Meet The Rabbits - 2

Each week since last November there has been a "Meet a Rabbit" article where one of the Graveyard Rabbits has introduced themselves to us. Each Rabbit article is posted in the order they joined the association. I would like to share these posts with you, so you can learn a little more about us and the areas we are covering. I am giving you the links to the second set of six introductions. I am posting in batches of six until we are current. I will then post each introduction as it appears. I think you will enjoy reading about these featured Graveyard Rabbits, and about their blogs!

Week 7 - The Essex County Graveyard Rabbit By Kathryn Lake Hogan

Week 8 - The Graveyard Rabbit of Attala County, The Graveyard Rabbit of Holmes County, and The Graveyard Rabbit of Madison County by Janice Branch Tracy

Week 9 - The Graveyard Rabbit of Central Ohio by Amy Johnson Crow

Week 10 - The Chicagoland Graveyard Rabbit and The Graveyard Rabbit of Bloomington-Normal, Illinois by Julie Cahill Tarr

Week 11 - The Graveyard Rabbit of North Snohomish County by Sue Edminster

Week 12 - Granite in my Blood by Midge Frazel

Wordless Wednesday

Infant headsones. February 5, 2009. Roselawn Cemetery, Livermore, California. Digital image by Cheryl Palmer. Address for private use, California.

Skull and Crossbones

During a recent cemetery journey I ran across a headstone which caught my full attention. This headstone was the first I had seen like it. There was a skull and crossbones etched into each side of the grave marker. They were well crafted indeed, but gave me a start when I first saw them. This grave marker belonged to a man who had passed away less than two years ago.

My first thought of this symbol, the Jolly Roger, of course reminded me of pirates. Pirates? Maybe back in the day, but now? Many years ago symbols such as this were common. They are not as common these days.

My next thought led me to wondering if this man was possibly a motorcycle rider? I know the skull and crossbones have been worn by many riders over the years. I decided to explore the meaning of the skull and crossbones.

In Britain between 1600 and 1820 it seems skulls and crossbones were very popular. The popularity died out after 1820 as there was more sensitivity to death and afterlife. In early New England days it looks as if these symbols were very popular with the Puritans. Supposedly skulls and crossbones were long used to mark entrances of Spanish cemeteries.


Some people think this symbol on headstones has to do with witchcraft, while others believe the deceased may have been a captain who ambushed pirates!

Apparently, there are women's headstones, as well as men's, with skulls and crossbones on it. Would this symbol have a different meaning for a woman?

These are some explanations I found as to what the symbol may mean on a headstone:

-The deceased was infected with a bad disease
-To remind the living, that they too will die.
-The deceased man was a Freemason
-Death and Mortality

Over time symbols have changed. Most of what I have spoken about thus far regarding the skull and crossbones, refers to having been used many years ago. But what about now? This grave marker I came across was from a grave that was less than two years old. So what does this mean in today's world?

I decided to make a phone call to a monument company to ask what symbolism the skull and crossbones has in today's marketplace. The person I spoke with at the monument company assumed I was referring to a specific grave that he has seen. It is highly unlikely that we were speaking of the same gravesite, as I live several cities away from the monument business I called.

This person told me that he wouldn't have this particular symbol on any of his families monuments, and said that the cemeteries wouldn't allow anything that wasn't proper to be put on a headstone. He thought I was complaining about the symbol! I explained I was just curious as the one I saw startled me. He understood the being startled part and said most likely the person just really liked pirates. As he continued with his conversation it became apparent the grave he was referring to was that of a young person's grave! He related that the symbol on this headstone was likely due to the young man being a fan of pirates, such as The Pirates of the Carri bean. My mind was trying to imagine the skull and crossbones on a child's headstone. The person's headstone I was referring to is far from a child, he was thirty eight years old.

This is the plaque in between the two symbols~

In Loving Memory

Now At Peace

Perhaps this man had a troubled life. Perhaps the meaning of the skulls and crossbones on his grave refer to death and mortality. Perhaps he was a motorcycle rider. Perhaps he had been ill for a long time. Perhaps...

