Laurel Hill Cemetery New App!

First posted December 4, 2017 on Facebook

Monday morning...time for some reflection.

I'm not going to talk about a particular stone or story today. Instead, I want to introduce you to a super cool resource that has just been published by my favorite cemetery, Laurel Hill!

There is now a great mobile app, available for free through Google Play or Apple, that introduces you to the cemetery.

It features various tours (more than I thought there would be), which match some of the in person tours you might take here in Philadelphia. So it can be like being at the cemetery when you are not in the Philly area or able to visit any time soon. Or you can use it for a solo trip though the physical site, since it tells you how to find each spot being portrayed as you move through the tour.

Photos, audio clips, some videos - it's pretty comprehensive. I even have been learning from it! (Shhh! Don't tell anybody!)

Some might worry that this type of technology would try to take the place of me and my fellow tour guides. I think it's an excellent addition to the information we like to share with everyone. Some folks just can't make it to the cemetery, or prefer to wander it solo. This way, everyone gets a chance to access our history.

I have gone through the tour titled "Pop Culture from the Gatehouse", which has 13 'stops'. There are often multiple photos, so don't forget to flip through them, to get the full picture (get it??). I learned a lot from it! and look forward to exploring all of the tours at my leisure.

For the record, I did look online for other cemetery mobile apps. Two notable ones I found are Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, NY (seems to have a lot of glitches in it so far - they say that are working on it), and the Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis, MN. That one is sort of a middle of the road app, without the audio-visual elements of Laurel Hill's. So Laurel Hill is currently the one to beat!

Let me also tell you that the app was produced by the Friends of Laurel Hill Cemetery and Night Kitchen Interactive, and funded by The 25th Century Foundation and The McLean Contributionship. A lot of work obviously went into the whole production, from the fundraising, research, photos, scripts, physical plant. It's impressive.

I always talk about the stories in a cemetery, how those stories help us to find a connection to history or our own family. Congrats to Laurel Hill Cemetery for finding yet another way to make that important people, living and dead, connection.

Go search for it! Or look here:

http://www.thelaurelhillcemetery.org/visit/mobile

Cemetery Animals

(Originally posted December 12, 2017 on Facebook)

It's Tuesday (good thing I don't have an editor breathing down my neck...), time for some
reflection.

Today I am thinking about cemetery animals. Not pet cemeteries, which are a whole 'nother
cool thing, but animals that live in cemeteries. And cats will be featured, because cats.

But I'll give you an aside that there are movements towards letting people have their cremains
buried in pet cemeteries, along with their pets...

There are a lot of stories about cemeteries in England, for instance, with a resident cemetery
cat, who greets people who are grieving and make those people feel better.

Some cemeteries have turned into animal sanctuaries, like this one in Japan:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=Lvh0TPrEjOU

Cemeteries are a great place to see wildlife. Almost any animal can be found in a cemetery
somewhere. Deer, coyote, rabbits, little critters like mice and moles, birds. Think about it -
it's quiet, not a lot of humans, grass, places to make a nice burrow, bushes, trees, stuff to eat.
Pretty nice.

Laurel Hill Cemetery has cheeky birds that will sit on top of a stone and basically dare you
to mess with their home. Rabbits, fox (!), gophers. The fox families sometimes take over
abandoned gopher burrows.

Gophers can cause a lot of damage to the cemetery - their burrows and underground tunneling
can topple stones easily, and you really do have to be careful about the holes when you are
walking around.

Another side note - the gophers this year are FATFATFAT. Which, according to my Grampy,
means that the winter is going to be COLDCOLDCOLD. Put on a sweater.

There was a great story on CBS Sunday Morning some time ago (I hate you, Steve Hartman -
you always make me cry!!) about flag markers put out for Memorial Day disappearing and the
local veterans and the cemetery staff getting upset about it (understandably). They put up motion sensitive cameras and caught the culprits! GOPHERS! And the CBS crew put a little camera
down one of the gopher holes and got amazing footage of the den being LINED with flags. Just redecorating, guys!

