I discovered my great, great grandfather’s grave in the Spring Run Cemetery, Louisa County, Iowa a few years ago. Where your ancestors left the sacred heart of Jesus, Israel Hoover, who died in 1881, left a rather foreboding message on the back side of his decay resistant cast iron tombstone:
One thing I learned, which should have been obvious, we have acres and acres of vacant land that we turn into cemeteries, not so in places like Germany, where civilizations have been born and died for centuries! If you gave everybody a spot forever you'd be living in a cemetery! There you are buried in a place that the family purchases a leasse for 40 or so years, you can extend the lease, but have to pay for it to keep that spot. Eventually, no one really knows whose bones are there and no one wants to expend money for a lease that no one knows anymore! So they remove the stone and sell the lease to someone needing a burial plot. they dig the grave and after all those years little remains since they don't use a vault and I'm sure there is little preservatives used to keep the body "looking good". Usually whatever remains is pushed into the bottom of the grave and the next resident is placed in the grave for the next 40 year rental! Some keep a family plot rented and all those family members are buried in similar fashion, one on top of the other and the plot is perpetiually paid for.
Thank you for this beautiful story. Ironically some of the only remaining ancient tallgrass prairies exist in pioneer cemeteries. Examples include Rochester Cemetery Prairie, Clay Prairie State Preserve next to the Butler Center Cemetery (a ghost town), and Bennington Township Cemetery. Increasingly they serve as a record of what the prairie soil used to be.
This is so true about our ancient tallgrass prairies in pioneer cemeteries. I'm a frequent visitor to Rochester Cemetery. It's spectacular! Just a tiny hint of what the rest of the state looked like.
Such an interesting story, Mary. Thanks for you for sharing it.
Thanks for reading!
I discovered my great, great grandfather’s grave in the Spring Run Cemetery, Louisa County, Iowa a few years ago. Where your ancestors left the sacred heart of Jesus, Israel Hoover, who died in 1881, left a rather foreboding message on the back side of his decay resistant cast iron tombstone:
All you who come my grave to see,
meditate and think
that I am in eternity
and you are on the brink.
Oh, my. We're all on the brink. That's certain. Thanks for this story, Denny!
One thing I learned, which should have been obvious, we have acres and acres of vacant land that we turn into cemeteries, not so in places like Germany, where civilizations have been born and died for centuries! If you gave everybody a spot forever you'd be living in a cemetery! There you are buried in a place that the family purchases a leasse for 40 or so years, you can extend the lease, but have to pay for it to keep that spot. Eventually, no one really knows whose bones are there and no one wants to expend money for a lease that no one knows anymore! So they remove the stone and sell the lease to someone needing a burial plot. they dig the grave and after all those years little remains since they don't use a vault and I'm sure there is little preservatives used to keep the body "looking good". Usually whatever remains is pushed into the bottom of the grave and the next resident is placed in the grave for the next 40 year rental! Some keep a family plot rented and all those family members are buried in similar fashion, one on top of the other and the plot is perpetiually paid for.
I looked up the Spring Run Cemetery,23893 95th St Columbus Junction
Israel Hoover was prophetic. I might look him up.
Thank you for this beautiful story. Ironically some of the only remaining ancient tallgrass prairies exist in pioneer cemeteries. Examples include Rochester Cemetery Prairie, Clay Prairie State Preserve next to the Butler Center Cemetery (a ghost town), and Bennington Township Cemetery. Increasingly they serve as a record of what the prairie soil used to be.
This is so true about our ancient tallgrass prairies in pioneer cemeteries. I'm a frequent visitor to Rochester Cemetery. It's spectacular! Just a tiny hint of what the rest of the state looked like.