Sedgwick County Kansas – memorials / cemeteries

Do you know which cemeteries or memorials these pictures belong to? ANSWERS BELOW

Bless the volunteers and history keepers!

Follow the link below to find the story of some true history keepers of Kansas

http://ksn.com/2017/05/21/volunteers-restore-dignity-history-at-cemetery/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQQFZSK8CgU&sns=em


A mother’s tears from another time

This is a story that could be told in any city that has an “old” cemetery. This is a story that has happened over and over with little notice or concern but for a fleeting moment.

In this story some “vandals” thought for whatever reason they had the right or pleasure to destroy graves in a historical cemetery where I live. First I should mention that the vandalism did not go unnoticed by the hardworking staff and the volunteers that give their time and talent to preserve this historical cemetery.

What did go unnoticed by the vandals were the dates, ages, and names of one particular headstone.  I would hope they didn’t notice and still chose to destroy the headstone, that would make them not only vandals, but lost souls.

The headstone I’m referring belonged to the Steele family. To be specific, the Steele children;

Eliza – age 4yrs. – Henry age 3yrs. – Timothy age 2yrs.

All three children died within a few days of one another in March of 1877. That year there was an epidemic of scarlet fever and the Steele children succumbed to the fever.  I can’t imagine the grief and pain this mother must have felt or the tears that continued to come that horrible month in 1877 as she lost one child ,and then another ,and another.  The monument was a way of expressing that her children were here on earth, they were part of a family, they were loved, and their deaths left a hole in their family and her heart.

A few months ago someone discovered the missing headstones in a creek on the other side of town. The headstones have been restored thanks to the work of volunteers.

I can only vision a mother who wiped her tears away with the restoration of her children’s final resting place.

The hardest thing(s) I’ve ever done…..

You can ask anyone “what is the hardest thing you have ever had to do?” And the answers will be as unique as the individual you are asking. I have had many times in my life that have been a challenge. There are two that are very intertwined and I have grown as a person the most from.

I have lost many loved ones in my life. I had lost my childhood in the passing of my brothers and my parents by the time I was thirty-eight. The most challenging was a nine month period in which my father, mother and younger brother died. I can’t remember feeling anything but scared and numb. 

Scared and numb were the same feelings I had (although in a very different way) when I decided to share my memorial crosses with others.

 Would anyone want them? 

Would anyone buy them? 

I was sure that I did not require the knowledge needed to open an online shop. Like many times in my life I just told myself to try. 

Just like that moment in time when my family was dying one after the other I just had to believe that things would get better if I just tried to take life a day at a time. 

Learning social media, SEO, photography ( still learning ), how to set up websites, graphics, PayPal, and the list goes on and on. All these new trials and tribulations have been scary and mind numbing but I’ve managed, and suceeded. 

What have been the hardest things I have ever done have also served as the most personal growth in my soul. 

“Oh, What do you sell?”

Small talk can be one of those awkward or uneasy moments that we use to pass time until the moment we want arrives. Now I enjoy small talk, I’m a talker so that’s no surprise. What I enjoy the most is meeting and talking to others. If you listen you might be surprised at what you learn. I have also learned over the years that I must have a look about me because people love to tell me their troubles. I’m never uncomfortable in these situations and everyone needs someone to listen to what they have to say.

Such conversations include those while waiting in line at the post office. Now I only live a few blocks away from my neighborhood post office and I enjoy dropping of my packages in person. (a little “control ” issue I suffer from) Yes I know that this is 2017 and there is no need to drop off packages at the post office when they will come pick them up. Yes, I purchase my postage online and print it off myself but I just have to follow through with that final step. 

When I go I am usually just dropping off which is an in and out errand, but the times I’m waiting in line the small talk starts. Someone will notice that I have several packages and after some conversation about the line and how much it grows each time we come, or maybe how they have less staff than the time before, the questions I expect is ask. 

“Do you always have so many packages to mail?”

“I sell online”

“Oh, what do you sell?”

Now, this is the part where I know my answer is probably going to surprise, shock, confuse the person asking, or end the conversation.  I am very proud of my work, and the customers I serve so I smile and explain that I make cemetery/ grave crosses.