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/burrowing-into-a-mystery-who-stole-flags-from-veterans-graves-in-ny-town/

I am always looking for the cemetery foxes in Laurel Hill. I've seen them twice, once jumping
from stone to stone. Amazing. Here is a pic from the LHC Facebook page (taken by Emma Stern,
her photos of the cemetery are fantastic):

https://www.facebook.com/EastFallsLocal/photos/a.1447805311967618.1073741961.719735274774629/1619753451439469/?type=3&theater

The new book about the cemetery, "Images of America: Laurel Hill Cemetery" has an adorable
photo on the last page of a fox family in the stones. Worth the cost of the book, if the book weren't
so great as it is!

http://laurel-hill-cemetery.mybigcommerce.com/images-of-am…/

There is a concert venue near to the edge of the southern region of the cemetery. It's one of those outdoor concert places where you can bring in your own picnics. So good eats in the garbage cans whenever there is a concert in the summer. And the fox community from LHC will go over after the concerts and choose their dinner choices, and BRING THEM BACK TO THE CEMETERY!!!!!
That cracks me up - Why?? Probably just quieter.

Full moon, glass of wine, you and some leftover chicken wings...

Then there's this one:

http://www.phillyvoice.com/watch-concert-laurel-hill-cemet…/

Add some entertainment!

But this rant started with something more serious. I ran into the wife of one of the cemetery workers
last Friday. I didn't know that her husband had been injured in November and only just got out of
the hospital.

This gentleman is one of my favorite people. He is a cemetery storyteller - he always teaches me something new (did you know that mausoleums used to be built at a slight tilt down at the back so
that liquids from rotting bodies could drain out? HOW COOL IS THAT???), makes me laugh,
stands up for what he believes in, and cares passionately about the cemetery, his wife...

...and cats.

He's one of those crusty on the outside and a big old marshmallow on the inside kind of people.
He is the one who takes in the cats who show up in Laurel Hill.

Because, yes, there are despicable people who just leave their unwanted dogs and cats in the
cemetery. Maybe they are not despicable but figure that the animals will be safer in the cemetery
than on the street. Maybe the cats and dogs get loose and take sanctuary there. Anyway, this one
person generally corrals the lost cats. And other staff members corral the dogs (this dog was
fostered and, I believe adopted by the fosters - note that she was an older dog, with a collar, but
they searched and could find no owner).

https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=Laurel%20Hill%20Cemetery%20lost%20dog

Ok, so my friend is now home and recovering from his injury, thank the gods. And we need to
step up and help take care of the cats and the foxes (also ones he loves to look out for). His wife actually works for the Women's Humane Society (America's first animal shelter, founded in 1869), since she is also an animal lover with a marshmallow heart. I once told her that I have all rescue
cats, and she cried. Nuff said.

https://www.womenshumanesociety.org/

The Humane Society actually hosts birthday parties for kids! All of the other mothers/fathers will HATE YOU!!

What could you do to honor my friend, who does so much for the cemetery community?

Become a member of Laurel Hill ($35!! - a bargain!), or donate - they take care of the animals
as much as us people.

Or donate money or things from the wishlist of the Women's Humane Society:

https://www.womenshumanesociety.org/wishlist

You can bring things to them personally in Bensalem, PA, or have them shipped directly from
places like Amazon, or contact me privately, and I'll let you know how to drop things off to me
in East Falls (North West) Philadelphia.

You can also contact your local animal shelter and see what they need. Old towels for cats -
when you are doing your pre-New Year cleaning. There. That simple.

So maybe you're thinking, where's your famous cemetery connection? The connection is that
animals needs cemeteries just as much as humans do. Even the ones we can't take home with us
share this special space with us. And they have their own story to tell. Our connection is so
strong, even in death.

I hope they get those regulations on being buried with our pets changed. Sooner rather than later.
We need their eternal comfort more than they probably need ours.

Especially the cats.

(Love you, B!! Get better soon!!! We need you!!!!)

The Morning After...

Where the hell is the Starbucks in this cemetery???

