untitled

Page A25

SEPTEMBER 2017

FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS

S ec t i on A

National Distribution

MEN’S SUITS

FOR STAFF

(917) 862-0548

FAX (561) 501-6258

SÃÙã«Ê® D®ÝãÙ®çã®ÊÄ, IÄ.

EÝã½®Ý« 1979

UÄ½ BÊ’Ý WÙ«ÊçÝ

1099 SÊçã« CÊÄ¦ÙÝÝ Aò

D½Ùù B«, FL 33445

100% Wools

(Super 150’s, 160’s)

350

retail value

$100

3 Suit Minimum

«

Polyrayons

12 Suit Minimum

«

3 Suit Minimum

«

$90

Tuxedos

«

$40

Blazers

«

MOPEC INTRODUCES

QUALITY AND BUDGET-FRIENDLY

FUNERAL HOME SOLUTIONS.

*Promo code: Valid through 10/15/2017. One time use. Excludes quotes and equipment. Excludes tax and

shipping. Cooler & Lift pricing excludes freight. Prices subject to change without notice.

• Cooler includes casters and three

body boards

• Sealed lift battery and single scissor for

increased safety and durability

• Handle-mounted lift controls for easier

maneuvering

www.mopec.com

(800) 362-8491

COOLER:

$5,900

$8,269

LIFT:

$5,900

$7,795

COOLER & LIFT:

$11,250

$16,064

SPECIAL FUNERAL HOME PRICING:

Made

in the

USA

postmortem thread,

needles & instruments

headrests, body slats

& positioning tools

cleaners, disinfectants &

stainless steel wipes

25% off supplies to celebrate our 25th Anniversary

with promo code

25SEPTEMBER

consider these stylized symbols to be ma-

cabre. However, these were the popular

symbols the deceased family and the stone

From Undertaker and Stone Cutter to

Embalmer and Stone Carver

By Paulette Chernack

Early 20

century advertising sign for G. F. Austin’s Funeral

Home, York Village, ME

Early 18

Century gravestone from

Hingham, MA

Fredericksburg, VA cemetery plaque honoring soldiers

who died in the Civil War

During the colonial pe-

riod in our history, under-

taking the task of preparing

the deceased for burial was

an enormous responsibility.

Early 17th century families,

unsure of their future in the

New World, often required

someone to transport the deceased

person’s body from the colonies,

across the ocean, back to an ances-

tral burying place in Europe. Only

a trusted, reliable person could per-

form such a task. That person be-

came known as an “undertaker.”

Once permanent settlements in

the New World were established,

including meeting houses and

churches, a family member who

died would most likely be buried

in a family plot or in the church

burying ground. A stone cutter

would be hired to cut a gravestone for the de-

ceased family member. Later, nineteenth cen-

tury undertakers would become known as

embalmers and morticians. Stone cutters dis-

tinguished themselves from masons who used

bricks and mortar to construct buildings, and

became known as stone carvers.

Early American stone cutters of the late 17

century imported slate from England. Quality

slate was discovered on what would be named

“Slate Island” in the Boston Harbor. With qual-

ity slate readily available, the Boston, MA region

became the epicenter for gravestone carving.

The early slate gravestones contain beautiful art

work and often long epitaphs to honor the de-

ceased.Talented artisans used only hammers and

chisels to carve some of the finest examples of

and 18

century slate stones. Many are still

in excellent condition hundreds of years later.

The top section of the gravestone or tympa-

num was often carved with skulls, crossbones,

hourglasses, and soul effigies. Many people

carvers chose to represent death, the passage

of time, and the resurrection of the soul into

heaven. Even a hooped snake or ouroboros

was used to represent everlasting life.

Almost every letter of the alphabet has ac-

companying artistic gravestone iconology.

The letter “A” includes carved angels, apples,

arches, arrows, and even axes. Angels refer to

the soul being transported to heaven, where-

as an ax could represent “life cut short.”

The letters “B, C, and D” include the bi-

ble, bones, birds, bats, borders, candles,

cherubs, Celtic crosses, clocks, crowns, cof-

fins, clouds, death heads, respectively. So it

continues all the way to the letters “X, Y

and Z.” Beautifully carved borders accom-

panied the symbolism carved in the tympa-

num on slate, marble, and granite stones.

The Civil War completely changed the

art of gravestone carving. Since more than

650,000 soldiers lost their lives, the long

epitaphs that preceded the Civil War no

longer would be carved into grave mark-

ers. Stone carvers did not have time to carve

long epitaphs. They could barely keep up

with the number of markers needed. In-

stead of a lengthy epitaph and beautifully

CONTINUED ON PAGE A29