2/23/14

The highlight of this week was the fieldwork on Friday, for it was my coworker and I racing to complete cemetery assessments before we were inevitably rained out.  It was an array of cemeteries from small familial cemeteries to massive often used cemeteries; it was interesting to see how even the upkeep and decorations differed from each location.

            The first cemetery we visited was Purdom Cemetery, which was off of the highway and tucked away on a winding road. It is a massive cemetery that has very obvious mixes of older tombs and recent. The decoration, flowers, and additional trinkets left on the newer tombs made it appear to be well taken care of and visited often. It was nice to see that care was taken to making sure the tombs looked presentable and not withering away. One can easily tell that this is a place for some to come and commemorate and in a sense be with their past love ones.

            Afterwards we ventured to Clifton Cemetery, which was one of the prettiest locations I have seen besides Harris Cemetery. The drive to the cemetery involved driving under a beautiful canopy until one reaches the small and quaint cemetery  There was a carving on one of the headstones I enjoyed for the simplistic nature and another had near the headstone a circular stone with I am assuming their collegiate affiliation. Two very drastic carvings, but I believe they both embodied the persons entombed quite nicely.

The majority of those buried there are related to the Clifton family, so it was interesting to see a true familial cemetery and the differences. I found there was not as many trinkets or decorations as I have seen either at Purdom or even Bethel Cemetery.

A small look at the massive cemetery

           

The final major cemetery we visited was Oakdale Cemetery in Deland, which I discovered has on site maintenance that I appreciate for not only do the grounds look spotless, but it aids in reducing the amount of vandalism as well. I discovered they have their own website which entails events, such as reenactments that are done twice a year, photographs of unique burials, and cost to be buried there as well. (You can check it out here x) The last item I have never really put much thought to and was surprised by the cost and am very curious to research more about cost of burial practices with other prominent cemeteries in the area. By the time we arrived to this cemetery a storm was fast approaching so we had to quickly do the assessment for the massive cemetery, while additionally taking pictures for not only documentation but to have for future projects. I could wander that cemetery for hours and still find fascinating headstones and obelisks! The mausoleum was incredibly striking, but I found my self more entranced by the obelisks and unique memorials such as a bench for example.

 Not only are their tombs, but also there is a memorial for Confederate Soldiers that are buried in Oakdale Cemetery. Very simple and does not truly draw attention to itself but it is there nonetheless as a silent tribute. I hope to go back to this cemetery so I can spend more time looking and less time worrying about being rained out.

Next week is my last week before Spring Break and I cannot fathom how fast this semester has been going by! However, as they say “time flies when you’re having fun” and that is most certainly the truth. I have seen in such a short period a fascinating array of tombs and I’m working on strengthening my technical writing skill, but that has been an unexpected challenge. I am excited to see what else is in store for me this semester.