Symbol Scavenger Hunt

This week our class visited the Bethel United Methodist Church graveyard and looked for ten different symbols on grave markers to later research and discover their meanings. The Bethel Methodist Church is distinguished as a National Historic Landmark and has been in established in Charleston for almost 220 years! On my scavenger hunt, this is what I found:

This is the headstone of Elizabeth Moore. The symbol
on the grave is an Angel lighting a candle which
represents protection on the journey to Heaven and a
life ended too soon. From the writing on the grave
I've determined Elizabeth was in good health when
she died at age 65 unexpectedly. 

This is the headstone of Catharine Frances who died
of Yellow Fever at age 3 years old. The leaves represent innocence of the child and the broken rose bud explains the death of a girl before blossoming into adulthood.  

This broken headstone is the grave of Charles C. Seyle who
died at age 57. The cross resembles faith and the hope of
resurrection, along with eternal life in Heaven. 

This Die on Socket is the grave of Anna, wife of
"Rev. A. M. Chrietzberg", who died at age 51. The
circle represents hope for an eternal life and the
wreath shows remembrance for the person
who has passed. The dove represents peace, love, and
freedom of the spirit.

This headstone of Priscilla Sarah Eason died at age 76. The
grave shows she was a mother because it says "Our Mother" and
"Her children arise up and call her blessed". The cross with the crown symbol represents the departed soul having victory over death through Christ the king.

This Die on Socket is the grave of Eva Lee, aged 26
years old. The broken stem and rose bud shows a life cut
short, but the roses can also demonstrate a full bloom in life. With
this information, I can pull together that Eva's life was cut short, but
she lived a meaningful 26 years.

This Die on Socket is the grave of Olin B. Davis, who's quote says, "forever with the Lord", showing he was a religious man. The single dying rose represents sadness, truthfulness and grief.

This Die on Socket shows an angel holding what appears
to be a cross. This shows the deceased have started their depart
from Earth to Heaven and will be protected by Angels along the way.
 This symbol was interesting because the Angel is actually holding
something. This is the grave of Rebecca Jane Bateman who was
19 when she died.

This headstone is the burial site of C. D. Bateman who was 61 years old when he died. This grave is interesting because it says his death date, but doesn't include his birthday. The bouquet of flowers includes a Lily, which are typically used on women's gravestones, but can represent innocence being restored at death.

This is the grave of Sarah Ann Pelzer, who was 41 years old when she died. This Die on Socket has a wreath with a ribbon which is a common find for graveyards and it represents victory, distinction, and eternity/immorality.