This afternoon Jubee and I grabbed some DQ and decided to spend our time as most other normal people do: walk through a graveyard nearby. As 105 was on the way, we pulled up along the cemetery and perused.

I had not been there in several years (has it really been seven years already!?), when it was one of the “field trips” in a New England Archaeology course I had with the wonderful Edward Gallagher. We had gone into the Congo church across the road (an exact replica, it seemed, to the Hanson Congo, and every other New England Congo Church!) Then we had explored the cemetery – it has a great many old stones, and lots of interesting carvings.

So today, I was happy to become reacquainted with the cemetery. From old slate to newer marble to newest granite, the cemetery is quite large, and still serves the Middleboro community. We stuck to the older sections, always my favorite. But perhaps my preference mimics the study of history in general – historians for the most part are not interested in the modern, but rather the past (About what time frame did your high school history classes go up to?). Yet with each successive generation comes a need to research the previous!

Sadly I had forgotten to bring my camera. But Jubee had pointed out that she was interested in finding poetry on stones, for she had been inspired after recently received an assignment to write an epitaph for an English class. I always love looking at gravestones from new approaches, so it was fun to seek out poetry.

I told her about the beloved epitaph oft-quoted by AGS’ers – “I told you I was sick!!”

There were many, many spiritual references. We searched around for paper and a pencil (usually staple goods in my purse), but only came up with our napkins from Dairy Queen.. so just jotted down a few.

Here’s a sad one for a young girl:
“See the lovely blooming flower
Fades and withers in an hour
So our transient comforts fly
Pleasures only bloom to die”

In addition, I was interested in some stones in the back right corner, many of which belonged to the Thompson family. They were large white marble stones, mostly 1800s, but they were stained a dark red color. Is there a significant amount of local iron ore in the stone? I would like to look more into where stone is quarried for local stones.