Symbols: Flowers and the Frailty of Life

Symbols have been used on tombstones for centuries.  But it was not until the mid-1800’s that this secret code caught on with the ‘common folk’ who could finally afford to decorate their graves with statues and carvings.

Painting by James Tissot

The Victorians were known for their love of ornate designs, and this carried on to their gravestones.   Stone carvers of the period created works of art.  Rural cemeteries became the poor person’s art gallery, offering carvings, statues, and buildings of spectacular craftsmanship.

The Victorians were enamored with flowers, which were known to have their own language.  Give a woman a red rose and that signified love, a yellow rose indicated friendship, and a white rose meant innocence or secrecy.  It is no wonder they carried this silent language on to the grave.

Roses on a tombstone can have several meanings, depending on the number shown and if the rose is in bud or bloom.  A rose symbolizes love, hope and beauty.

Two roses joined together signified a strong bond, as on this couple’s stone.

A wreath of roses stands for beauty and virtue.

Age could also be noted with a rose bud indicating the grave of a child.  A partial bloom was used to show someone who had died in his or her teen or early adult life.  And a full bloom signified someone in the prime of life.

A broken blossom, whether a rose or another flower, indicated that someone had died too young.

Another flower that is abundant in the cemetery is the lily, which stands for innocence and purity.  There are several various types of lilies used on gravestones, each with a slightly different meaning.

The most popular is the Easter Lily, which represents resurrection and the innocence of the soul being restored at death.

Calla Lilies represent marriage and fidelity.

A Lily of the Valley signifies innocence, humility and renewal.

The Fleur de Lis is actually a stylized lily that represents the Holy Trinity.

And the Daffodil, also part of the lily family, indicated grace, beauty and a deep regard.  You’ll notice that live daffodils are abundant in older cemeteries during the spring.

Other flowers used on gravestones include the daisy, which means gentleness and innocence.  And the morning glory, which suggesting mourning, mortality and farewell.

Greenery is also used to convey unspoken thoughts.  Many stones are covered in Ivy to imply faithfulness, undying affection and eternal life.

The fern was very popular in Victorian times as an indicator of sincerity and solitude.

And the palm, another plant associated with Easter, signified triumph over death, and a forthcoming resurrection.

Wander any cemetery and you will discover a secret language communicated through symbols.  All it takes is the interest to learn what each generation wished to imply with their symbols, and the time to let them speak to you, offering interesting insights into someone’s life and time.

It’s the weekend; take some time to listen to this silent language.

~ Joy

(This is one of the topics I speak on for Genealogical and Historical societies.  If your group is interested in a presentation, please contact me here or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Grave-Interest/123365667736789)

Cemeteries Worth the Visit – Oak Ridge Cemetery, Springfield, Illinois

1872 Map of Cemetery

Oak Ridge Cemetery is located in the Illinois capitol city of Springfield.  Founded in 1855, the name was suggested by Mayor John C.Cook because of the large standoff oaks on the original property. Several of those trees remain standing today.  The cemetery was dedicated on May 24, 1860.

 Oak Ridge was landscaped and designed in Classical Revival and Romanesque styles.  Primarily known for President Abraham Lincoln’s tomb, Oak Ridge is so much more.  The hilly land consists of bluffs and valleys, with 12 miles of paved roads that meander throughout over 300 acres.   Oak Ridge is on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. 

Lincoln's Tomb

Rubbing Lincoln's Nose

Abraham Lincoln, the 16^th President of the United States, is the most famous person buried here.  Because of this, Oak Ridge is the second most visited cemetery in the U.S.  (Arlington National Cemetery is first.)  Lincoln’s 117-foot Tomb was designed by sculptor Larkin Mead.  It was built of brick covered with granite. Four bronze sculptures surround the tomb.  Each sculpture represents one of the four armed services in the Civil War; infantry, cavalry, navy and artillery.  At the entrance of the tomb is a bronze head of Abraham Lincoln.  The nose is shiny due to tourists rubbing it for good luck.