“Oh” is usually the reply then silence.

 I smile and move along in the line. 

I like small talk so it’s a little sad for me that I end it every time with my answer.

The talented one

I enjoy making my crosses and I always will. I enjoy meeting a need that is largely ignored.

The true talent in my family is my son, Levi. He within 6 months a a few used word working tools has taught himself to be an amazing craftsman. The patience and skill it takes to create from hardwoods the beautiful handcrafted pieces is not for the faint of heart.

I’m very proud of what he has made from very little other than ingenuity, hard work, persistence, and problem solving.

Check out this great article on the Local Lifestyle on Scotts Marketplace. The link is below.

https://thelocallifestyle.scottsmarketplace.com/hardwoods-by-levi/

UPDATE……..Can’t see the forest for the trees.

On December 11, 2016 I posted a story about a baby grave from the 1800’s that I had walked by dozens of times in the last 17 years.

Today the weather was a beautiful 70 degrees so I went to honor baby Paul with a memorial cross.

Holidays and 💔Healing 🎅🏼🎂🎃☘️🎄⛄️🥂🍾🎉🎊💌🎁

Now that the New Year is here we can all reflect on the year past. For some of us that year was riddled with the pain of losing someone in our lives that we loved. That loss created an enourmous hole in the year that can’t be repaired. The first year after a loss every holiday is a painful reminder of that loss.

My personal experience is just one example of holidays and grief. My oldest brother died a few weeks before Christmas of 1980, my middle brother died on my birthday in 2004, my youngest brother on New Years Eve of 1999, and my stepfather on my wedding anniversary of 1994. There have been other losses ( mother, grandmother, father ) which had nothing to do with any particular holiday but there wasn’t a “holiday reminder” of their date of death. In other words the date they died would go by each year and I would forget the actual date of over time. When you lose someone you love on a holiday or date of celebration it changes that holiday or celebration date forever.


At first I actually thought the holiday date was about me and what I had lost. I now see that that was such a ridiculous, self centered way of thinking. I made of choice of celebrating their lives on the holiday or celebration date they died. I couldn’t change what had happened, and I couldn’t change the date of my birthday, Christmas, New Years, or my anniversary but I could change how I celebrated their memory on those days. I could be grateful for every holiday spent with them and I could be grateful for the opportunity to keep them alive in my heart on those days, and grateful for my own life.
I couldn’t change dates but I could make a choice as to how I honored my love and memory of their lives. Maybe that is why although I have never been a huge fan of New Years Eve but a loyal fan of a New Year. A new year to begin again with memories of their lives not their deaths. A grateful heart for having them as part of my life story.

Crosses are a family thing

I’m very proud of my son. In what most would consider a very short time he has managed to teach himself the craft of woodworking. Like any craft, the passion must come from within and his certainly does.

He designs tables, keepsakes boxes, frames, mirrors, and my favorite home decor – crosses. He sells on Etsy and Scotts Marketplace under the appropriate name of 

Hardwoodsbylevi



Holiday Memorial Crosses

Just a few of my 2016 Holiday Crosses. I’ve sold several dozen since posting the first one in October. I will continue to create and post new crosses through Christmas.

The crosses with the plaques attached to the front can be personalized with a name at no additional charge.

Humor in life and death?


Everyone has beliefs about death and the life ever after. I believe that a death should be a celebration of one’s life. My “middle brother” died a horrible death from alcoholism, cirosis of the liver, and throat cancer. I made sure his funeral was to celebrate the 45 years he was here on this earth as a son, brother, and yes to some, a drinking buddy.

His life was important and his presence on this earth touched others in many ways, some good, some bad. I celebrated every year of his life with 45 white balloons launched by everyone at his gravesite service to symbolize the years he lived. I spoke and told a few funny stories because humor can relieve the stress that grief creates. 

There are always funerals that no humor can be found, a death of a young person, child, or infant. That is pain that can only be relieved in tears. When my oldest brother passed in a freak accident at the age of 24 there were no funny stories as it was Christmas time and shock was the only emotion we could manage. 

