Cemetery orientation -- exceptions to the rule

oosik · Aug 14, 2017

OK, so this morning I made an early morning motorcycle run down south thru the wheat country(Palouse). Able to find and check three graveyards(not cemeteries). One was a private family situation and the other two were serving two different small towns.

The private graveyard had a definite N/S orientation. The other two had no distinct orientation at all. Their location/layout and design appeared to be dictated by topography and road access. As a side note - I know that many graveyards in most of these small towns, here in the wheat country, came about because some family donated a plot of land to the town for that purpose. With that in mind, they had to do the best they could with the layout, access, maintenance, etc,etc.

tcreeley · Aug 15, 2017

When my father passed away his 3rd wife handled all of the details. He was cremated in Texas where he died and she gave them a wooden box that fit into a cardboard box about a cubic foot if memory serves me (15+) years ago. Family and friends came for a memorial service at the cemetery (Mt Auburn outside of Boston), and then the immediate family proceeded to the family plot with his box of ashes. We arrived (long walk) and there was a lovely location and the family stone. His wife had brought along a small shovel. No prior hole and it was left mostly to myself and my brother to dig his grave for his ashes (there were few who could handle a shovel adequately). We did so and covered him over. I hadn't realized that we would be doing the job until we arrived. Interesting and solemn occasion. Some time later a separate small stone with his name DOB, etc, was added. 1923 was the last time someone had been interred in the family plot. and that was my great great grandfather. Elsewhere in the cemetery are my grand father and grandmother.