Meet A Rabbit #55

We have another new Graveyard Rabbit! Our Rabbit #55 is John Edward Stark, author of "The Texas Underground." Be sure to read up on John and see whose grave he has taken his picture with here. Enjoy!

Copyright © 2010 by Cheryl Palmer

Meet A Rabbit #54

Time to meet another Graveyard Rabbit! This will be #54, Tina Micheal Ruse. Tina's GYR site is titled "Campo Santo-Holy Ground." Find out if she has a background with cemeteries in the article here. Enjoy!

Copyright © 2010 by Cheryl Palmer

Roses for Rowe and Robinson at Roselawn

One day while I was strolling through Roselawn Cemetery I saw this unique headstone. It was for Nellie Kennedy Rowe. I knew I had to take pictures of this headstone with all of the roses. The name Rowe from Livermore meant something to me,too. I know a Rowe, or should probably say, knew a Rowe from Livermore. I have no idea if there is a relation between these two or not, but it wouldn't surprise me in the least if there is.

Nellie was born January 26, 1912 in Arkansas and died February 18, 1985 in San Joaquin County, Ca. The center of the headstone shares picture of Nellie. Below her picture there is an phrase which reads ~

"JUST BECAUSE I LOVE YOU."

The label to the right of this has the initials, as I read them to be, "C.C."

Right next to Nellie's headstone was another headstone which at a quick glance I assumed to be Nellie's husband. I quickly took the pictures and moved on. Upon returning home and really looking at these headstones, I realized, this second headstone was not that of Nellie's husband. The name on this headstone reads Johnny Dean Robinson. The dates state ~ Born August 3, 1961 ~ Died July 21, 1983. Johnny only lived to be 22 years of age. The year he was born, 1961, and the year Nelli was born, 1912, were definitely from different generations.

Johnny's picture is also in the middle and below his picture it reads ~

"IN ALL THAT IS BEAUTIFUL

HE SMILES."

The banner to the bottom right on Johnny's headstone has the initials J.D.R, Johnny Dean Robinson?

I was unable to find what the initials on Nellie's headstone stand for at this point. Johnny must have been Nellie's grandson.

Copyright © 2010 by Cheryl Palmer

Meet A Rabbit #53

Next, The Graveyard Rabbit Association is introducing Laura Leibman, author of the Colonial Graveyard Rabbit. Laura, the 53rd Graveyard Rabbit to be introduced shares with us what her job entails and why she chose to become the Colonial Graveyard Rabbit. You can read her article here. Enjoy!

Copyright© 2010 by Cheryl Palmer

Meet A Rabbit #52

The Graveyard Rabbit Association is sharing another Meet A Rabbit article. This time meet Yolanda Campbell the author of Graveyard Rabbit Journeys. Follow her story and find out how many gravestone pictures she has! Enjoy!

Copyright © 2010 by Cheryl Palmer

Wordless Wednesday ~ Cohen

Angel Lynn Cohen b. April 5, 1990 d. December 23, 1990. You'll always be our angel. Roselawn Cemetery, Livermore, California

Wordless Wednesday ~ Rickey Self

Rickey Self

b. May 4, 1941 d. September 4, 1955

Lone Tree Cemetery, Hayward, California

Alameda County 100 Club ~ Post 2

As promised in my last post, here is the list of names that are engraved on the right panel of the Alameda County 100 Club Memorial at Lone Tree Cemetery in Hayward. These are firefighters and police officers who have fallen in the line of duty since 1973.

David Guider - October 2, 1973
David Branhan - February 7, 1974
Dave Marks - February 7, 1974
Paul George - June 4, 1974
Kenneth McGregor - June 4, 1974
William M. Cann - August 29, 1974
David Jones - June 6, 1976
William Elliott - January 17, 1979
Michael J. Faulkner - June 27, 1981
Ramon Irizarry Jr. - January 18, 1983
Robert Davey Jr. - March 3, 1983
Chesley Stephens - November 13, 1984
Richard Blancher - February 23, 1986
Timothy Smith - January 2, 1987
Benjamin Worchester - March 25, 1987
Lance Petersen - November 1, 1990
Timothy Baird - December 19, 1990
John Grubensky - October 20, 1991
James Riley Jr. - October 21, 1991
William Grijalbva - December 15, 1993
Miguel Soto - June 22, 1994
Timothy Howe - April 14, 1995
Keith Konopasek - July 8, 1995
Herbert Stovall Jr. - August 16, 1995
Richard Sanders - January 15, 1997
John Monego - December 12, 1998
James Williams Jr. - January 10, 1999
Tracy Toomey - January 10, 1999
Michael Maloy - November 8, 1999
William Wilkins - January 12, 2001
Sekou Turner - May 22, 2002
William Seuis - July 22, 2004
Nels Dan Niemi - July 25, 2005
Brent Clearman - August 6, 2006
John Miller - November 16, 2007

