Big Zinkers

Now to continue our lessons in graveyard sociology. We saw at Monroe Street Cleveland, that, some zinkers were bought by the poor. Now in rural cemeteries of settled communities, the zinkers were not so. About fifty miles west in the village of Birmingham, there are graves from the 1830s to the present, and further untouched sections. The largest monument in the eponymous cemetery is a zinker. It is of one man in particular, and his family. It sits in a family plot bounded by a corral curb, and within are small tributary markers flush to the ground.

The Clary monument was made in 1885. It has several masonic and dual christian and masonic symbols. A fused plate is of a son †1879. Of the four plates that can be removed and replaced, three were used (1887, 1899, 1906). The main one (under the statue front) is for the big man in the township †1899. He had several years to see his monument.

Birmingham Cemetery, Erie County Ohio. the further from the road, the more recent the burial

Now, in the nearby Vermilion's Maple Grove Cemetery there are several large zinkers. This family monument also has the personified soul [as statue] holding the anchor of faith. On her right side, the previous statue held on the left.

In not a very large graveyard there are ten large zinkers, most as main markers for a family. Several of them are elaborate. A similar one of stone would have been quite expensive. To have carved all the extra doo-dads that were molded in sections, and screwed or fused together would have took many man hours. The carvers would not have gone out in the country for the commission. A train would have brought them to town, and a horse wagon to the graveyard, whether stone or zinc. Solid stone would have been quite heavy for some of these, but not hollow metal. These large zinkers would be impressive, but a great deal cheaper than stone. There are no stone markers in this cemetery that compare to the largest zinkers in size and decoration.

Th adjacent portion is of newer burials. There are a great number of short, wide uprights with over incised, or laser etched markings, and pictures. Besides that, people bring junk to festoon the stones. These dead were known by the living, and this is the tacky affection, their relatives show. The section from two generations ago, and more, is kept up and dignified but visited by very few.
Here on the base, besides the year 1888, one can clearly read Monumental Bronze Co Bridgeport Ct . Beneath which in molded zinc is the effect of rough cut stone, on some marked molded chisel cuts are seen. More than six score years and the seams are fine as when cast.

This tributary marker, with layers of molded pedestals is of larger mass than some whole makers for the poor. Besides the main monument with detachable panels, and a large variety of decorations, there were these secondary separate makers for each person buried. Some, but not all, had plates on the center monument. Some bear the name, or the relation of the corpse, some were complete with biographical information, some people chose initials.

The main corner of the Maple Grove Cemetery is for the Todd family.

The Todds have one big zinker from 1890, and this bigger one from 1885. The first zinkers were made in 1874. One of the family members memoralised died in the first year [1861] of The War for the Union. All markers are not made near the dime of death. Some are made years after, some years before. This sort of monument allowed for this. Again, there are four screw on panels. A panel could be replaced more than once. Here the first panel 1883, 1895; a second 1900, 1905; and a third 1920, 1888.

All Souls

In the western Church, to-day is All Souls. If one thinks about it, it is a day of eternal democracy. There is an equality in death. In Catholic countries graves were visited yesterday, or to-day. The eastern Church has several Saturdays about Lent for this. Even in some lands where atheism has made inroads, a remembrance on to-day occurs. Even in those lands familiar with lutheranism, Martin Luther, a man professing against the day. To-day is the Day of the Dead, when Mexican children eat candy skulls.

In the slavonic languages, either officially or traditionally, November is Listopad. Listopad means the leaves are falling. The western Church assigns the entire month for the dead, and some parishes leave out a book of the dead to list those dead to be prayed for. In northern climes there is much a melancholic air.

Judas Machabeus prayed for the dead:

(For if he had not hoped that they that were slain should rise again, it would have seemed superfluous and vain to pray for the dead,) And because he considered that they who had fallen asleep with godliness, had great grace laid up for them. It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins.—II Maccabees xii. 43-46.

two bouquets of marigolds on a Calvary Cemetery, Cleveland, O. mowed slope of pavers

People love those that have gone. Often it falls only to close family. In this climate, marigolds are still in bloom. Their color is accidentally similar to pumpkins. That hue is regular to these days. The tree leaves usually turn gold, orange, red and brown [this year, mostly darkish russet]. If one does not have the money for florist flowers, these grow easy and plentiful. They decorate graves. They smell, to some people they stink. It has a certain pungency that seems to fit funereal morbidity.

People tend graves sparingly in the United States. Part of it is cultural avoidance. But a century ago, it was different. People were still laid out on their homes for final viewing.

Gravestones were, more than now, in family plots. Some had central monuments with the family surname(s), surrounded with smaller tributary stones with family role (Mother, father, baby, grand other ...), or given name (Mary, John, Laura). Some times other biographical information, but not always. Some times there was no great family stone, just the small stone noting the relation (Mother or Brother [you know who was paying the stone]). The people who had the stone knew where it was, and who it was for; it was not necessary for more.

the last of a family row at Monroe Street Cemetery, Cleveland, O.