My youngest brother drank himself to death at 37 years old and again I told some stories at his gravesite, some funny, some stupid, some that included mourners in attendance. 

I don’t find death funny in any form but life sure is. I am all too aware that I am but a human life in a story created by my time on this earth. I want my life to have meaning but above all else I want some humor at my death. Maybe a funny story or two ( nothing too embarrassing I hope ) and a celebration of my life, yes that sounds good to me.

October: a Month with 458,000.00 facts

I already knew I was going to make a post in reference to the month of October. In doing research on October I learned a few bits of unknown-to-me information. Now if you were born in October some of the following is nothing new.

Libra and Scorpio are the zodiac signs in October

Tourmaline and Opal are the birthstones for October.

I had no idea October has two birthstones. I remember as a young girl wishing my birthday was in October so I could have the “pretty pink” birthstone.

Marigold is the October flower

Halloween is one of two holidays in October

.

The other one is Columbus Day.

The actual date is October 12th but the federal government made this a Monday holiday. If you find yourself at the bank wondering why they haven’t opened, it’s probably Columbus Day.

All of this information about October is probably ( unless your born in October ) not interesting or useful.

There is some information I would like you to remember about October.

  • October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month
  • Pink is the color of the breast cancer ribbon
  • Testing and treatment for breast cancer has improved over the last 50 years
  • There is no cure -yet
  • 458,000.00 people die each year from breast cancer worldwide.

Sorry Columbus, but this month is for the pink fighters, pink supporters, and pink survivors.

A small country cemetery ( Part 2)

I have a passion for history. As I have mentioned in other posts that history can have many forms and is not always in the written word. The Davis monument is a beautiful form of history to take in if you are ever in the northeast part of Kansas.

Ok, I realize that this may not have been an item on everyone’s list of things to see but for me it a definete ☑️ on my “life list”.

A small country cemetery. (Part One)

I have a list.

A list of places I want to go, things I want to see, things I want to do. Now some call this type of list ” a bucket list “. I call my list – “life list”. I’m not planning on leaving this earth anytime soon but I have become more aware that life is for living and the moment is now. These lists, by the way, are often started later in life and after child rearing has been completed. This is the place in life I find myself today.

I try to keep my list realistic. Financially and physically realistic. My oldest daughter helped me to complete my first list item two years ago with a 19 mile bike ride through the Grand Canyon! It may sound like a simple list to some but I enjoyed those few days in Arizonia with my daughter and a memory to cherish. 

Some of my list items are within my own state. I live in Kansas and I can honestly say that I have not even see 1/4 of my home state. Which brings me back to my “life list”.

My youngest daughter lives in Minnesota. This summer I took a detour from the interstate on my way to visit her to travel a corner of northeast Kansas. This part of my home state is filled with luscious farms, trees galore, and rolling hills one after the other. ( if you have never traveled to Kansas then you won’t understand the excitement of hills )

Hiawatha, KS has all of the above along with a very unique country cemetery. It’s not the cemetery itself that is unique as it is ONE very unique monument within the cemetery.

The final resting place to John & Sarah Davis tells an amazing story or I should say the monument itself tells a story. 

Who are John & Sarah Davis? What is their story?

John and Sarah Davis were residents of Hiawatha in the early 1900’s. They were farmers as most residents of the town were at the time. The Davis couple, childless throughout their marriage, were laid to rest in the town’s cemetery. What is different about their final resting place is that John had the monument built from marble and stone imported from Italy after Sarah passed. Just by walking around it you can see the story of their lives together.


That’s not the entrance to the cemetery and that’s not the caretaker shed either. That is the final resting place for two residents of Hiawatha, KS by the names of John & Sarah Davis.