The Russian Princess

(First published December 19, 2017 on Facebook)

Tuesday morning…time for some reflection…

So today I want to share some stories about one stone at Laurel Hill Cemetery.

Yes, multiple stories about one stone.

Here’s the thing. Every tour guide at the cemetery has a different voice. If you attend multiple tours with different guides, you might hear slight variations of different stories, depending on how they researched their tour. I have watched many different tour guides present their love for the cemetery in different ways, some very outgoing and gregarious, some more studious in their approach. You will decide which approach works best for you.

To me, this is the ‘test’ stone in the cemetery. Not as in a real test, but it always is the one spot that tells me all about the guide, as much as about the folks buried, and NOT buried! there.

The stone is for one Edward Royal Stoever, born April 8, 1887 and died October 13, 1930. He is not the infamous one referenced here, but he has his own august background. He was an archaeologist, my favorite! And a civil engineer. He served in World War I as a Major in the Air Service, and also served as the US Trade Commissioner in London, England (as referenced in his mother’s obituary, Philadelphia Inquirer, August 27, 1929).

That obituary also mentions Mr. Stoever’s wife, the former Princess Olga Demidoff Trombowskoi, widow of a Russian war general (and also mother of Serge Gregory Trombowskoi).

Here’s where the story gets dicey.

What do we really know, since there is a lot I’m going to share with you that I can neither confirm nor deny. Edward Stoever married a Russian princess, as was the fashion (?) at the time. Olga Demidoff, Princess Serge Troubetskoy (that’s what’s on the stone, but note the spelling above which is what was in the Philadelphia Inquirer).

The stone shows a date about her which is June 6, 1895. Her listing in the Billion Graves site (www.billiongraves.com) says that is their marriage date. Which would make Mr. Stoever 8 years old when they got married! Probably not. So let’s go with that being her birth date.

Then the stone says, “WHO HOPES TO LIE HERE SOMEDAY”.

Huh?

Well, we know that she is NOT buried there. Nobody knows where she is buried.

That much we know.

So you might get the story of just that bare bones factual information.

All good.

Some guides tell a story that she went back to Russia after her second husband’s death.

Also good.

Some say that she joined a group of Russian princesses of the time who were matched up with wealthy men, like an escort service.

Now it’s getting really good.

But, good people, I love the story I was first told about Olga. And that is that she did join the basically escort service and was matched to a wealthy man of New York City society. They were in a hotel in NY, on a high floor (8?) and having a SCREAMING fight.

Then the hot headed Olga picked up an empty wine bottle, THREW it at the gentleman’s head, it flew through the air, he DUCKED, and the bottle went right out the open window, hitting a pedestrian on the head as he walked past the hotel.

At this point, there is another convergence – either the pedestrian died or was seriously injured. In any case, Olga was charged with assault? Attempted murder? Murder? And was going to be tried.

Before they could get her into court, she took off and fled back to Russia?

Or to Miami, could go either way. Don’t ask me how I got that information… ;-)

Understand that each version is based on truth – we make a concerted effort to never lie about a story. But each story has it’s own spin, as you can see.

No matter what you believe, Olga had that sentence put onto that stone for a reason. We can only suspect what that reason might have been.

“WHO HOPES TO LIE HERE SOMEDAY”

The moral to the story really isn’t about Olga and Edward, although their stories are certainly fascinating.

The story is about the tour guides and how they share the information they uncover. Some will give you one set of facts. Some will find other facts, depending on their research skills and their presentation style. I suggest that you take multiple tours, looking for different guides. You will learn something different every time, all true, all fascinating, all the result of considerable effort to find out as much as we can about our friends in the cemetery, stories we look forward to sharing with you.

In the meantime, spare a thought for Olga Demidoff Stoever, Princess Serge Troubetzkoy. I certainly hope that she continued to lead an interesting life and that wherever she ended up buried, she leaves a little bit of herself with us.

Darling Florie

(Originally posted 12/27/2018 on Facebook)

Wednesday morning, after traveling for the holiday...a good time for reflection…

I was going to write about some rather dry or more challenging parts of being in a cemetery this week. But I decided that one of my cemetery “friends” needed to have a bit of a holiday presentation.
Her stone reads, “our darling Florie”.

