Cemeteries and Cemetery Symbols

I like spending time in cemeteries because they're usually quiet and they're filled with all sorts of interesting things. I find it oddly comforting seeing all those rows of silent grave markers, each with a story behind it. I occasionally take photographs in cemeteries of things I like. In late April I purchased a new digital camera and I started a photoblog, which is pretty much a photo album, but online. A few cemetery pictures have already made it into the photoblog, which you can see here... Fair Angels Photoblog

I also like deciphering and learning about the symbols that can be found on some grave markers. I have a book called Stories in Stone - A Field Guide to Cemetery Symbolism and Iconography that explains the meaning of some of these symbols. In late April I visited Denver's Fairmount Cemetery and I photographed an angel sculpture that had an unusual symbol above it. I haven't been able to determine the meaning behind this symbol. If anyone knows what it means feel free to leave a comment. Just click on the comments link right beneath this post. Thank you.

Update: this symbol turned out to be a monogram with the initials FDW, which stand for Frederick Dearborn Wight (1837-1911), who is one of the family members buried in the plot. Thanks to all who contributed suggestions.

For more information about symbols found on grave markers see: Cemeteries and Cemetery Symbols

Last American Survivor of the Titanic Dies

Lillian Asplund, the last American survivor of the 1912 Titanic sinking, died on May 6, 2006 at age 99. She was five-years-old when she boarded the Titanic, and was the last survivor to remember the events. Two other survivors, both British, are still living.* Both were infants at the time of the Titanic. You can read more here... Titanic Survivor Lillian Asplund Dies - Obituary

For information on Titanic passenger records see the New York section at... What Passenger Lists are Online?

Here is Lillian Asplund's listing in the Social Security Death Index ...

ASPLUND, LILLIAN G
Birth: 21 Oct 1906
Death: 06 May 2006 (V)
Last Residence: 01545 (Shrewsbury, Worcester, MA)
Last Benefit: (none specified)
SSN: 027-09-5906
Issued: Massachusetts

*Update: Titanic survivor, Barbara West Dainton of Camborne, England, passed away on October 16, 2007 at the age of 96. The last Titanic survivor, Millvina Dean of Southampton, England, who was a two-month-old baby at the time of the Titanic tragedy, passed away on May 31, 2009 at the age of 97. See: Millvina Dean, Last Survivor of the Titanic, Dies

New Additions - Online Birth and Marriage Indexes

The following links were recently added to Online Birth and Marriage Records Indexes ...

California...
- Shasta County Marriage Records Index 1854-1930

Colorado...
- La Plata County Marriage Records Index from 6/19/1877 through 7/2/1959

- Colorado Historical Records Index - includes...
-- Boulder County Birth Index 1892-1906
-- Denver (City) Birth Index 1875-1906
-- Elbert County Birth Index 1869-1906
-- Kit Carson County Birth Report Register 1892-1907

Florida...
- Brevard County, Florida Marriage License Application Inquiry 1999-current - also includes historical marriage records 1938-1998

Indiana...
- Indiana Marriage Index 1993-2000

Kentucky...
- Fayette County Kentucky Birth Index 1911-1930

Louisiana...
- Caddo Parish Marriage Index 1937-present

Maryland...
- Howard County, Maryland Marriage Licenses 1860-1939

Minnesota...
- Minnesota Birth Certificate Index 1900-1911 (updated)

New York...
- New York City Brides Index - various years (ongoing project)

North Dakota...
- Grand Forks County Marriage License Search, November 1875 - June 1914

Oregon...
- Multnomah County Marriage Records Index 1850s-1904

Vermont...
- Early Vermont Marriages from Berlin, Burlington & Montpelier

West Virginia...
- West Virginia Vital Records Indexes - includes birth indexes for 3 counties & marriage indexes for 6 counties; more are being added

Wisconsin...
- Wisconsin Pre-1907 Vital Records Index -- covers 1852 to September 30, 1907 (most entries date from 1880; includes some entries prior to 1852)
- Milwaukee County Marriage Records 1822-1876

Pre-1907 Wisconsin Marriage Index

The Wisconsin Historical Society has updated their pre-1907 vital records index to include marriage records. Birth and death records were already included. While the index covers 1852-Sept. 30, 1907, most entries date from 1880. You may find a few entries prior to 1852. You can purchase copies of the records for a fee.

Wisconsin Pre-1907 Vital Records Index

Also helpful...
Online Wisconsin Death Records, Indexes, Obituaries and Cemetery Burials

Ancestry Expands Their Florida Death Index

Ancestry has expanded their Florida death index to include more years. The index now covers 1877-1998 (previous coverage was from 1936-1998). Note that the entries prior to 1917 are spotty. You must be an Ancestry subscriber to get full results when using the database. See...

Online Florida Death Records and Indexes

Buddy Holly's Passport

Buddy Holly's passport was recently offered for auction by his widow, Maria Elena Holly, and it sold for $26,290.00 (whoa!). If you want to see what a nearly 50-year-old passport looks like, or if you're a Buddy Holly fan, the auction house has some nifty scans on their website.

Buddy Holly's Passport at Heritage Auction Galleries
(scroll down on that page to the Buddy Holly Passport link)