You can google their names and you will find many interesting stories and theories as to why John chose to build the monument. Before you do just take a moment to see the story for yourself below……

October Memorial Cross

$18.00 at Floralmemorials.scottsmarketplace.com and Floralmemorials.Etsy.com

Just Start [and get over your need for a perfect plan]

A little real talk real quick: Today is Friday. I shuffled around in zombie-like fashion for the first two hours of my morning. The week was full. The remnants of summer’s days – long a…

Source: Just Start [and get over your need for a perfect plan]

The History Keeper

We all like to share stories from our youth with people that we love. It is out of love that we share and save our own history, and admit it, we like to think we live on in those stories.

But would you be willing to save someone else’s story so it could be told? Would you show that story respect and honor? Would you be willing to do that for someone who lived more than a century before you?

I shared in a post a few months back about history is not always online or in books. What we must remember as we go forever forward with digital history is that the information in a book or on a website was once neither. It takes an individual or a group of individuals to record our history into books or onto a website.  This is about one such individual.

The history keeper is what I will call him for the sake of this story. The history keeper crossed my path when he ask if he could order some plain white crosses. Now selling plain crosses is something I don’t normally do. I completed his order and didn’t give it another thought. When he reached out and wanted to order more plain white crosses  I immediately thought “why”? .”what does he do with them”? When I pressed for an answer he shared his story with me.

His property is located in Smalltown USA. On his property was a cemetery that had all but disappeared.  How does an entire cemetery disappear?

It could be….. previous owners thought that the cemetery was a waste of land and used it       for pasture.

It could be …….previous owners did not want the responsibility of a cemetery.

It could be …….previous owners did not want their property ruined by curiosity seekers or teens looking to have a perfect Halloween party.

When the history keeper found one , and only one, of the original headstones from the  cemetery he too made a choice about the property. He placed the headstone back onto the cemetery site.

Susan J died April 10, 1877 aged 2 days
Ann M Pringle wife of R Pringle died April 8, 1877 aged 28 years

This is not where the story ends .

After placing the marker back on the cemetery site he groomed the entire area, planted trees, and purchased plain white crosses to put in the ground with each indentation he discovered.  As this restoration continued he bought more crosses for six more indentations discovered in the earth.
The history keeper has no idea who Ann Pringle was, why she and her baby were buried there. He does not know the names of the others buried there. What he does know is  taking a moment in time to preserve history is important. It is also the reason that somewhere in the future ,on a website , or in  written word, this story will be told.

Somebody has to do it, right?

Humans are an interesting species. We like to be liked. We have a tendency to ignore the unsightly and admire the beautiful things of the world.  We are always quick to judge.

( even those of us who think we don’t ).

Even our heroes, champions, and leaders have to be people that make us feel better with our admiration of them.

We have our underdogs who ignore the doubtful thoughts and words of others and manage to overcome obsticles and obtain unimaginable goals.

Finally, there is the Somebody has to do it I’m just glad it’s not me. The man in the article attached is that Somebody. These are the people who keep the world balanced.

I am grateful for this one Somebody  that keeps the balance slightly tipped on the good side of the human race. Take a minute and read the article I have attached to this post.

The Man Who Buries Everyone – MEL Magazine

Fall Memorials

I have posted my remaining Fall Memorial Crosses on Etsy, Scotts Marketplace, and Zibbet for $18.00 each with FREE SHIPPING.

A celebration of Alfonso’s life

I am passionate about my cross creations because I know that time spent quietly at a loved ones grave can be very private and special. Sometimes a person just wants to recall a memory, or have a conversation that never was spoke, or just a moment to show respect for the life that was part of yours.

I understand that this form of grieving, remembering, or paying tribute is often frowned upon by others. I also understand that it is not what everyone needs and  would never ask anyone why they don’t visit a gravesite, just as I think it is unkind to question or belittle those that choose to.


I did not know Alfonso. What I can tell you when I was ask to add his name to this memorial cross is this…

Alfonso is the name he was given when he entered this world

He was loved

His birthday is the same every year……. His mother was the one he shared that first birthday with

His mother enjoys celebrating his life as any mother would on a child’s birthday

A celebration of a life , that is all that should matter. 

Thank you Alfonso’s Mom for reminding me how much I love what I do!

Hot Deals &Cool Weather

I have SALE crosses on my Zibbet and Etsy sites  as well as NEW Autumn crosses.

