Cemetery walking - Magnolia Cemetery

Magnolia Cemetery, Charleston, SC

Cemeteries might not be on everyone's visiting guest route but they are one of my frequent haunts so it only made sense to give my nephew a quick driving tour through Magnolia Cemetery yesterday. It was a beautiful day and the azaleas are starting to burst into bloom.

I am not used to seeing many changes in the historic cemetery so this new mausoleum caught my eye. I've never noticed it before.

Church Photo in Lieu of Attendance - Branchville

Sardis Methodist Church, Branchville, SC   

I've been to Branchville, SC. I've had a hotdog and a float at the Churn and I've even enjoyed a great dinner at the Eatery at the Depot but until I recently noticed pictures of the Sardis Methodist Church on SCIway I'd missed it entirely.

A couple of weeks ago I had a chance to direct a drive in the country towards the spot and I am happy I did. I ran into Mickey Byrd who was cleaning debris and tending to the cemetery. He showed me a few of the notable tombs including that of a Spanish American War soldier.

When I asked about the decorated Unknown Indian's grave he said that the Indian had done some odd jobs in the area and when he passed away none of the churches were comfortable burying him in a Christian cemetery. The Sardis church offered a plot just outside the cemetery boundaries and he himself tried to decorated it in a way that would be respectful.

The Orangeburg Times & Democrat: Early inhabitants of the area held religious services outside under the trees prior to the American Revolution. After the war, a little log church referred to as the “Meeting House” was constructed. In 1786, Methodist missionaries preached for the first time there. On Jan. 13, 1811, the log church was moved to a site on the north side of town on land sold by George Hartzog for $1. The land was part of a 417-acre tract which was granted to Tobias Hartzog on Sept. 4, 1786. The name of the church was changed to Sardis. In 1849, a framed church replaced the log structure. Sardis church was in the Orangeburg Circuit until 1866, when it became part of the Branchville Circuit. According to headstones, the cemetery contains the remains of an unknown Indian, Spanish-American War veteran Avery Heaton and at least three generations of the Byrd family.

What do you want on your tombstone?

She was the sunshine of our home

She took us to church

She looked well to the ways of her household

Home is the sailor, home from the sea and the hunter home from the hill

Beautiful, daring, exuberant and compassionate. Heaven has many riches.

Travel Tuesdays - Savannah, GA

Forever running, Bonaventure Cemetery, Savannah, GA

I've given myself the liberty of dipping into albums of photos that aren't limited to the Lowcountry on Tuesdays. This evening's photo isn't from too far down the coast - Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia. It is an incredible cemetery and should be on the list for anyone who enjoys wandering in historic cemeteries. This statue of a joyful runner struck me as particularly unusual. Run on Julie! It's refreshing to see such a happy face running between the tombstones.

The tomb isn't as old as most are at Bonaventure and I easily found the obituary: 

Julie Backus Smith: She was a founding member of the Savannah Striders and promoted running in the Savannah area. She ran in the Boston, New York and Grandfather Mountain Marathons on numerous occasions and at the age of 55 she also participated in the Disney World Marathon. At one time in her career she earned the title of fastest female runner in the Savannah area.

*Travel Tuesdays will feature photos taken out of Charleston and the Lowcountry.  Join me for Travel Tuesday field trips!

Cemetery Walking - 2nd Presbyterian

Eva, 2nd Presbyterian, Charleston, S.C.

They left the side gate to the cemetery open at 2nd Presbyterian for the Gospel Choir members to practice and I slipped in along with them yesterday morning in between the rains. I made my rounds visiting the lost children, Eva, Jane and simply "Our First Born". These little tombstones are heart breakers every time but I wished I had a blanket for the Eva statue. She looked so cold and alone.

The loneliest man no longer

John Doe, Charleston, S.C.

I imagined John Doe to be a solitary, lonely gentleman but perhaps not. Married to Jane Doe?! Who knew?

