Just after a weekend trip to Magnolia Cemetery the day before, the Beyond the Grave FYE class traveled to
Bethel United Methodist Church on the corner of Pitt and Calhoun. The small graveyard boasts only 519 internments, however not near that many headstones are in the small cemetery of today. With only one distinguished "guest" inside the fences it is not a very well known graveyard around town (guest found through
findagrave.com)
Our main mission was to find 10 or more graveyard symbols and describe them for part of the midterm grade. In the small space there were plenty of symbols to find and I have a few of them here outlined for you. All symbols are identified with either
Stories Told in Stone by Gaylord Cooper or a
grave symbol website included in the course.
This is a photo of the famous internment at Bethel, a Confederate general named Francis Capers. He was born on August 8, 1819 and died January 11, 1982. He was not only a general but also taught at the old Citadel Military School. He has a simple cross inside a circle which represents Christianity and eternal life.
This second, most likely fallen headstone, belongs to Charles C. Seyle. Born July 12, 1828 and died February 10,1880. This headstone has a cross which again symbolizes Christianity but also ivy vines around it which denote friendship. This makes sense due to many people with the last name Seyle are in this cemetery.
Ms. Catherine L. Lord was born September 27, 1826 and died just a few days shy of her birthday on September 25, 1859. Her headstone leaned up against the buildings side has an elaborate wreath with ribbons woven throughout it. This stone also has the births and deaths of a few other members of her family. The wreath symbolizes victory in death with the ribbons meaning not easily found an does not have a specific meaning.
Anna Elizabeth Chrietzberg was born March 15,1821 and died January 18m 1872. She was the wife of a pastor and has a flying dove and wreath on her die on socket headstone. The wreath symbolizes victory in death and the flying dove represents the holy spirit and is often used on graves with a Christian background.
William H. Fleming was the pastor at Bethel during the middle 1800s and born January 1, 1821 and died April 16, 1877. He has a cradle grave adorned with a bible on he top and a wreath with what looks to be poppy flowers and roses. The bible obviously denotes that he was a man of God and the wreath meaning the same thing as earlier discussed. The poppy flowers and roses mean eternal sleep and beauty respectively.
Elizabeth M. Ainger was born October 14, 1807 and died October 6, 1872. Her headstone is kind of hidden away by this bush on the side of the building. Her headstone boasts many different types of flowers and a dove with a branch in its mouth. The flowers look to include daisies which means innocence. The dove with a branch in its beak symbolizes peace, hope, and promise.
Anna Eliza Childers was born May 25, 1842 and died May 19, 1859. Her headstone is also leaned up against the building as well. It has wilted rose flower on the top. This is considered wilted and broken by the book which often denotes a teen death as well as mortality.
This headstone is my favorite partly because I love willow trees and it just seems like a hidden beauty of the graveyard. James F. M. Lord was born sometime in 1825 and died on February 1, 1862. His weeping willow symbolizes the sadness and mourning of a family.
Mary Syfan was born December 30, 1775 and died July 26, 1823. She has what looks to be a weeping woman under w willow tree. The weeping woman means mourning and sorrow as does the weeping willow that she is under.
Elizabeth Moore was born sometime in 1796 and died October 26, 1865. She was another pastor's wife and has a beautiful angel on the top of her headstone turned ledger. The angel means guide to heaven.
Overall, the class visit to Bethel United Methodist was a short walk away from campus and boasted many different symbols in a very tiny space downtown.
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