Lincoln's Funeral held at Receiving Vault

Tomb Rotunda

Once inside the tomb, a marble rotunda contains statues of Lincoln, along with plaques that contain excerpts from his most famous speeches.  There are two doorways in the rotunda – one to enter the tomb by, and the other to exit by.  In the tomb itself, a granite monument marks the gravesite.  Lincoln, his wife and sons are in crypts located in the south wall.  The receiving vault, where Lincoln’s body was held until the monument was built is located at the bottom of the hill, behind the monument.

 Vachel Lindsey's Stone
(Courtesy Connie Nisinger)

Nicholas Vachel Lindssey

Others buried in Oak Ridge include Illinois poet Nicholas Vachel Lindsey, considered the originator of poetry as performance art.  Lindsey was one of the best-known poets of the 1920’s and 1930’s in the U.S.  Lindsey apparently committed suicide by drinking a bottle of lye. He was well known for his poems ‘The Congo’ and ‘Abraham Lincoln Walks at Midnight.’

Shelby M. Cullom's Grave
(Courtesy of Connie Nisinger)

Governor Shelby M. Cullom

Many Illinois politicians, congressmen, senators and governors, including Governor Shelby Moore Cullom, known as ‘Mr. Republican.’  Cullom held almost every elective office including two terms in the Illinois House of Representatives three in the U.S. House of Representatives and five terms in the U.S. Senate.

Governor John Riley Tanner

Tanner's Mausoleum

The 21^st Governor of Illinois, John Riley Tanner, is also buried here, along with numerous Civil War generals.  Lincoln’s first law partner, John T. Stuart is also buried in Oak Ridge. 

Roy Bertelli's Controversial Grave

And, not to be missed is the controversial grave of Roy Bertelli, known as Mr. Accordion.

G.A.R. Memorial

There are several war monuments in Oak Ridge.  Memorials exist for the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.), World War Two, the Korean War, and Illinois Vietnam Veterans.

If you go to Springfield, don’t miss Oak Ridge Cemetery.  A visit to Lincoln’s Tomb is a must, but don’t stop there.  Plan half a day and enjoy the beautiful rolling hills, amazing sculpture and pleasantly designed grounds.  Stop by the cemetery office, at the front gate, for a map.  You can also purchase a CD that will guide you on an audio tour of the cemetery and many of its fascinating stones. 

Oak Ridge Cemetery is located at 1441 Monument Avenue in Springfield.  You may contact them by phone at (217) 789-2340.  Or visit the cemetery's web sit at http://www.oakridgecemetery.org.

~ Joy

Abraham Lincoln Walks at Midnight by Vachel Lindsay

In Springfield, Illinois

IT is portentious, and a thing of state

That here at midnight, in our little town

A mourning figure walks, and will not rest,

Near the old court-house, pacing up and down.

Or by his homestead, or by shadowed yards

He lingers where his children used to play,

Or through the market, on the well-worn stones

He stalks until the dawn-stars burn away.

A bronzed, lank man! His suit of ancient black,

A famous high top-hat, and plain worn shawl

Make him the quaint, great figure that men love,

The prairie-lawyer, master of us all.

He cannot sleep upon his hillside now.

He is among us:--as in times before!

And we who toss or lie awake for long

Breathe deep, and start, to see him pass the door.

His head is bowed. He thinks on men and kings.

Yea, when the sick world cries, how can he sleep?

Too many peasants fight, they know not why,

Too many homesteads in black terror weep.

The sins of all the war-lords burn his heart.

He sees the dreadnaughts scouring every main.

He carries on his shawl-wrapped shoulders now

The bitterness, the folly and the pain.

 

He cannot rest until a spirit-dawn

Shall come:--the shining hope of Europe free:

The league of sober folk, the Workers' Earth,

Bringing long peace to Cornland, Alp and Sea.

It breaks his heart that kings must murder still,

That all his hours of travail here for men

Seem yet in vain. And who will bring white peace

That he may sleep upon his hill again?

Jane Todd Crawford -The First Survivor of Ovarian Surgery

September is National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.  The Ovarian Cancer National Alliance, http://www.ovariancancer.org/ reports that each year in the United States, over 21,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer.  About 15,000 die from it!  Unfortunately morality rates for ovarian cancer have not improved in 30 years.  I was appalled when I discovered the actual current statistics about this disease. (They follow at the end of this blog.)  I began researching this disease because of a grave I found last January in Sullivan County, Indiana for the woman who was the first to survive ovarian surgery.