Cemetery news on Hallowe'en

a family plot, Maple Grove Cemetery, Vermilion, Ohio

To-day, is the commercialised day of Hallowe'en. I was not going to post to-day, but a story appeared in the Cleveland daily. The city will spend some money, in the spring, on overdue cemetery projects at Erie Street, Monroe Street, and Woodlawn cemeteries.

This year we are having a late leaf drop, of less colorful leaves. Yesterday was sunny and in the mid 50s °F. If a recent grass cut was more than a few days previous, it was a pleasant, and mood appropriate (melancholic, but comfortable) day to graveyard walk.

Gothic Revival entrances

1870 Erie Street Cemetery, East Ninth Street, Cleveland, Ohio (after sandblasting)

1874 Monroe Street Cemetery, Monroe Street closed entrance, Cleveland, Ohio with 137 years of soot.

Joseph Ireland *1843, † 1905 was a New Yorker who came to Cleveland in 1865, and returned in 1885. A lot of his work has been demolished. The Chardon (Geauga County) Courthouse is still extant. Ireland designed the 1874 gothic revival Monroe Street Cemetery entrance. The Erie Street Cemetery entrance was built in 1870. The two are twins, but i have not seen a reference to an architect for Erie Street. Somewhere, there should be a reference. It is obvious that the second is a copy of the first, and both properties belonged to the city.

Osage Oranges

in Monroe Street Cemetery, Cleveland, O.

You see one of these fruits for the first time, and you will find them interesting. What are they? Well, their home is part of the Red River of the South's valley, which makes the east southern border of the Okies with Tejas, and they extend south to San Antonio. In an age before barbed wire such plantings were used as strong, solid and dense hedges. The phrase employed to describe their placement, and cultivation (regular pruning) was "horse high, bull strong and hog tight". Now the fruit has several names: osage oranges, hedge apples, horse apples (well one type), monkey balls. They are light green and softball sized [type something like that in a search engine, and you will get an answer], they are bumpy, and sticky if the sap comes out.

The leaves look like the mulberry (its relative). The wood is both hard and dense, while being flexible. The French saw the Indians used the wood for bows, 'bois d'arc' [hence, bodark]. It is an extremely warm firewood. They grow male and female.

Maclura pomifera, a tall osage-orange

Franklin Roosevelt's WPA planted more than 200 million of these as windbreaks, and deterrents to erosion. This was called the Great Plains Shelterbelt. Under a Democratic President, and a Democratic Congress, and a sensible population (knowledge friendly) such a project could be done. It could not be done now for the lack of the last two conditions.
On top of this gravestone table some squirrel shredded the pommes to get to the seeds. To the right is a fruit, also to the right, and in front is a sapling with many glossy, lancet shaped leaves. The seeds are buried in the pith. The pith is most of the fruit, and then the seeds are surrounded by slime. Squirrels spend some time and effort for the treat.

“Yeah, what?”

More Monroe Street Germans

Ja, mit der umlaut -- Tünnermann.

Here rests gently a German warrior [soldier]. It was 1899, not 1919.

These two must have had some relationship. He was 45 years older than she. 'Selbst verleugnet' means 'self-denied'. Is 'verleugend' an alternate form? Or did the workman misspell? Or is my German, simply insufficient in understanding this term? The child of these two was quite young at their deaths. The stones, almost assuredly, came years later.

'Gatte' is not a surname, but the masculine form of 'Spouse', the feminine is 'Gattin'
not the only Wilhelmina stone in the cemetery

I was zinking

These zinc markers [see others] were cheaper than stone markers. They came with several panels and shapes to choose from. Some were even simpler. These three are quite small. Two are fused on short stocks, the third is just a top. The second one is for a baby. It is in English. The other two are in German. These were modest fold, with the most modest of markers. And remember, some people could not afford that. Monroe Street was the only city owned cemetery on the West Side of Cleveland til 1900. These zinkers, infra, are for people whom died from 1892-1915. Markers do not always come with burial. Shared markers often come with the first deceased, not always.

Mother and Daughter. Martha Gorenflo, †. 8 August 1901, aged 45 Years. Sleep Gently.

This fellow lived less than three months in 1902

This German fellow lived 17 years until 1892

These bothers died young. The older one at 11 months; the younger, just past 4 years.

Hugo Radtke 1872-1904
Edna Radtke 1895-1900

Father and daughter ?

This one has panels on both sides. A dove on one side with script, the opposite side a sheaf of what--common religious symbols. It is sill a modest marker.

This last monument is a good deal larger. One side the anchor of faith, and the other the harvested wheat. Wilhelmine was a very popular German name in the XIXth century. On this zinker, there are two Wilhelmine Teskes, one *1840, on *1843. Just looking here, does not easily suggest an answer to me, cousins?