While families chose the tomb type and style to be constructed, they also chose the symbols they wanted to adorn the tomb or be inscribed on the enclosure tablet (an enclosure tablet is found on the front of the tomb and lists the names of the people buried in the tomb). Families had many different symbols to chose from and many times combined one or more of the following to express their feelings for the family members buried in the tomb.

• Anchor - this early Christian symbol of hope has been found as funerary symbolism in the art of the catacombs.
• The “Cross and Anchor” - another early Christian symbol referring to Christ as “hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sincere and steadfast” (Hebrews 6:19).
• Angel - these “messengers of god” are very popular funerary imagery, often depicted escorting the deceased to heaven or mourning untimely death.
• Broken column - symbolizes life cut short.
• Broken flower - symbolizes a life terminated.
• Clasped hands - a symbol originating centuries ago, the clasped hands symbolize unity and affection even after death.
• Column - universally associated with commemoration. The column was used most often as a war memorial.
• Cross - symbolizes faith and resurrection and considered the perfect symbol of Christ’s sacrifice in the Christian religion. Common variations include the Latin cross, the Greek cross, the Celtic cross, and the Russian or Eastern cross. Popular for tombstone markers. Crosses can be found on tombs in ironworks, and freestanding and relief ornamentation. Crown - immortality.
• Flowers - flowers symbolize human life and beauty, but also have individual associations. Daisy: innocence. Lily: symbolizes purity. Often associated with the Virgin Mary and resurrection. A calla lily particularly symbolizes marriage and the lily of the valley is associated with purity and humility.
• Oak- because the oak was looked upon as the tree from which the cross was made, it became a symbol of Christ.
• Palm - originally a symbol of military victory, it was adapted into Christianity as a symbol of Christ’s victory of death. Often seen as an attribute of martyrdom and eternal peace.
• Pansy - symbolizes remembrance and humility.
• Poppy - sleep.
• Rose - associated with the Virgin Mary, the “rose without thorns.” A red rose symbolizes martyrdom and a white rose symbolizes purity.
• God/Eye of God - symbolizes the omnipresence of God. The eye of God enclosed in a triangle represents the Trinity.
• Hands - a hand with the index finger pointing upwards symbolizes the hope of heaven. Hands holding a chain with a broken link symbolizes the death of a family member. The hand of God plucking a link of the chain represents God bringing a soul unto himself. A hand holding a heart is a symbol of the Lodge of Oddfellows.
• Heart - traditionally a symbol of love, courage and intelligence, the flaming heart signifies extreme ardor. The heart encircled with thorns symbolizes the suffering of Christ. A heart pierced by a sword symbolizes the Virgin Mary, hearkening to Simeon’s prophecy to Mary at the birth of Christ,“Yea, a sword shall pierce through thine own soul.”
• Hourglass - the attribute of death and Father Time, the hourglass symbolizes the passage of time and the shortness of life.
• Lamb - this symbolizes Christ in his sacrificial role and personifies innocence, gentleness and humility.
• Mourning figure - typical early 20th century funerary image.
• Obelisk - 19th century Egyptian revival decoration universally associated with commemoration.
• Torch - originally the torch was a Greek symbol of life and truth, but the inverted torch in funerary art symbolizes death.
• Urn - originating as a repository for the ashes of the dead in ancient times, the urn has evolved into a popular symbol of mourning.
• Vessel with flame - represents the eternal flame or the eternal spirit of man.
• Weeping willow - a symbol of sorrow and mourning.
• Wreath - originating as an ancient symbol of victory, it was adopted into the Christian religion as a symbol of the victory of the redemption. It is now a common memorial symbol

The first-born male was named after the paternal grandfather and the first-born female was named after the maternal grandmother.  The second-born male was named after the maternal grandfather and the second-born female was named after the paternal grandmother.  The remaining children were named after uncles and aunts, often according to age.

a coroner’s inquest… interesting to me how he calls the poetry crackbrained…

PICAYUNE - TUESDAY MORNING, MAY 12, 1863, PAGE 2

CRUSHED BY THE CARS - Yesterday morning a shocking sight presented itself
to those who reside in the neighborhood of St. Charles and Philip streets,
in the Fourth District. There were, lying on the Carrollton Railroad track,
the terribly mangled remains of a human being who had evidently been
crushed to death when the train made its last trip on Sunday night. All the
facts and circumstances of the case lead directly to the supposition that
the act was intentional. One of the legs of the deceased was crushed both
above and below the knee, and the head and other parts of the body were
contused and mutilated. Deceased was evidently a German, and between 30 and
35 years of age. From registry papers found in the pocket, it is supposed
that his name was William Fidler (sic), and that he had never abjured his
original nationality. A Masonic chart and a memorandum book were also found
about his person, the first of which was inscribed with the name of Robert
Saunders, and the other was helf filled with scraps of German poetry, some
original and some selected. The original poetry was peculiarly of a
crackbrained order, being evidently the offspring of “a mind diseased.”
Among the last lines there were direct allusions to his fate, which may be
translated thus:

“I am now upon the rail.
The spirits of earth and air invite me.
I come. My back is turned upon my fatherland.
Shaking off mortality, I become immortal.
The thirsty earth will drink my blood,
And flowers will spring into fragrance
Where I fester. Spirits of my fathers, welcome me.
I hear the whistle of the iron horse:
The catastrophe approaches.”

A verdict was returned, setting forth the manner in which deceased came to
his death, though it could not be definitely ascertained by the jury
whether the occurrence was intentional or accidental. The above
translation, however, seems to leave no doubt upon that subject.

Today has been a McWilliams day. I’ve been stuck on Eugene for a very long time. Eugene (b. 1867) was my gg-grandfather, married to Anna Harriss (b. 1870). Anna died of TB in 1908 and their children, Una, Rebecca and my great-grandfather, Joel George, moved in with their maternal grandparents, George and Ada. Eugene vanished. Family story says that Joel used to sit on the front porch every day waiting for his father to come home, he never did. I don’t think he left town and I’ve heard the kids saw him on the streetcar one day. I also know he was a rice broker and hung out at the old cotton exchange. I found a Eugene as a boarder in the 1920 census with Clara and Eula, his sisters. I ordered a death certificate for the only Eugene McWilliams I could find. He was widowed and a rice broker. Absolutely no other information, not even a birth date, only age. No family members, nada. To add to the mystery, there is no burial place, but only “remains shipped to Clinton, LA”. We have, that I know, no relations in or to Clinton! More research on the sisters shows neither married. Their father, JR (b. 1842) died in 1847 and I found his grave in Shubuta, MS. The mother, Eugenia, shows up in San Antonio Texas in the 1910 census, as a lodger with Clara, a music teacher! Why San Antonio?? The mother has no record I can find after that. Two McWilliams show up in New Orleans, on Magazine Street, in the 1930 census. No first names, the birth dates and places coincide, both are female and one is a music teacher. Nothing after that and no death record at the LA archives database.
Next to-do will have to be a trip to Shubuta…..

After playing around with iWeb or exporting gedcoms to .mac, I’ve finally found genealogy site heaven.TNG is quite easy to set up and use with a SQL database that makes it much easier for my family members to browse and edit my tree. It didn’t import all my media from Reunion, so am working on that, but I am one happy genie at the moment!