Jane Todd Crawford

It was 1809, when Jane Todd Crawford became concerned about a pregnancy that was long overdue. At the age of 46, and a mother of four, she knew something was wrong and that she needed to get medical attention. When doctors tried to induce labor it was discovered that she was ‘carrying’ a 22-pound cystic tumor.  The diagnosis was death. 

Dr Ephraim McDowell

Crawford refused to give up.  She contacted Dr. Ephraim McDowell of Danville, Kentucky, explaining her condition.  McDowell traveled to Green County, Kentucky and diagnosed Crawford as having a large ovarian tumor.  He was interested in performing an experimental abdominal surgery that might save her life. But he warned her that so far the surgery had never been performed successfully.  Knowing that her condition was fatal, Crawford agreed to allow Dr. McDowell to operate on her.

It was a harsh December day when she set out on horseback from south of Greensburg to ride to Danville, Kentucky, a journey of 60 miles.  McDowell had refused to do the surgery anywhere but at his home where he had all of his equipment.

The operation took place on Christmas Day, 1809 in McDowell’s living room.  The procedure took 25 minutes and was scheduled to take place during church services in order to keep gawkers away.  Crawford was given only an oral dose of opium before being cut open. (Anesthesia was not invented yet.) Several attendants held her down while the surgery took place.  McDowell removed a twenty-two pound tumor.  This was the first successful removal of an ovarian tumor in the world!

Crawford’s recovery was uneventful.  She was able to return home in January of 1810.  A few months later the Crawford’s’ sold their land in Kentucky and moved to Indiana. 

McDowell Statue

McDowell became famous as the pioneer of abdominal surgical techniques. He performed the same operation on two more women.  He published his report “Three Cases of Extirpation of Diseased Ovaria” in 1817.  He continued practicing medicine until his death from an apparent appendicitis on June 25, 1830.  His home in Danville is now a museum and a National Historic Landmark.  The Medical Society of Kentucky in Danville erected a statue in his honor in 1879.

Jane Todd Crawford's Grave

Original Grave Marker

Jane Crawford died in 1842, at the age of 79, at her son’s home in Graysville, Indiana.  She was buried in the Johnson Cemetery, near Graysville, Indiana in Sullivan County.  In 1871, the Women’s Auxiliary to the Southern Medical Association dedicated a stone for her grave.  In 1940, the American Hospital Association placed a granite monument near her grave.

Not only did Jane Todd Crawford make history as the first woman to survive ovarian surgery, she gave thousands of women hope concerning a disease that is slow, cruel, and still, difficult to survive.

~ Joy

Stats from the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance:

Ovarian cancer accounts for approximately 3 percent of cancers in women. While the ninth most common cancer among women, ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related death among women, and is the deadliest of gynecologic cancers. Mortality rates are slightly higher for Caucasian women than for minority women.

A Woman’s Lifetime Risk:  A woman’s lifetime risk of developing invasive ovarian cancer is 1 in 71. 
A woman’s lifetime risk of dying from invasive ovarian cancer is 1 in 95.

Age:  Ovarian cancer primarily develops in women over 45. From 2002 to 2006, the median age at diagnosis was 63.

Ovarian cancer survival rates are much lower than other cancers that affect women.

Overall, the ten-year relative survival rate for ovarian cancer patients is 39%.

 The relative five-year survival rate is 46 percent. Survival rates vary depending on the

stage of diagnosis.

Women diagnosed at an early stage have a much higher five-year survival rate than those

diagnosed at a later stage.

Fewer than 20 percent of ovarian cancer patients are diagnosed early.

Women diagnosed with breast cancer in 1975 experienced a five-year survival rate of 75.3

percent; today, the American Cancer Society estimates the rate to be 89 percent.

Women diagnosed with cervical cancer in 1975 experienced a five-year survival rate of 69

percent; today, the American Cancer Society estimates the rate to be 71 percent.

Women diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 1975 experienced a five-year survival

rate of 34.8 percent; today, the American Cancer Society estimates the rate to

be 46 percent