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Welcome to Susquehanna Headstones. This site consists of, obviously, photographs I have taken of headstones in Susquehanna County, PA. I am currently working on transcribing and photographing all of the county's cemeteries. This will certainly not be an overnight endeavor, especially when the weather refuses to cooperate. Please feel free to use these photos for genealogical purposes, but afford me the courtesy of the photo credit. Feel free to contact me with any questions, requests, or howdies. Enjoy your visit!
Note: If you have info that an ancestor is buried in a particular cemetery and they are not shown here, that does not mean they are not in that cemetery. It may only be that I have not yet photographed that marker.
I will also include photos from other areas I visit, such as Broome County, NY; Logan County, WV, etc.
Please feel free to add any historical or genealogical information that you would like to share concerning individuals, families, places, etc. After each surname list per cemetery you will find a list of maiden names (married name in parenthesis).
I am often asked why I do this. It's a simple answer: Once they're gone, they're gone. Once they're gone, they're forgotten.
"What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; What we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal." Albert Pike
Please contact me on the site. I sent you a member email invite but I'm not sure if you got it or not. And thank you for the contributions you've made so far!
Laurel
Here I try to give an idea of what all those little pictures, emblems, images, etc that decorate memorials are supposed to mean. These could include association or membership to a group, occupation, personal interests, religious affiliation, age at death, condolence to survivors, spiritual reassurance for survivors, etc. Please bear in mind that these have some meaning to the deceased and/or their family in many instances. However, there are some cases where the family chose the stone they did simply because they liked it.
Arch -- Usually the entire headstone is the arch. Entrance into Heaven. Meant to symbolize a portal or doorway. Sometimes used in combination with other emblems (ie, an arch with a lamb on top may be used for a child).
Drapes/Curtains -- Death; The end of life.
Tree Stump -- Life cut short.
Lamb -- Death of a child; Innocence lost
Hand Pointing Up -- Ascendance to Heaven
Coffin -- Death; Mortality
To clarify some of the names of burial sites listed herein:
A cemetery is a plot of land set aside for the interrment of the deceased and is maintained by the community, usually a cemetery association. It is independent of any religious affiliation and not geographically attached to any religious structure.
A graveyard is a plot of land in direct association to a religious structure,ie a church building. Generally located directly to one side, or the other, of the religious structure, used mainly for the interrment of deceased parishioners and maintained by the church officials.
A family plot is an area set aside for the interrment of members of a specific family. Sometimes these are within a cemetery, these are generally separated by monogrammed blocks or fences and may contain one large family stone surrounded by memorials to specific individuals. Family plots may be stand alone interrment sites located on family land (past and/or current).
Single headstone sites may actually be a location where, at some point in the past, families were travelling and lost a member, or members, to illness or injury. For lack of any other resources, the deceased were interred at the roadside with a handmade marker, or no marker at all.
An abandoned cemetery/graveyard, as defined by this site, is one that is no longer in use, and is not maintained by a church or community association, but may be maintained by a property owner. Many of these are no longer a part of the community consciousness, and are unknown even to lifetime residents.
I'm currently organizing (in the very early stages) a cemetery restoration project for Patch aka Old Forest Lake Cemetery. I am hoping to begin the actual work this spring. This winter I am focusing on finding volunteers to help, getting pointers on headstone repair (Thanks Noel!!), and applying for funding for repairs as it qualifies for Historic Burial Site status. As well as searching for a way in without crossing private property (I think I found it)...that's the hardest part! Anyone in the area who would care to put in a few hours of backbreaking fun, please let me know!!! :) All are welcome to help out!! This cemetery has not been used in 110 years and is in dire need of some attention.
More info will be posted as I get things rolling.
Laurel
Louise brought it to my attention that the Bible of Susquehanna COunty history has been made available, in full, on Google books!!! Thanks for the heads up Louise!!! Here's the link:
Hopefully you guys will find this useful. The board can be used to swap Susquehanna genealogy info and ask questions of each other, or just get to know each other. So feel free to discuss genealogy, history, the weather, whatever here.