{"id":4610,"date":"2021-10-01T20:57:16","date_gmt":"2021-10-01T20:57:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lovettsvillehistoricalsociety.org\/?p=4610"},"modified":"2021-10-01T20:58:28","modified_gmt":"2021-10-01T20:58:28","slug":"trees-made-of-stone-2-0","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.lovettsvillehistoricalsociety.org\/index.php\/trees-made-of-stone-2-0\/","title":{"rendered":"Trees Made of Stone"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Lori Hinterleiter Kimball<\/strong><\/p>\n

Many cemeteries contain unusually carved or shaped gravestones, but the markers that look like tree trunks are some of the most unusual.\u00a0 Called by various names \u2013 tree trunk stones, tree stump stones, treestones \u2013 they are found in cemeteries throughout the United States, and usually mark burials from the 1880s through the 1930s.<\/p>\n

We know of four burials in Lovettsville cemeteries marked with these unique stones.\u00a0 The earliest is for Christian Nicewaner (or Nicewarner), who died at age 81 or 82 on 10 January 1902. \u00a0Christian was a prosperous farmer who married Albina W. McDaniel in 1860.[1] \u00a0He kept a diary that spanned the Civil War years and excerpts are included in Yetive Weatherly\u2019s book, Lovettsville: The German Settlement.\u00a0 He recorded activities and events \u201cas he saw them or lived them,\u201d writing in a straightforward manner and without commentary, even when he was the focus of the entry.\u00a0 For example, on 1 March 1862, he wrote in his diary, \u201cFederal troops came to our house.\u00a0 Taken prisoner by Col. Geary.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"treestone<\/a>Two notices ran in The Brunswick Herald newspaper after Christian\u2019s death.\u00a0 A brief announcement was published on Friday, 17 January 1902, announcing: \u201cMr. Nicewarner, one of Loudoun\u2019s richest men, died at his home near Elvan on Friday evening and was buried at Mt. Olivet on Monday, Rev. D.C. Hedrick officiating.\u201d\u00a0 A full obituary ran on Friday, 31 January 1902, as shown at left.[2]<\/p>\n

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\"treestone<\/a>
Nicewarner grave market at Mount Olivet. Photos: Jen Snoots, Find-a-Grave.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Christian and Albina are buried in Mount Olivet Methodist Cemetery on Mountain Road, with a single treestone marking their grave.[3]\u00a0 The trunk appears to be \u201cgrowing\u201d from the ground, and the ferns at its base are believed to represent humility, sincerity, or sorrow.\u00a0 His inscription is: \u201cIn full age like as a shock of corn cometh in his season.\u201d[4]<\/p>\n

Their unique memorial was noteworthy enough to generate a small mention in the local Brunswick newspaper on 16 January 1903.[5]<\/p>\n

\"treestone<\/a><\/p>\n

Sometimes the accounts for the deceased\u2019s estate, found in the County Courthouse, \u00a0list payments to a company for purchase of a gravestone or payment to a person for engraving the marker.\u00a0 Unfortunately, none of the estate accounts for the people discussed in this article contains that information.\u00a0 The only mention of a tombstone was in the estate for Christian Nicewaner, and it was:\u00a0 \u201ctombstones\u2026\u2026$180.\u201d [6]<\/p>\n

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The other treestones located in Lovettsville are in Union Cemetery next to New Jerusalem Lutheran Church.<\/p>\n

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Elihu Sheldon Arnold, a farmer, married Elizabeth Mason Miller on 19 February 1881. He and Elizabeth M. Arnold share a single treestone. Elihu died on 22 July 1902 at the age of 48, and his inscription reads, \u201cHe was a good man and full of the Holy Ghost.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"treestone<\/a><\/p>\n

Arnold grave maker at LUCC. Photo: Ed Spannaus<\/p>\n

His obituary ran in The Brunswick Herald on 8 August 1902:[7]<\/p>\n

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Elizabeth lived another 38 years before her death on 2 February 1940 at age 85. Her inscription reads, \u201cA loving mother devoted to her church and family.\u201d The trunk of their treestone is carved to look like it is growing out of the ground with ferns at its base. A shorter trunk on the side holds an open Bible with the words \u201cHoly Bible\u201d engraved on its pages.<\/p>\n

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Charlie T. Williams was a farmer who married Sallie Ann Seitz, daughter of Andrew and Amanda Seitz who were documented in an article in last month\u2019s newsletter.\u00a0 Charlie died in October 1913 and Sallie 26 years later.\u00a0 Their treestone, like the Arnolds\u2019, appears to be \u201cgrowing\u201d from the ground and has a shorter trunk on the side with an open Bible and the words \u201cHoly Bible\u201d chiseled on its pages.\u00a0 The feature of a Bible resting on a short stump, an element of the Arnold stone, too, seems to be unique and could indicate the treestones were made by the same stone cutter.<\/p>\n

\""Tree<\/a>
“Tree trunk” monument for Charles T. Williams and his wife Sallie Ann Seitz.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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The only double treestone in Lovettsville Union Cemetery marks the graves of Joseph L. Grubb and his first wife, Sarah Virginia Wire Grubb.\u00a0 She died in 1923 at the age of 62, and he died in 1934 at age 72.\u00a0 Interestingly, Joseph\u2019s occupation is recorded in the 1930 Census as marble and granite worker, and a note on his Find-A-Grave record states that he was a stone cutter. \u00a0Could he have created or engraved any of these unique gravestones?<\/p>\n

