Gardens of Stone --- A Cemetery Blog by Alexandra Kathryn Mosca

Some of my best cemetery finds have come my way through pure serendipity. Walking through a cemetery can be a solemn and, at times, an eerie experience. The silence, the weathered tombstones, and the weight of history all cast a mysterious cloak over the atmosphere. Yet, amidst the somber surroundings, there are occasions when serendipity sweeps in to unearth unexpected stories that lie quietly beneath the gravestones. Cemeteries are not solely the resting place of the departed: they are also a testament to the lives lived, the triumphs and struggles woven into the fabric of humanity. Each tombstone tells a unique tale, often with fragments of personal narratives that time has erased. But sometimes, amid the rows of weathered memorials, a serendipitous find sheds light on forgotten stories, connecting us to the past in ways we never imagined. One might stumble upon a gravestone adorned with flowers, meticulously maintained despite the passage of time. Curiosity piqued, we learn that a ...

This month, Kates-Boylston Publications generously offers non-subscribers complimentary digital access American Cemetery & Cremation magazine. It's a great opportunity to see the photos and read the great stories about cemeteries around the country. Long before I began writing for them I was a subscriber, and I truly believe this is a magazine for anyone who cares about the beauty, tranquility, architecture and history to be found in cemeteries. This issue features my article on cemetery bloggers (of which I am one) and the reasons we chronicle the sometimes arcane stories of those who have gone before us. The Eppig mausoleum (pictured above) is one of them. For the article, I interviewed Ed Snyder, who began his popular blog, The Cemetery Traveler, more than a dozen years ago, and Chantal Larochelle, whose blog features Canadian cemetery stories. In a sidebar, I've included a few more of my favorite blogs. Here's the link: Cemetery Bloggers Blending History and Reveren...

For this month's American Cemetery & Cremation magazine, I wrote about some of the cemetery monuments I've come across bearing song lyrics. Bob Dylan's Blowin' in the Wind, and Bruce Springsteen's Born to Run, are among them. Here's a bonus find from  Westchester County’s Sharon Gardens Cemetery. The words to the song “One Boy” from the classic musical Bye Bye Birdie are etched into a small grave marker. With lyrics by Lee Adams and music by Charles Strouse, the song became a hit when it was performed by Ann-Margret in the 1963 film adaptation of the musical. Kim McAfee, played by Margret, assures her boyfriend, Hugo Peabody, that rock star Conrad Birdie has not stolen her affection. Have you seen any? If so, where? And what was the song?

  My article: "The Power of Eternal Love: Unforgettable Love Stories That Transcend Even Death" is the cover story for this month's American Cemetery & Cremation magazine.  The cover shot is of the monument artist Marc Chagall designed for his beloved wife, Bella, when she died at the age of 49. Other love stories include Charles & Jane Griffith (Green-Wood), Jonathan & Mary Reed (Evergreen) Lawrence and Elvira Wegielski (Woodlawn) William Wetmore Story & Emelyn (Protestant Cemetery in Rome).  

  The mausoleum of the Lewis family in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery evokes images of enchanted cottages in the woods.

 Legendary actress Anne Bancroft is buried  in a shaded corner grave, across the way from her parents. Bancroft, who appeared on stage and screen,  portrayed  Anne Sullivan in  the Broadway production of The Miracle Worker for which she won a Tony Award for Best Actress. She reprised her role in  the 1962 film adaptation, this time winning an Oscar for Best Actress for her performance. One of her most famous roles was as Mrs. Robinson in The Graduate.  Bancroft was married to director, actor, and writer Mel Brooks. The grave of Bancroft's parents, Michael and Mildred Italiano.

  In the early 2oth century, D.W. Rohde was the secretary of the Fairlawn Cemetery (the cemetery was later incorporated into Valhalla's Gate of Heaven) Society in Westchester County. His tree-stump tombstone in Kensico Cemetery is creatively adorned.

On July 17, 1996, Trans World Airlines (TWA) Flight 800 took off from JFK International Airport for Rome. Within minutes, there was an explosion on board and the Boeing crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near East Moriches, Long Island. All 230 passengers were killed, making it the third-deadliest aviation accident in U.S. history. initial speculation was that the crash may have been the result of a terrorist attack. Investigations by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the FBI, and the Police Department's Joint Terrorism Task Force ensued. After 16 months, the investigation was concluded with no evidence of criminality.

  Lionel Burnett was the son of writer Frances Hodgson Burnett. He served as the model for the title character in her most famous children's book Little, Lord Fauntleroy, published in 1885. He is buried in Roslyn Cemetery, on Long Island, close to the grave of his mother. There's more about the cemetery in My Cemetery Travels.