According to Wikipedia, in the UK, Australia and New Zealand they use the name Joe Bloggs as we use John Doe? These are other "place holder" names: Average Joe, John Smith, John Q Public, Joe Shmoe and Tommy Atkins.

Below, I guess we can imagine what the Deaconess' favorite expression was.  "Do Jesus." May she rest in peace. Do Jesus.

NE India Trip - Old British Cemetery

Anglican Cemetery, Shillong, India

As is my custom at home and when I travel, I try to walk through a cemetery and when I was in Shillong I tracked down the old Anglican British cemetery. I would never have found it without help although it is mentioned online and probably a site still visited by descendants from England. We finally did find it after asking for directions multiple times.


The gate was locked but a groundskeeper heard us and let us in to wander. There is still a small chapel and he was using the bushes to dry laundry. Many of the tombstones had been relocated there from tea plantations and battles sites in Assam. There weren't as many women and children as I would have imagined and the cemetery is still being used for burials. It was a sweet spot and I slipped the caretaker a little money for upkeep.

A few more from the cemetery

Magnolia Cemetery, Charleston, S.C.

A few more from Magnolia Cemetery. Since then, I've been here, I've been there, I've been everywhere - an engagement party in Hanahan (hi Heather, Jason), a tall glass of pear cider at Closed for Business and then a fried green tomato and crab stack at Fleet Landing overlooking the water.

Do we have to do Monday?

I guess this is why it is called Magnolia Cemetery

Magnolia Cemetery, Charleston, S.C.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

I guess this is how the cemetery earned it's name. I've never really thought of it before. It's the first magnolia picture I've taken that pleased me.

Like a bird, on a bird....

Magnolia Cemetery, Charleston, S.C.

I checked a few chores off my list this morning and treated myself to a walk through Magnolia Cemetery. This bird perching on a bird carved on a tombstone made me smile.

Oooooooh....it's nap time and now I have to get dressed and go out. Bad timing. More cemetery pictures later. Stay cool kids!

Blossoms in the Unitarian Church Cemetery

Unitarian Churchyard, Charleston, S.C.

There isn't much depressing about the riot of color in the cemetery on the grounds of the Unitarian Church. It's hard to resist overloading the blog with blossom pictures right now. I'm afraid this is what you are going to get for a while!

The pathway in the lower photo is from the entrance at the gate on King St.

I hope everyone has had a good weekend. Remember - when I am Queen, we will all have three day weekends.

Cemetery Strolling - Magnolia

Magnolia Cemetery, Meeting St., Charleston, S.C.

I get asked in emails on occasion to track down a certain tomb. People come across my cemetery albums but are looking for something in particular that they don't find.

I never mind going to Magnolia Cemetery. In this case I started in St. Lawrence on Sunday morning before I crossed back to Magnolia next door but didn't find what my reader was hoping for. Yet. No worries. I'll go back.

Live Long & Prosper

Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim Cemetery Coming St. Charleston, S.C

A few years ago, my friend Charles W. invited me to join a tour during an open house at the Beth Elohim temple on Hassel St. It was beautiful, but the icing on the cake for me was to walk out of the temple and get on a bus to explore the Jewish Cemetery on Coming St. Established in 1762 this is the oldest Jewish Cemetery in the south. I'd walked past the locked gates a million times so it was a treat to get inside.

I was fascinated by the hand symbols on the old tombstones and learned it was the sign of a priestly blessing. On further research I found this:

Cemetery Symbols:

On Jewish tombstones you will sometimes see a symbol showing two hands arranged for the Priestly Blessing like the example here......

And yes, Star Trek fans… You’ve probably noticed the similarity between this symbol and the Vulcan hand greeting (“live long and prosper”) used in the TV show and movies. This was suggested by actor Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock), who saw the Priestly Blessing in a synagogue when he was a child. He modified it as Vulcans use only one hand. See: The Jewish Origin of the Vulcan Salute

Exploring further I followed up with a visit to the Jewish Cemetery off upper Meeting St. next to Magnolia to find the same symbols there.




This post is for my friend Leah who I expect I'll soon bump into in a cemetery.