 75 lashes, but these would have to be broken up because if the prisoner took all 75 lashes at once they would die. 

     

The prisoners hoped to receive their punished as soon as they got to the jail because many people actually died from diseases before receiving their punishment. The most common reason for death in the jail was actually yellow fever. 

Jail Markings

Next, we went to the second floor of the jail and saw many engravings from prisoners. The engraving on the left was from a prisoner that must have been in the jail for 55 days. Woah!!! This further explains Johnson's point about how many prisoners were in the jail for a short period of time.

Johnson also told the class about many of the famous prisoners.  One prisoner he spoke of the most was Lavinia Fisher. Lavinia Fisher was the first female serial killer in the United States.  First, Lavinia would invite lone travelers into their house for dinner, then she would send them to their rooms to sleep and give them a cup of tea.  The cup of tea would be poisoned, and if the tea did not kill them, then Lavinia and her husband would stab the traveler to death.

    

Overall, I had a great time at the jail! Although, I am not sure if I would go back because it was spooky.....but if one is into ghost tours and history, then this is the place to go! Not only is it scary, but one will learn a little bit about Charleston and their role in the Civil War! Check it out!! 

Bittersweet- Magnolia Cemetery

When I first stepped into Magnolia Cemetery I was in awe, the cemetery was breathtaking! I was stepping into the largest burial ground in Charleston that was 150 acres!! With my prior knowledge, I knew there were around 35,000 people buried there, along with the amount of history within the cemetery had me thrilled.  

  

When I first walked into the cemetery, I noticed the tall, big, black fence. This was not any normal fence, but had beautiful designs on the top of the fence.  As seen on the left, there is also a beautiful pathway which leads visitors throughout the cemetery. Then, a little further down this path, there was a beautiful bridge with ponds and greenery surrounding this area. I was amazed on how a simple bridge surrounded by greenery could look so beautiful.








After looking around for a little while, I thought about what Professor Patrick Harwood asked us and that was, "What are your three favorite grave markings?" I knew this would be difficult to decide, considering there were many "showy" grave markers.  I decided to look at the artwork, along with the quotes marked on the grave markers when choosing my three favorites.

To the right is a grave which caught my eye because of the height of the obelisk.  This grave marker belongs to Langdon Cheves who was born on September 17th, 1776, and died on June 26th, 1857. These dates were surprising to me because he lived until he was 81 years old! While this may not seem old, 81 was considered a long life during the 1700's because of the lack of medical advancements during the time.

Also, on the side of the obelisk, it says, "Husband and father, kind and affectionate- true friend- indulgent master- just and generous to all- with duty ever his great word of action." This caught my attention because of such kind words said about Cheves. He must have been an amazing man!

To the left was one of my other favorite grave markers, which belongs to Joseph John Legare. This grave marker is a mausoleum and says, "In memory of Joseph John Legare Died Dec. 6. 1901. Aged 73 Years. Requiescat in Pace." These words caught my attention because it did not say the date of his birth which must indicate that they were unsure the exact day he was born. Also, "requiescat in pace" stood out because I was not sure what this meant.  I later found out that this was a latin phrase for "may he begin to rest in peace."

Lastly, these four slant markers caught my eye! These caught my eye because this was a wife and a husband, the wife's sisters, and their child.  I thought it was very kind, and showed that the two families were close considering the wife's sister was buried along with, "Harriet Simons wife of W.R. Mayrant." Lastly, along the edge, above Mayrant, it says "in perpetual care." I had no idea what this meant, so I decided to google it and learned that this phrase allows the cemetery to keep general maintenance around this grave.








While this was a wonderful experience visiting Magnolia Cemetery, it was also bittersweet.  This was my last visit to the cemeteries with my class! Although, I will be visiting cemeteries on my own to see the beauty provided by magnificent grave markers, it will not be the same without my class!

Edward Henry Strobel's Tombstone Found at Unitarian Cemetery!

Have you ever been to Unitarian Church? If not, I advise you to go! Unitarian Church has been BY FAR my favorite church and cemetery I have ever visited. A few weekends ago I went to Unitarian Church which took my breath away (see picture to the below). 

Unitarian Church

It was a big, beautiful, yellow church and had an even more beautiful cemetery (see picture below). The cemetery is overgrown with wild flowers, bushes, and weeds growing over many tombstones, which made this cemetery unique from others I have visited. 

Unitarian Cemetery

Edward Henry Strobel's Obelisk Tombstone

Front of Strobel's Obelisk 

After looking around for a little while, one obelisk tombstone really stood out, which was Edward Henry Strobel.  On the front it said, “Sacred to the memory of Edward Henry Strobel, A.B. LL.B. LL.D. of Harvard University. Born in Charleston, S.C. December 7, 1855. Died in Bangkok Siam. January 15, 1908" (see picture above). Then, on the side of the obelisk it said, “He served his country as charge O’Affairs in Spain and as envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to Ecuador and Chile. His college as Bemis professor of international law” (see picture below). After seeing the size of the obelisk and reading the messages on the base, I decided to research Edward Henry Strobel.

Side of Strobel's Obelisk 

After visiting this grave, I googled Edward Henry Strobel and learned that he was the Secretary of Legation of the United States to Spain until 1890 and wrote a book on the Spanish revolution. This caught my attention because my great grandparents left Spain and moved to Chile because of the Spanish inquisitions.  Strobel was also the Third Assistant Secretary of State, Secretary of Legation, Minister Plenipotentiary (as said above), head of a special mission, sole arbitrator between two powers, Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, and the trusted adviser of a progressive oriental government. Wow!!! Strobel only lived until fifty-two years and accomplished so many admirable tasks!!

Other than Strobel’s accomplishments, he was born in Charleston from a family whose fortunes the civil war bore heavily.  Strobel grew up in Charleston, went to preliminary school in Charleston, then went to Harvard, and graduated in 1877.  In 1882 he took the bar exam to become a lawyer and passed.  Then in 1884, Strobel participated in the presidential campaign where he wrote a pamphlet on Mr. Blaine  (the Republican candidate in the 1884 election) and his foreign policy.  The pamphlet seemed to have helped Cleveland win the election, considering he became president.  After Cleveland won the election, he offered Strobel the post of Secretary of Legation at Madrid.  Strobel accepted this position and worked in Spain for 5 years, where he worked as Charge d’Affaires for part of the time.

After working in Spain, in 1888 Strobel was sent on a special mission to Morocco. He spent two years in Morocco, moved back to the United States, and then in 1893 he was appointed the Third Assistant Secretary of State. In 1894 he became Minister to Ecuador and then also the Minister to Chile. From 1894-1905 Strobel traveled around the world working for the American Gorvment.  In 1905 Strobel returned to the US after being poisoned in Egypt. Strobel suffered for fifteen months to fight off the poison. After he survived the poison, he returned to his work in Siam, Thailand, but Strobel never really fully recovered. He died three years later in Siam where he was greatly respected.  Strobel entered relations with the Siamese Government knowing it was dangerous work, but took on the role as the General Adviser to the Siamese Government because he was a brave, highly respected man. I hope that one day I can accomplish a tenth of what Edward Henry Strobel had accomplished in his lifetime. 


Sources Used:
https://www.thoughtco.com/the-election-of-1884-1773938
http://www.graveaddiction.com/unitarch.html
https://archive.org/stream/jstor-25130031/25130031_djvu.txt
https://www.jstor.org/stable/25130031?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents