1/31/14

Hey everyone! Sorry this post is so late in the game I’m still trying to get into the swing of things. I think posting on Friday nights will work best. In this post, I will be covering what went on last Friday, this past Wednesday, and today!

         

          Last Friday it was so cold out that for fieldwork, so we drove through two cemeteries and it was really interesting for it was to note the differences between the black cemetery and the white cemetery, there were some differences with the upkeep or even the boundary line. With the black cemetery, it was clear that part of the fence was on top of a few people who were buried; leading us to question if there are unmarked graves lying outside of the cemetery boundary. There were two cemeteries we actually went into and the most fascinating was Lake Dias where the ornamentation on top of the gravestones was truly unique for they were covered in conch shells. 

         From my gleaning of the Internet, shells are often bleached beforehand and then the sun continues to bleach it. In addition, from talking to my coworker and more Internet research this practice is not specific to just one religion or culture, but it widespread amongst those of Jewish descent, Hispanic origin, or other personal beliefs. She told me she heard that it was "for those who came by sea to leave by sea", which I find fascinating. I found this succinct article on what that shells represent to different religions and thought you guys might be interested by that. x

Another example of conch shells outlining the graves

            Another thing I noticed was a tombstone that had a bumper sticker and a CAT machine replica on top of the person interred below. At first, it seems a little odd, but I like that I had a chance to sneak a peek at the type of man this was and what his passion was. I liked that it was personal and though I didn’t understand the full story I could still piece together his age, his possible career, family by those buried alongside etc.

            On Wednesday, I had the opportunity to work from home, which was perfect since it was a dark, rainy day that makes you want to drink tea all day long. I was able to complete transferring names and cross-checking for Cassadaga and Lake Helen Cemetery and this upcoming Wednesday I’ll be running to the DeLand library to cross reference my list with a list made previously by a Ms. Brownell.

          

          Today my coworker and I focused on the big picture and worked on creating an excel spreadsheet that listed all the cemeteries that are being worked on for the county. It was amazing to see how many there were-84 was my last count for total cemeteries! Additionally, I finished up writing a page history about Cassadaga and Lake Helen, highlighting the important or notable men and women that are buried there. It was really interesting and I was so excited that I was able to research through so many books and government documents to weave together a history of not just the place, but of those buried there as well. I know that may sound weird, but normally you either write about a person or a place for a paper, so this was a very enjoyable task for me. 

This week was pretty quiet, but next week I think I will be very interesting. I should be approved to drive the government vehicle by next week and if so I will have my coworker take a picture of me looking terrified. Furthermore, there will be a lot more fieldwork and a chance to mix up the pace a bit, so I think I will have more exciting stuff to talk about!

1/21/14

Hope everyone had a lovely Martin Luther King Jr. Day and enjoyed the extra day off from work. I wanted to fill everyone on what my fieldwork was like on Friday and I am warning you there are a lot of pictures!

Our first cemetery of the day Glenwood

            We went to three different cemeteries: Glenwood, African American Cemetery in Glenwood, and Bethel Cemetery. The first, Glenwood, was a well-kept and still functioning cemetery. Here is where I encountered for the first time a unique look into the various uses of memorializing past loved ones through tombstones and trinkets. The saddest was for a four year old’s grave toys, which could very well be his, were spread out around the headstone. It was interesting to see such tender display shown on this new grave and then just a few hundred yards away another grave marker had a long neck beer with a saucy koozie standing as tribute to the fallen “free spirit”. It was just a very jarring juxtaposition, but I do find gestures and even the epitaphs themselves to be incredibly fascinating. It’s a topic I could focus on for hours especially when it comes to the more unique looking tombstones.

Some of the toys found at the young boy's grave

The koozie reads "Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones Chains and Whips Excite Me"

            The second cemetery was completely abandoned and can only be accessed through traipsing through the woods. Due to my aversion of nature, especially snakes, spiders, and that day ticks, I did not have a chance to take pictures of the broken or overgrown graves. It was quite sad that the African American cemetery was allowed to reach to such a state of disrepair and that it will be a very gradual process to reverse the damage from vegetation and man.

Last but not least is Bethel

            Lastly, we went to Bethel Cemetery, which just like Glenwood was well maintained and still in use. This one contained more family plots then I have seen in a while, but the saddest was that of two brothers who passed away due to an epidemic that was sweeping Volusia County in 1886. There were more beer cans here and I saw my first tombstones with pictures inlaid as well. It was very nicely done I must say. It was a very nice cemetery, as much as one can say a cemetery is nice. Here we catalogued every grave we saw in order to have a much more updated count and it will help complete the necessary paperwork for Bethel.

This grave belongs to one of the young boys who died in an epidemic from 1886. The dove on top of the stone was often used on young children's graves (a deer was also used at times).  

Another form of memorializing through beer. Found the juxtaposition of angel and beer ironic. 

While we only catalogued at Bethel, we did complete site evaluation forms for all three cemeteries. It focused on the amount of damage (if any) to the cemetery, types of materials used for markers and tombstones, and the overall foliage of the cemetery. It was fairly extensive forms that we filled out that will be beneficial for future five-year plan on preserving the cemeteries. It was a very interesting field day and I am excited to see what other cemeteries will bring for I know there are some ginormous ones that will need to be tackled. Tomorrow I’m back in the office and will be focusing on the paperwork for Bethel and Cassadaga Cemeteries; I can hardly wait!

1/16/14

Hello everyone!! This is my first official week interning at the Volusia County Parks, Recreation, and Culture Department where I will be working on rural graveyard preservation. Already this week I finished documenting the Glenwood Cemetery and my boss sent the compiled documentation and form to the Florida Master Site File where all the information can be requested. I will admit the reason I finished with Glenwood Cemetery so quickly was because I was able to start last Friday but I consider this to be my first official week. I am amazed that I was already able to put the finishing touches on a cemetery file.

This is a glimpse into the research that is done when researching a cemetery

Tomorrow I have to submit some final medical paperwork, which will allow me to start my fieldwork tomorrow! My boss, my coworker, and myself will be visiting Glenwood Cemetery, Bethel Cemetery, and a few more that will be determined tomorrow. I am so excited to start documenting the graveyards and see what stories are in store for me!