  Near the edge of Green -Wood Cemetery, a sculpture of a beautiful woman –Rose Guarino--reclining across stone steps stops visitors in their tracks. Open-eyed, with lips parted and long hair flowing, she is dressed in a flowing gown, and wearing sandals. She clutches a bouquet in her hands. For generations, Brooklyn locals have believed that the monument commemorates a mafia bride gunned down on her wedding day in a revenge killing. The true story behind the statue does involve a murder and is just as tragic.  In the summer of 1909, Dominica Merello and her daughter, Rose Guarino, were dining with family members on the lawn of their NJ summer home when Pietro Silverio, an irate domestic employee, rushed the women, gun in hand, to exact revenge for losing his job. As the women attempted to flee, Silverio gave chase and shot Guarino in the back.   She died three days later. Guarino's body was held for two years in the cemetery's receiving vault while the monument w...

  Charles Feltman is credited with "inventing" the hot dog. In 1871, Feltman opened the Feltman Restaurant and Beer Garden in Coney Island. His establishment proved hugely popular, and on one day alone it was reported that he served 40,000 hot dogs. One of his workers, Nathan Handwerker, would go on to achieve his own fame after opening his own Coney Island hot dog restaurant: Nathan's.

  The Weeping Angel is one of my all-time favorite monuments. So much so, that I requested that the publisher of my last book-- Gardens of Stone--make it the cover.  This monument is Brooklyn's Green-Wood Cemetery, but variations can be found in a number of cemeteries around the world.

Calvary Cemetery's Johnston mausoleum is a perennial favorite of mine. Here's another view of it towering above the rest of the gravesites. It is the second largest structure on the grounds, and fans of The Godfather may recall seeing it in Don Corleone's funeral scene. Entombed within are the Johnston brothers, who were proprietors of a successful (very successful judging by their final resting place) dry goods store in the 19th century. 

  In 2003, it became big news when it was discovered that a fully-grown Bengal tiger was living in a New York City apartment. The 400-pound feline, named Ming, was the pet of an eccentric cab driver who brought him home as a six-week-old cub. Ming was sent to Noah’s Lost Ark, Inc., a sanctuary for exotic animals in rural Ohio, where he roamed free. After he  died in 2019, the sanctuary contacted  Hartsdale Pet Cemetery about the possibility of interring him. However, transporting the tiger became an impossibility, so Ming was cremated. In April of that year a large urn containing his cremated remains was interred in Hartsdale Pet Cemetery following a brief ceremony.    To learn more about Ming's life:   A Farewell to Ming, the Siberian-Bengal Tiger Who Spent Three Years in a Harlem Apartment

  "A Pocket of Peace," a profile of Hartsdale Pet Cemetery, in Westchester, New York, is the cover story for November's American Cemetery & Cremation magazine.  It was a delight to learn more about this very special place, and to see the outpouring of love at every turn.

This exquisite statue in St. John Cemetery is o ne of my perennial favorites. I've photographed this monument in every season, year after year.

  This month's 'American Cemetery & Cremation'  magazine contains my article 'Windows into Long Island's Past.' For the piece,  I profiled six of the Island's noteworthy cemeteries --Long Island National, Mount Ararat, Holy Rood, Locust Valley, Memorial Cemetery of St. John's Episcopal & All Saints --along with photos. American Cemetery & Cremation is a must-read magazine for taphophiles, and now is a perfect time to become a subscriber, if you're not already. This month,  American Cemetery & Cremation  is offering a year's worth of issues at the low price of $25.00 (that's little more than a $1.00 per issue).  You can click on this link to subscribe .

Last night, I attended  a most unique event at Green-Wood Cemetery with my friend & fellow funeral director, Doris Amen. It was a two mile stroll through the grounds, after dark, on a perfect fall evening . Along the way, we encountered performance artists stationed in and around some of Green-Wood’s many notable mausoleums and monuments. Food stations, too, were available . Our ties to Green-Wood run deep. Doris is the cemetery’s “go to” funeral director, having handled the funerals of the cemetery president’s family, as well as many of the staff’s loved ones. While I, enamored with the grounds from my very first visit as a funeral director, wrote a  book  about the place. During the researching and writing process, I traversed the grounds countless times. Still, seeing it at night is something extra-special. Even in the dark, we discovered new sites and saw others in a different light. Highlights were the Currier (of Currier & Ives) monument lit up in pink, and ...

  In August, I was given a tour of All Saints Cemetery, on Long Island in preparation for an article I was working on. It was a real thrill for me, as a writer -- and taphophile -- to be shown the grave of William Zinsser, the author of "On Writing Well." Such an unexpected name in an unexpected place. I've included the cemetery & his name, along with my latest article --Windows into Long Island's Past -- for American Cemetery & Cremation magazine.

Composer and conductor extraordinaire, Marvin Hamlisch, wrote the award-winning  What I Did For Love for the musical  "A Chorus Line."  It is a fitting inscription on Hamlisch's memorial in Mt. Zion Cemetery.  His funeral in Manhattan's Temple Emanu-El was a  glorious celebration of  his myriad contributions to the entertainment world.