Unusual Gravestone

Now that spring is here, I'm anxious to get back into taking gravestone photos at our local cemeteries to post on Find A Grave. There are still two cemeteries close by that keep me busy. I take about 100 pics each time I go and then re-size each one to meet the requirements for uploading. Each photo gets posted to a memorial page which I've created. Definitely a time-consuming activity. But last fall I got smart and began submitting spreadsheets directly to FAG which meant that all the info I provided was imported and memorial pages were created automatically. Once I got the okay that everything looked good I could begin to upload the photos.

In addition to taking photos locally, I often try and squeeze in a side trip to Albany Rural Cemetery when visiting my son and his family. This is a huge cemetery with lots of interesting gravestones. Sometimes I just drive around until something catches my eye and then stop to take photos.

When I saw this monument a few years ago, I just had to take a closer look. What do you think that top ornament is supposed to be?

 

A huge acorn?

Those are definitely oak leaves.

 

The inscription on the front:

JOHN ZEH

1827-1897

MARGARET S.

HIS WIFE

1823-

A second marker clearly states their names and relationship. 

The Albany Rural Cemetery records are available online at Ancestry.com.

Margaret was the Executrix of her husband's will. 

The year of Margaret's death was never inscribed on the gravestone. She died in 1914 yet her name appears in the 1915 Albany, New York State Census.

Here is Margaret's memorial page on Find A Grave.

I recently volunteered to help computerize the records of Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx for the Italian Genealogical Group. I've done data entry work for them before. Besides, I have ancestors who are buried at Woodlawn and it's my way of giving back :)

Happy Spring!

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Copyright 2014, Barbara Schaffer