Floralmemorials.Zibbet.com

Floralmemorials.Etsy.com

 

 

Under Construction……

I’m in the process of updating all of the photos on my E-commerce sites – 

Floralmemorials.Zibbet.com

Floralmemorials.Etsy.com

Floralmemorials.Scottsmarketplace.com


I’m changing photos because I want my customers to see my crosses in natural light without any editing. It is so important when selling online that your customers SEE exactly what they are buying, it makes for happy customers and repeat business.

New memorial crosses posted to my Etsy site

All Floralmemorials are $18.00 with FREE shipping at Floralmemorials.Etsy.com

History / not in books or online….

When I was in school many many years ago history was a class that always seemed to require the heaviest books. History class was OK  but it wasn’t my favorite. Maybe the reason school aged children aren’t interested in history is because they have no real history of their own. Learning about of bunch of people and places that you have never known or heard of can be somewhat abstract to the young wandering mind.  ( the heavy book thing doesn’t help either ) I have always been a visual learner and to be honest I learned more from watching TV about history than a book when I was a teen. Television may not have been the most accurate at times but at least I could see what a settler may have eaten, lived in, dressed like, well you get the picture. I loved television history series like North & South, Roots, and Bonanza ( yes Bonanza. I had a crush on Hoss)
The Internet provides endless amounts of historical information. Some information is accurate, some isn’t, and some comes at a price or membership. Cemeteries also provide historical information. You can find generations of families names and ages, what branch of military a person served in, what war they fought in, what illness they passed from, and how their families felt at their passing. Cemeteries are quiet, always open and you can set your pace for what you learn. You can even take the time to share history with others by contributing information found on FindAGrave.com. This free website has information about graves from one month ago to hundreds of years past. What can I say, history and cemeteries have become passion!

Angel in the sky?

 

 

image

 

This photo is one that was given to me by one of my daughter’s friends. The photo was taken the day after the home and land that his family owned in southwestern Kansas burned to the ground. Thankfully the land and buildings were the only loss and everyone survived the blaze that burned for hours.

The photo was taken with a simple camera, no special lens, no added effects, no touch ups. Is the figure in the sky just a rement of the fire that burned and lingered or is it an angel watching over a family? Do we see what we want or need to comfort ourselves? Is that not what faith is, just believing?

 

 

 

Father’s Day Memorials

Shop for memorial crosses for DAD on my Etsy site ( Floralmemorials.Etsy.com ) and use the coupon code DAD2016 and save $18.00 at checkout when you buy 3 or more memorial crosses.

Most recognized symbol in the world…….

Crosses are my business and also my passion as I create each one to be unique just as the person being memorialized is.
One night as I was working on a new cross I thought ” I bet the cross is the most recognized symbol in the world”
So I quickly took to Google to show myself how right I was. First let me say that humility is something that should be embraced when presented and appreciated until one leaves this earth. I often forget that I live in one small portion of this world and that there are many faiths, belief systems and customs in the world besides that of a Catholic American like myself.

  • The cross may be a symbol recognized by many but so is the Star of David.
  • The American Red Cross or that symbol used in war to mark the medical areas and are places where care and comfort are given may be the most recognized “cross” of all.
  • The peace sign and the Olympic Rings both made the top 10 most recognized symbol. I found that comforting in my mind. 
  • The skull and crossbones were one from my childhood that were on many items in the bathroom and the kitchen. I was told to stay away from that symbol.

I also found that there were multiple combinations of symbols and logos mixed. The Golden Arches and the apple with a bite missing are very recognized logos but are they symbols? Not in my opinion but your viewpoint might be different. 

  • Symbols come in different languages……
  • As well as different areas of study.

The cross may not be the most recognized symbol in the world which is not a big revelation, but what was most disturbing and revealing about symbols was that a symbol of hate was also in the top ten. I refuse to put a picture of the symbol on my blog. The symbol is a distorted red mark that one man used to lead others to kill millions of people for no other reason than hate for their difference to him.
As I said in the beginning, humility should be embraced and we should learn from our narrow thinking in all human relationships.