Florie Martin passed away at the age of 12, in 1880. The monument of her family was made for her, with the other family members being interred much later.

There is a simply lovely statue of Florie on top of the monument - a character study for a beautiful young lady. She carries a laurel wreath in one hand - a symbol of virginity and purity. A basket in her other hand - a symbol of hope. And she has such a beautiful little face.

She died of a simple infection, which in our day could have been fixed with a z-pack of antibiotics. Gone, and her family obviously cherished and mourned her loss.

There are other faces in the cemetery, showing those who are buried beneath them. Angels, arch-angels, spirits, cherubs - even a cat (again, more on that later!). The “man in a chair”, overlooking the Schuylkill River. The gentlemen below, only son and only 22 years old.

But Florie is just so damned sweet, and her family obviously was so heartbroken at her loss.

So Merry Christmas, darling Florie. I found this branch on the road in the cemetery and was going to take it home with me, but decided that you needed a bit of Christmas remembrance. I think of you often, even though I never knew you, and I hope that wherever you are, you feel the warmth at this holiday time of someone who keeps you in her heart.

To all the rest of you, this time of year remember your family members who have passed. Let them know, somehow, that you love them and that you honor their life and hope to reunite with them in the next life. That’s what holidays are about - family.

Fixing Things

News Year Day 2018, Monday...a good day for ruminating…

Hey! Laurel Hill Cemetery stole my post! LOL! Just kidding - but they did publish a great post about all of the work they do to be good caretakers of this historic cemetery. Their very positive explanation is here:

https://www.facebook.com/laurelhillcemetery/posts/10155486740419055

I recently took a number of photos of some of the challenges the cemetery, and all cemeteries, especially historic ones, face. The ongoing upkeep and restoration of a cemetery.

When you come an historic cemetery, you might see quite a few stones knocked down and lying about, some broken, some beginning to sink into the ground. Most often these are not victims of vandalism, unless you count the vandalous behavior of our peskiest of little friends, the groundhogs! Cheeky buggers! I haven’t got any pictures of them I’ve taken myself, but you here’s what they look like, all fat and happy.

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/3f/a0/1a/3fa01a4b366bfde855247334f1f354ba.jpg

Just search “groundhog in cemetery” in Google - you’ll get the picture.

There was a great story by Steve Hartman of CBS Sunday Morning about groundhogs in a cemetery with a lot of veterans, flags, and re-decorating…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGbzWVtjNw8

Surrender to the groundhogs!! I just love to tell that story when we warn tour attendees about groundhog holes…

But groundhog damage isn’t funny. The digging of their burrows causes stones to topple, then to sink into the ground when the it gets wet. So the fallen and broken stones have to be fixed:

 

There’s kind of eerie beauty to them, isn’t there? But the staff and supporters of the cemeteries are all about preservation and honoring the dead. So they must be repaired and restored.

Here is an article for you from The National Park Service on how stones can be damaged and how they are repaired:

https://www.nps.gov/tps/how-to-preserve/preservedocs/preservation-briefs/48Preserve-Brief-GraveMarkers.pdf

You can see how much work goes into it.

NOTE: PLEASE DO NOT USE THIS DOCUMENT TO GO TO THE CEMETERY AND START FIXING STONES ALL ON YOUR OWN!!! I will get into big trouble! LOL! If you see a stone in distress, snap a photo with your phone and bring it to the folks in charge of that cemetery. They might not know that particular stone needs some love, or it might be on a list to be repaired. Money and resources are always in short supply, and they get to as many stones as they can.

Another problem that is related to falling and broken stones is that they can sink into the earth. Laurel Hill Cemetery does a stellar job of reclaiming stones - over 800 last year alone. You can easily identify a reclaimed stone by the orange color - the iron in the soil has leached into the marble. Again, they can be beautiful, and each one is a testament to the work of the cemetery supervisor and his crew.