Whatever this man went through and whatever the symbols mean, the most important message I notice on his headstone is that he is "Now At Peace."

The Graveyard Rabbits Carnival Debut!

The Graveyard Rabbits Carnival will debut on March 1, 2009! The topic for the premier edition of this carnival is "exceptional finds." We are looking forward to a great carnival! I will post a link to the carnival when it is released. Hope to see you there!

I Received the Kreativ Blogger Award

Wow, I am so very grateful to Greta at The Graveyard Rabbit of Afield for honoring me with this award! With all of the fantastic hard work put in by the Graveyard Rabbits, I feel very blessed to have received this! It kind of pumps you up to do more! :-)

I feel all of the Graveyard Rabbits deserve this award, so if you feel so inclined, I am offering it to all of you!

Thank you again Greta!

Meet The Rabbits!

Each week since last November there has been a "Meet a Rabbit" article where one of the Graveyard Rabbits has introduced themselves to us. Each Rabbit article is posted in the order they joined the association. I would like to share these posts with you, so you can learn a little more about us and the areas we are covering. For now, I am giving you the links to the first six introductions. I will post in batches of six until we are current. I will then post each introduction as it appears. I think you will enjoy reading about these featured Graveyard Rabbits, and about their blogs!

Week 1 - The Western Washington Graveyard Rabbit by footnoteMaven

Week 2 - Graveyard Adventure's in Itawamba County (Mississippi) by Bob Franks

Week 3 - The South San Diego Graveyard Rabbit (California) by Randy Seaver

Week 4 - The Graveyard Rabbit of South Denton County (Texas) by Wendy Littrell

Week 5 - The Graveyard Rabbit of Moultrie Creek (Florida) by Denise Olson

Week 6 - The Central Florida Graveyard Rabbit by William Morgan

Cemetery and Funeral Bureau of California

After seeing this posted at Roselawn Cemetery in Livermore, I was curious as to who governed and what regulations were set for cemeteries.

In California, the Cemetery and Farm Bureau does compliance inspections of cemeteries. The full content of the laws and regulations can be found at their website here.

This organization lists some of the most common violations. I found most of these to be straight forward and common sense, basic issues, but I also found some of these to be quite interesting.

Here is their list~


Ownership and Management:

2326.5 Failure to obtain approval to share a cemetery manager

8585(A) Maintaining/operating a cemetery which has not been licensed by the Bureau

9723(a)(A) Failure to designate a licensed cemetery manager

9723(a)(B) Failure to notify the Bureau of a change in the designated manager

9723.2(a) Failure of the designated cemetery manager to hold a current, unexpired license


FACILITY/PROPERTY:

2336(A) Failure to prominently post non-endowment care signs in applicable sections of the cemetery

2336(B) Failure to post non-endowment care signs of at least 16 by 24 inches and/or in an upright position

2336(C) Failure to post non-endowment care signs that contain the words "nonendowment care section" and/or in black letters at least 4 inches high

2336(D) Failure to post non-endowment care signs that state "this section is nonendowment care interment property" and/or in black letters
at least 1 1/4 inches high

8113.1 Failure to have at least 18 inches of dirt or turf on top of all vaults or caskets (for consensual double burials, the vault or casket
on top must be covered with at least 12 inches of dirt or turf) at the time of burial

8341 Failure to inter cremated remains within one year of obtaining possession of them (without a written contract)

8550(A) Failure to have accurate plot maps showing sections, plots, avenues, walks or other subdivisions with descriptive names or numbers

8550(B) Failure to file amended maps/plats with the county recorder or local agency for development of new sections or modifications of
existing sections after January 1, 1990

8585(B) Failure to post at all public entrances, the current name and address of the cemetery, a statement that the names of the officers/directors
can be obtained from the Bureau, and the Bureau's address or a statement that the Bureau's address is available at the cemetery office

8585(C) Failure to post signs required at all public entrances that are at least 16 by 24 inches, prominently mounted upright and vertical

