I'm seeing Mary M. (?)

I think you're right, Marita. Now I see the RY, at least. Thanks!

Here's another one.......a baby, 17 (?) days old. Daughter of _____________ Cushman? And is her name Harriet?

Looks to me to be Wm. H & H. T(?) Cushman

Thanks, Chessey......I can use the Wm. H for now. Does her name look like Harriet to you?

They keep coming.........the cemetery I visited yesterday is old, most of the stones hard to read.

This one looks like "Margaret, consort of Rev. Thomas West, First Rector of Grace Church, Honesdale, who departed this Life Nov. 25, 1834 in the 74th year of her age." Everyone agree? And what's with "consort?" Perhaps it was common to refer to pastors' wives that way?

As a noun 'consort' doesn't have the negative connotations as it does when used as a verb. Consort (noun) refers to a spouse or partner, traditionally the spouse of the monarch. It's only as a verb that the negative applies - 'to consort with a known criminal.'

I do see Harriet.

Thanks, Marita. So many have just sunk into the ground like this one. I wish I could create a FindAGrave memorial for Laura Jane, but without her last name it would be useless.

Thanks, Maire. The only context I've ever heard the word used as a noun relates to Victoria's Prince Albert and Elizabeth's Prince Philip. I guess Honesdale regarded the clergy as a sort of monarchy.

Have you never tried the charcoal rubbings on paper, of course, not directly on the stone. My sister and I did that and the further away we placed the rubbings, the easier they were to read.

And yet another.......

Abraham Kimble, age 1 year, 3 months, and 13 days

The inscription:

Here lies the infant we __________________ (adort?)

_______________________ beneath the sod,

Be still our hearts and mourn no more

It is the work of God.

I've done it, Vannie. It's sort of my last resort. I think it would probably work well on the above inscription, so I'll keep it in mind if our sleuths don't come up with the answer.

I love old cemeteries, too. There's one here in Tyler that has a tour each year and several docents dress up in period costumes and portray the person whose grave they're showing. We have Civil War slaves, and a Texas governor. The cemetery hasn't been used in years, but it's got those good graves w/ the wonderful epitaphs. My ancestors cemetery in Pittsburg, Tx has a historical marker and the first grave there was in the 1850s (my GGGM) whose father I was able to join the DAR through. We stop at every old one we see--there's just something enchanting about thinking about the people that stood around the grave mourning, who they were, what their future and past held--it just fascinates me. Now, I will say, we've been to 3 funerals in the last month, and the new cemeteries just don't do it for me--I don't want to know anybody there.

I have a program that really blows up the size and on that last one with it blown up to 400% that word is definitely not abort but I just can not get it, what i see at that zoom is yitest or something very similar i thought maybe it was visit.

the other word really looks like Mouldering beneath

if you use firefox this add on may help you a lot
Image Zoom 0.4.6
the home page has images so you can see what it will do and look like
Image zoom

No, no, Raven--I didn't say abort! :-)

I said adort......as in an alternate spelling of adored. Maybe it's possible the engraver was a poor speller?

I can blow it up to any size in Photoshop, but sometimes bigger sort of blows it out, at least for my eyes. I think you're 100% right on mouldering, thanks--such an unfortunate word.

I do use Firefox--thanks for the add-on!

Vannie, I feel the same way.

ahhh yes you are correct I did miss read what you wrote LOL
Mouldering is not a word I would have chosen either!

"Mouldering" is used a lot in the 19th century; its use must not have offended the ears then as much as it seems to now. If anyone knows the old song: "John Brown's body lies a-mouldering in the grave but his soul goes marching on. . ."

I was thinking it was "adored" too.

Hi Marita40
Here is a site that has a number of verses plus music.
http://ingeb.org/songs/johnbrow.html

Good Luck
Dolly

Hi Marita40
Here is a site that has a number of verses plus music.
http://ingeb.org/songs/johnbrow.html

Good Luck
Dolly

are you allowed to clean off the stone? (using water and cloth?)

you might try re-photo the stones in different light, too..

Susan, I don't know about water, but I often use a dry microfiber cloth to clean the stones. Yes, better lighting can help. The light on all the above stones was actually excellent--late day, aimed at the proper side. I posted one picture on a FindAGrave memorial because it was so much brighter and clearer than the one already posted.

Standard advice says to photograph gravestones at noon. But I've had much better luck late in the day--provided the stones are facing in the right direction.

"And what's with "consort?" Perhaps it was common to refer to pastors' wives that way? "

Consort (noun) is an old term for wife and companion. I've seen this term used on gravestones as late as 1850s and then it dissappears by 1900.

Does it say "slumbering beneath the sod"?

What is the State and County you are working in?

Oops, I should have said also that the last word in the line above is "adore".

I think Raven's right about mouldering. The cemetery is in Wayne County, PA.

Fascinating, as Mr. Spock used to say about us humans.