Found in two pieces and repaired! Yay!

You can imagine that these were only partially submerged, with the grayish faces still above the soil. Isn’t this striking? The stones may have looked like this when they were found:

See how those orange stones just jump out at you? They add such depth to the landscape.

Broken and lost stones are not the only problem in a cemetery. Laurel Hill is also a special garden space, and an arboretum.

My tree! Somewhere right around here is the plot my husband and I own and will eventually ‘live’ in.

Bushes, trees, flowers - all waiting for spring to come to life again (just the flowers and bushes, etc., nothing else!! LOL!).

You can also see that this cemetery, as in most Victorian era cemeteries, do not have nice neat rows of stones, marching in a row. Some small areas will have stones facing in two or three different directions, right next to each other. That means that mowing is a serious challenge. Often the grounds crew has to cut the grass with a weed whacker. That’s 78 acres, folks.

And one other problem that always stands out for me. Many of the family plots were once surrounded by ironwork fences, so amazing. Here is one still intact:

Since it’s iron, it has to be carefully maintained, painted to protect it from the elements, etc. in order to keep it so beautiful.

One of the legends of the cemetery is that these iron fences and other metal bits were scavenged during WWII, in metal drives for the war effort. But, really, they mostly just rusted away and were lost during the dark days when the cemetery was in disrepair. Then you might see this lonely corner stone:

The round hole where an iron chain might have been mounted. Sigh.

And walkways! Look at the shape of this one, where you can clearly see an intrepid cemetery tour guide looking for stories to share got her boot heels into that pristine walkway!!

So just a little glimpse into all the work that goes into keeping a cemetery in good shape and preserving its history for all of us. Day after day, month after month, season after season.

Spring is coming, and we all might love to take a lovely turn in the gardens of Laurel Hill or our local historic cemetery garden. But the cemetery in winter has its own magic. You might see a fox in the snow, or that gray sky with the weak sun on the stones. Amazing.

Check out Laurel Hill’s posting about the work they do once again. Consider becoming a member for the New Year, won’t you? Discounts to events, invitations to special member only events, and helping to keep the cemetery in such lovely condition. And spare a thought for the workers and staff who work so hard to preserve it for us.

https://www.facebook.com/laurelhillcemetery/posts/10155486740419055

https://thelaurelhillcemetery.org/support/membership

(all photos by me, taken at Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia, PA)

Darling Florie (original post 12/27/2017)

(originally posted December 27, 2017)

Wednesday morning, after traveling for the holiday...a good time for reflection…

I was going to write about some rather dry or more challenging parts of being in a cemetery
this week. But I decided that one of my cemetery “friends” needed to have a bit of a holiday
presentation.

Her stone reads, “our darling Florie”.

Florie Martin passed away at the age of 12, in 1880. The monument of her family was made f
or her, with the other family members being interred much later.

There is a simply lovely statue of Florie on top of the monument - a character study for a
beautiful young lady. She carries a laurel wreath in one hand - a symbol of virginity and purity.
A basket in her other hand - a symbol of hope. And she has such a beautiful little face.

She died of a simple infection, which in our day could have been fixed with a z-pack of antibiotics.
Gone, and her family obviously cherished and mourned her loss.

There are other faces in the cemetery, showing those who are buried beneath them. Angels,
arch-angels, spirits, cherubs - even a cat (again, more on that later!). The “man in a chair”,
overlooking the Schuylkill River. The gentlemen below, only son and only 22 years old.

But Florie is just so damned sweet, and her family obviously was so heartbroken at her loss.

So Merry Christmas, dearest Florie. I found this branch on the road in the cemetery and was
going to take it home with me, but decided that you needed a bit of Christmas remembrance. I
think of you often, even though I never knew you, and I hope that wherever you are, you feel the
warmth at this holiday time of someone who keeps you in her heart.

To all the rest of you, this time of year remember your family members who have passed.
Let them know, somehow, that you love them and that you honor their life and hope to reunite
with them in the next life. That’s what holidays are about - family.


(all photos by me, Laurel Hill Cemetery)