8741 Failure to conspicuously post endowment care signs at or near the cemetery entrances and its administration building

8741(a) Failure to post legible endowment care signs that contain the heading "endowment care" in letters at least 1 inch high

8741(b) Failure to post endowment care signs with the statement "this is an endowment care interment property" after the heading


LICENSES:

119(f) Displaying a photocopy of a license

164 Failure to post license(s) in public view

9676 Unlicensed practice as a cemetery broker/salesperson

9709(A) Failure to prominently display the cemetery broker's license in the office of the broker

9709(B) Failure to prominently display the cemetery salesperson license(s) in the office of the broker

9768 Making interments without a valid, unexpired certificate of authority


CONTRACTS AND DISCLOSURES:

2336(E ) Failure to have a heading on all contracts and literature pertaining to non-endowment care property that contains the phrase
"The property described herein is NONENDOWMENT CARE Interment Property."

2336(F ) Failure to have the heading on all contracts and literature pertaining to non-endowment care property in ten-point boldface type
and/or the words "NONENDOWMENT CARE" in capital letters

2339.1(A) Failure to have the required disclosure on contracts for prearranged cemetery services or commodities when the price may be modified
at the time of delivery

2339.1(B) Failure to have the required disclosure on contracts in ten-point boldface type for prearranged cemetery services or commodities
when the price may be modified at the time of delivery

8276(A) Failure to charge uniform prices for the foundation, setting, permitting the setting of, or for endowment care of grave markers
or monuments regardless of whether or not the marker or monument was sold by the cemetery or another business

8276(B) Failure to separately state on the contract the charges for a marker, monument, foundation, setting, permitting the setting of,
and/or the endowment care deposit

8277(A) Failure to have a written contract that contains all agreements of the parties, total contract price, terms of payment, and an itemized
statement of all charges, including charges for interment plot; burial, entombment, or inurnment; monument or marker; religious or other
observance; amounts deposited into endowment or special care fund; insurance; space and location sold; and any other charges
which must be particularized

8278(A) Failure to have a contract with specified language to allow the purchaser to cancel the transaction within five calendar days

8278(B) Failure to have the specified language in the cancellation clause in at least ten-point boldface type

8309 Failure to have cemetery rules and regulations plainly written and/or maintained at the cemetery

8330 Failure to maintain records of all interments

8331 Failure to maintain records of ownership for all plots that have been sold

9662(A) Failure to have the Bureau contact information on the first page of any contract for goods and services

9662(B) Failure to have the Bureau contact information on the first page of any contract for goods and services in eight-point boldface type

9663(b) Failure to make available to consumers a copy of the Consumer Guide to Funeral and Cemetery Purchases

9663(c) Failure to provide consumer with a copy of the Bureau’s Consumer Guide prior to drafting a contract


FILE AUDIT:

7054.7(a)(3)(A) Converting single use graves to multiple use graves without the written consent of the person(s) with the right to control disposition

7055(A) Failure to obtain a permit for disposition of human remains

7055(B) Failure to obtain a removal permit for the disinterment of human remains when remains are being removed from the cemetery

7111 Failure to obtain authorization for interment from the person with the right to control disposition

7525 Failure to obtain written consent from the person with the right to control disposition for a disinterment

8277(B) Providing services or merchandise, or selling cemetery plots, without an executed contract

8738 Failure to collect at least the minimum amounts for endowment care

9684 Failure of a cemetery broker/salesperson to include in any advertising a statement that he/she is acting as a cemetery broker
or cemetery salesperson

The Bureau issues administrative citations and fines under California Code of Regulations (CCR) § 2382. Business and
Professions Code (BPC) § 125.9 authorizes the Bureau to issue administrative citations and assess fines up to $5,000 for
violations of the CCR, BPC, and HSC. Citations may include orders of abatement with additional terms and conditions of
compliance. More than one violation may be contained in each section of law, and a citation can include a fine assessment for
each violation. Administrative fines range from $50 to $1500 and can be assessed for each violation.