{"id":85123,"date":"2022-06-13T13:02:17","date_gmt":"2022-06-13T17:02:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=85123"},"modified":"2022-06-13T13:03:17","modified_gmt":"2022-06-13T17:03:17","slug":"genealogy-tip-grave-guards-at-cemeteries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/genealogy-tip-grave-guards-at-cemeteries.html","title":{"rendered":"Genealogy Tip: \u2018Grave Guards\u2019 at Cemeteries"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction:<\/em><\/strong> In this article, Gena Philibert-Ortega writes about a feature you may find at your ancestor\u2019s gravesite: grave guards, or enclosures, protecting the grave. Gena is a genealogist and author of the book \u201cFrom the Family Kitchen.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

When we think of cemeteries and genealogy we concentrate on the ancestor\u2019s headstone because that\u2019s where the information we need (name, birth and death date) are found. But have you considered other elements of the burial location as you study your ancestor\u2019s death and final resting place?<\/p>\n

Where the deceased is buried may provide information about their associations and memberships (church, veteran, or fraternal lodge cemetery, for example). Items adhered to or placed next to the headstone might provide clues to lineage society membership or military service.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: steel fence grave guard advertisement from the Weekly Florists\u2019 Review, 28 March 1912, page 147. Credit: Internet Archive.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When a family purchased a burial coffin and headstone, they could have added additional items such as stone vases, statuary, and benches, as well as protective elements referred to as \u201cgrave guards\u201d or \u201cgrave protectors.\u201d In addition, cemetery lot or grave fencing might have enclosed one or more graves. (1)<\/p>\n

Isn\u2019t a Headstone Enough?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Why did families feel the need to add a grave guard to their loved one\u2019s burial? Actually, after searching historical newspapers, magazines, and catalogs, I found that the reasons given were varied \u2013 but they boiled down to protection from the elements (rain, flooding), people, or animals.<\/p>\n

Grave guards also provided an additional decorative element at a time when garden cemeteries were a place of beauty, and living family members spent time in these park-like settings. But grave guards and fencing were also important in rustic cemeteries where animals, both domestic and wild, were an issue.<\/p>\n

Why did families pay extra to erect a grave guard or fence? Reasons I found in my research were:<\/p>\n