This digital photo was taken by me on March 20, 2009. At that time this is
what was engraved in this monument.

Meet A Rabbit #51

Time for another Graveyard Rabbit introduction! This is rabbit #51. Her name is Jo Arnspiger and she will be authoring the blog "Dust to Dust GYRabbit." You can read the latest at the Graveyard Rabbit site here. Enjoy!

Alameda County One Hundred Club ~ Post #1

This monument stands in Hayward's Lone Tree Cemetery. It was erected in 2008 and holds memory to the county's fallen heroes. You can find the memorial in the newer section of the cemetery towards the back.

The center panel boasts the logo for the 100 club and says:

Alameda County 100 Club

Founded in 1974 by Martin C. Kauffman

This Memorial Is Dedicated To The

Families Of Peace Officers

And Firefighters Who

Gave Their Lives Protecting The

Citizens Of Alameda County

Below this is the California and United States Flags along

with the police officer and firefighter logos.

On the left is this beautiful poem written by George Hahn, a retired Sargent

from the LA Police Department:

I never dreamed it would be me,

My name for all eternity,

Recorded here at this hallowed place,

Alas, my name, no more face.

"In the line of duty" I hear them say;

My family now the price will pay,

My folded flag stained with their tears;

We only had those few short years.

The badge no longer on my chest,

I sleep now in eternal rest;

My sword I pass to those behind,

And pray they keep this thought in mind;

I never dreamed it would be me,

And with heavy heart and bended knee;

I ask for all here from the past,

Dear God let my name be the last.

The right panel lists the fallen officers and firefighters starting in 1973.

I will share each of these names with you in my following post.

Across the bottom of the memorial states:

Honoring and remembering all peace officers and firefighters who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

How Would You Define Cemetery, Graveyard, Coffin, Casket and Sarcophagus?

I was playing on the Web today and thought I would see how few words are defined online. 

I thought some of these were interesting so I am sharing them with you.

What's the difference between a cemetery and a graveyard?  

(The word, “graveyard,” was not recorded until the early 19th century.)

 Answer:  A  graveyard  is  always  adjacent  to  and  part  of  a  church.

 Answer: Graveyards are in the "yards" of churches.

Do you know the difference between a coffin, a casket and a sarcophagus? 
 Answer: 
It's the shape! A coffin is wider at the shoulders, narrower at the head and feet. 
 
Answer: A coffin is rectangular and a sarcophagus is more molded into the shape of 
 the human body and often had a portrait of the deceased painted on the lid. 
          Answer:  In contemporary practice, coffins have six sides while caskets have four

Answer:

Casket

1 : a small chest or box (as for jewels)

2 : a usually fancy coffin

Answer:

A sarcophagus is a stone container for a coffin or body. The word comes from Greek "sarx" meaning "flesh", and "phagein" meaning "to eat", so sarcophagus means "eater of flesh"...

Sarcophagi were usually made by being carved, decorated or built ornately. Some were built to be freestanding above ground, as a part of an elaborate tomb ortombs. Others were made for burial, or were placed in crypts. In Ancient Egypt, a sarcophagus was usually the external layer of protection for a royal mummy, with several layers of coffins nested within.

Answer:

A sarcophagus is a stone coffin. They were used by Egyptians

These answers were taken from these web pages. You

may wish to check them out yourself.

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffin
     http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/casket  
 http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_a_sarcophagus
 
http://www.deathcare.com/2009/10-trivial-cemetery-facts.html 
  http://www.ncgenweb.us/cemetery/mythtruth.htm