A Walk Through an Old Graveyard

So, yesterday was my birthday (yay, 42!). Being Monday, everyone was at work so I had to amuse myself :)

Had a nice fat cheeseburger, fries & sweet tea at Penny's Restaurant, then decided to go look at my paternal grandma's two headstones (that's a story for another post).

Our small north Alabama town was founded in 1806 & burial at this graveyard began in 1835. After straightening the flowers & various angel figurines on Grandma's grave & checking on the other half dozen relatives, I decided to seek out the oldest grave marker. There's only a couple hundred graves & I went toward the center of the lot.

Didn't take too long & there it was! Hezekiah Bayles, Esq, Born 1756, Died 1835. Beside him, his wife Jane, Born 1762, Died 1839. Even more exciting, there's a little flag marking her grave as belonging to the wife of a Revolutionary War Soldier!! I suppose there was once a flag on his grave, but it is no longer.

I found many other old stones including several that belonged to men who had served in the War of 1812, the Mexican War, The Civil War (including many who served in the Tennessee Cavalry), as well as a number of Vietnam vets. Oddly, I do not recall seeing any from WWI or WWII.

There was a large number of infant & toddler's graves, many being decades old & sporting markers that had been etched by hand by a grieving family member. So touching.

I didn't have my camera with me as the trip was unplanned, but I hope to return on Friday & take some snapshots to share. :)