EMILY

Wife of JC

SWETLAND

Died Jan 4, 1892

Unknown to the author and

with all possible respect...

This tombstone, one of the largest I've seen of its kind, is made of metal.  Those that are considerably smaller (but larger than the infant's marker {foreground}) are fairly common around Ohio.

The contrast between the metal marker's blue hue and that of a traditional granite stone is apparent in the photo right.

These pictures were done on a recent, 55 mile motorcycle caching run that involved finding a geocache in Fredericktown and one in this cemetery adjacent to the Chester Baptist Church, just south of Chesterville, OH.

Cemetery caches nearly always are somewhere on the perimeter of the grounds, or, if elsewhere on the burial grounds, away from tombstones.

Being respectful of the grave sites is always part of the hiding and finding process.

Taking a close peek while meandering through the burial sites often reveals something of interest.  In this case, why, for example, is the lady on top of the tall metal marker holding an anchor in her left hand?

Then there is this above ground crypt in the same cemetery seemingly being watched over by a bit of a ragged cast of stone centurions in the background.

The wording on the decedent's plaque (foreground) says,

"To the memory of the

REV. HENRY GEORGE

Born in Tilgrath, South Wales minister of the gospel, He lived justly esteemed for his piety and usefulness, died justly lamented, on the first day of November 1821 in the 61 year of his age."

MARY

Wife of the Rev. Henry George, died Augustg 27, 1843 aged 84 years.

Buried in Missouri"

Then, there was this cemetery experience we still chuckle about from very early in our caching career.  On a stone in a cemetery near the Clear Fork Lake dam just west of Lexington, there was mention of a lady who died at the age of 33 years in 1826.

Her gravestone described her as the "Consort" of the headstone's decedent.

We still wonder how lively the definition of that word might have been 188 years ago.