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Wendy  Gray's avatar

Those of us who wonder about those long ago lives live in the space of knowing the importance of every soul who was here before us. Their presence HERE meant something! I love this post, Jane! The photos and the poetic words that accompany them.

Many blessings and MUCH LOVE,

~Wendy💜

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Jane Deegan's avatar

Yes it does! Thanks, Wendy!

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John O'Neill's avatar

See also Grey's Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard --among the very greatest poems and mirroring your pictures and thoughts. Wonderful place for contemplation and memory. Great reminder we are just passing through/speak our lines/and then clear the theater for the new crowd /going elsewhere.

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Jane Deegan's avatar

Thanks, John! I'll have to check that out. Cemeteries remind us so much of that. We are a blip through time. It's eye opening really

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Kathleen Hobbs's avatar

Jane, I love old cemeteries. I belong to a group called, Find a grave.

It’s an app that you can request a picture of someone’s grave or you can go to cemeteries and transcribe information from graves for others to be able to identify their families.

That is what I have done for years. I have actually been to three cemeteries in Pennsylvania, Mount Olivet

In man’s choice, Bedford county, Pennsylvania

Also, Mount Ross cemetery in Bedford, Bedford county, Pennsylvania

And the third one old union cemetery in Buffalo Mills, Bedford county, Pennsylvania

I have had several people throughout the years contact me requesting information. It’s so rewarding to be able to supply that for them.

Walking through the cemeteries and reading the

Headstones made me feel closer to those that have passed on. The older head stones are the best showing pictures and little sayings about the deceased. The sad part was reading so many headstones where babies have passed.

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Jane Deegan's avatar

That's interesting about the app.

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Jane Deegan's avatar

Thanks, Kathleen! That's so cool! So much history there. Now tomb stones are flat. So much art in them if you think about it.

My grandfather and uncle operated a granite quarry in Pennsylvania and also Vermont. They would design tombstones!!!

The ones with the babies though. I can't even

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Pamela Cummins's avatar

When I was 8, we lived in a converted barn next to an old church in Church Hanborough for 6 months. Those old graves were really creepy as a child, and it took a while before my sister and I could sleep.

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Jane Deegan's avatar

That sounds creepy! My childhood church was almost as old as the one I wrote about. We used to play hide and go seek in the cemetery and go for Easter egg hunts there too. We thought nothing about it

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Pamela Cummins's avatar

It was very creepy! We did play there eventually.

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Mary Pierce's avatar

I love cemeteries too. All those stories!

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Jane Deegan's avatar

They are so rich in history. I feel sad yet curious. So many lives and stories

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Jane Deegan's avatar

Their presence did if only for one person. Thanks so much

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