This unassuming rural cemetery deserves a closer look.
According to my notes, we’d driven through the Bethel Cemetery near Bethel, OR at some point, but we hadn’t stopped to take photos. Funeral service at the time? Bad weather? Don’t remember. I found some interesting things at this typical rural cemetery nestled between fields that I’ll share now.
I really enjoy finding memorials that call out that someone was an Oregon Trail Pioneer. That was a heck of a journey, and they deserve credit for it.
I love this pretty carving of a bird nest and eggs on Sara Margaret Stewart Johnson’s tombstone.
Someone very recently left an offering of oats, some other grain, a potato, and a banana, placed very carefully. I wonder if it was left for critters, or if it was left as part of a ritual. My guess is critters.
It isn’t very typical to have anything on the curved top of zinker memorials, but here it is.
This makes me sad, and I hope his Mom is finding some measure of peace.
On a complete side note, when I Googled his name, I learned that in 1522 the Knights of Rhodes fell to the Turks, betrayed by “Andrew d’ Amaral, Chancellor of the Order and Grand Prior of Castile.” The Knights of Rhodes accepted Sultan Suleiman’s terms, and were allowed to leave the island in 1523 with all their weapons and valuables. In 1530, the Knights of Rhodes obtained Malta and became known as “The Knights of Malta.”
This isn’t a very common zinker configuration either, it reminds me of a neck rest.
Aside from a cemetery on the Oregon coast, I don’t see many of these zinkers that have a planting area built in.
These little symbols represent an antenna, coil and ground. Boyfriend speculates one of them was a radio buff. Sand dollars can have several different meanings.
If you are a writer and are in need of interesting character names, seriously, go browse around on Findagrave, or better yet, visit a local pioneer cemetery. “Perlonzo” sounds perfect for a romance novel hero, doesn’t it? His full name was Perlonzo Condit Sears and he was quite handsome according to Findagrave.
I’ll have to look up Ernest and his story sometime.
Milton. Died. Aged. He certainly did.
Elmer and Elmina must have been twins. I can’t help but wonder if they planned on two boys, or a boy and a girl.
Stop in at the cemetery if you’re traveling on 99W. You might even see the critter the food is supposed to feed!
Stump and Lamb explores personal growth and meaning via travels to pioneer cemeteries of the West.
This post was originally published at michellerau.com.
michelle rau 