We normally visit our family cemetery earlier in the year, but with some health problems in the immediate family we didn’t get a chance until this last week.
I went with my dad, and we put in Shepard’s hooks and hung baskets of fake flowers we had arranged from them. We did spray the flowers with acrylic sealant of some sort to maintain them a bit better in the wind and weather.
I caught photos of a few.
My Grammy’s grave with my grandpa and his first wife. His first wife died very young of a wasting disease of some sort – I’m not sure. You can see that someone spent the time digging out the grass around it, and someone already left flowers. All of the graves had been cleaned up like this, which I appreciate.
And then this one:
Aunts and a few relatives I didn’t recognize. There was one for one of my dad’s great uncles we decorated too – he was mildly notorious for being one of the hold outs on running water and electricity. Waaaaay back, there was a Wisconsin State Journal article on him that my dad showed a copy of to me once.
And finally:
This is my great grandfather or great great grandfather (unsure which), named Hakon. He moved to the United States as an adult and got his citizenship when he was very old, and he was very proud of it. We have a copy of that certificate and a copy of a photo of him for it.
There are a lot, and I mean a LOT of relatives in this cemetery, branching out in every direction, going waaaay back, but these are the ones we put flowers on.
We make fresh baskets each year because the flowers fade and fray.
We usually go out on Memorial Day to do this, but there has been a severe health issue in the immediate family that was more important. Hopefully it will be resolved by the end of August. (No details since I don’t have permission to discuss.)
Do you have a family cemetery where most of your family resides? Do you decorate graves each year or what traditions do you have? Inquiring minds want to know!