\"treestone<\/a>
Photo: Ed Spannaus<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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The trunk of the Grubb\u2019s treestone rests on a wall of stones with ferns growing in front.\u00a0 The two crossed branches in front are thought to symbolize the linked arms or embrace of the two deceased.\u00a0 The linked chain engraved below Joseph\u2019s name could represent his membership in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.<\/p>\n

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Several theories exist as to why these grave markers were popular.\u00a0 As industrialization progressed in the 1800s and infringed upon open and wooded spaces, people became concerned about the loss of trees, wildlife, and natural habitat.\u00a0 Interest in the outdoors, rusticity, and protection of natural spaces grew.[8]\u00a0 At the same time, funerary art was in transition, according to Susanne Ridlen, author of Tree-Stump Tombstones.\u00a0 More modest gravestones were taking the place of grand monuments, and the back-to-nature movement made rustic-looking items popular, including gravestones.\u00a0 \u201cThe customs around death were starting to focus more on the deceased\u2019s life and the people left behind, and a tree proved a powerful symbol of both eternity and humanity, recalling the Bible\u2019s tree of life and tree of knowledge.\u201d[9]<\/p>\n

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A fraternal organization formed in the late 1800s clearly affected the use and popularity of treestones.\u00a0 Joseph Cullen Root founded Modern Woodmen of the World in 1882.\u00a0 After disagreements, he left to found a new fraternal society, Woodmen of the World (WOW), in 1890 in Omaha, Nebraska.\u00a0 It offered life insurance to its members and in the beginning, a free tombstone.\u00a0 They created standard designs for both traditional stones and treestones and sent them to local stonecutters for carving. \u00a0They later changed their policy to providing $100 toward a tombstone if it had the WOW logo on it.[10] \u00a0Woodmen of the World still exists but with a slight name change \u2013 Woodmen Life (https:\/\/www.woodmenlife.org\/).\u00a0 The company provides insurance and other financial services.<\/p>\n

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Treestone grave markers were so popular that they were offered for sale by Sears and Roebuck and other mail-order catalog companies.\u00a0 One could purchase the stone from the catalog and hire a local stonecutter to engrave it.[11]<\/p>\n

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\"Beavers<\/a>
Beavers grave markers. Photos by dickbelle via Find-a-Grave<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If created by a local stone cutter, the monuments could be customized to include elements relevant to the deceased\u2019s life, such as a train for someone who worked on the railroad or a favorite flower or bird.\u00a0 This is quite evident in the treestone for John Peterson Beavers, who is buried at Ebenezer Baptist Church Cemetery in Bluemont.\u00a0 John was the son of Charles Henry Beavers and Sarah Elizabeth Hummer Beavers, and he served in World War I.\u00a0 He died of pulmonary tuberculosis on 3 October 1919 at the age of 25.[12] \u00a0 The treestone that marks his grave is highly personalized and pays tribute to his military service. \u00a0The inscription reads:<\/p>\n

Pri. Co. B 318 Inf.<\/p>\n

Served with honor in the world war and was wounded in action.<\/p>\n

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The tree trunk sits on a base of carved, stacked stones.\u00a0 A hat adorns the top of the trunk, and a canteen rests on the stone base.\u00a0 The stumps of two large branches extend from the sides of the trunk, possibly indicating a life cut short.[13]<\/p>\n

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\"treestone<\/a>John\u2019s parents outlived him by a little over twenty years.\u00a0 Charles, a farmer, died in 1940 and Sarah in 1942.\u00a0 They are buried near their son, and a double treestone marks their grave.<\/p>\n

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Another double treestone in Loudoun marks the final resting place of Isaac and Eliza A. Ballenger in Lakeview Cemetery, Hamilton.<\/p>\n

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The interest in incorporating trees into funerary practices continues.\u00a0 People still plant a live tree in memory of a loved one, and the event is often celebrated with a planting ceremony.\u00a0 A more back-to-nature approach is provided through the use of living urns.\u00a0 The deceased\u2019s cremated remains are placed in the living urn along with growing material.\u00a0 A tree or other plant is placed inside the container or pod, which can be placed in the ground or remain indoors for smaller plants.<\/p>\n

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[1]<\/a>\u00a0Virginia, U.S., Compiled Marriages for Select Counties, 1851-1929.\u00a0 Ancestry.com.<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a>\u00a0Genealogical Abstracts from The Brunswick Herald: 6 January 1899 to 26 December 1902<\/em>. Patricia B. Duncan. Willow Bend Books. 2005. Page 239.<\/p>\n

[3]<\/a>\u00a0https:\/\/www.findagrave.com\/memorial\/31549096\/christian-nicewaner<\/a><\/p>\n

[4]<\/a>\u00a0Symbols Found on Gravestones. \u00a0http:\/\/www.thecemeteryclub.com\/symbols.html<\/a><\/p>\n

[5]<\/a>\u00a0Newspaper clipping provided by Harold Gladstone.<\/p>\n

[6]<\/a>\u00a0Will Book 3R:371. Loudoun County Courthouse.<\/p>\n

[7]<\/a>\u00a0Genealogical Abstracts from The Brunswick Herald: 6 January 1899 to 26 December 1902. Page 283.<\/em><\/p>\n

[8]<\/a>\u00a0Trees of Stone.\u00a0https:\/\/www.lakewoodcemetery.org\/2020-04-29-trees-of-stone\/<\/a><\/p>\n

[9]<\/a>\u00a0Atlas Obscura. \u201cWhy Some Gravestones are Shaped Like Tree Stumps.\u201d\u00a0https:\/\/www.atlasobscura.com\/articles\/why-gravestones-are-shaped-like-tree-stumps<\/a><\/p>\n

[10]<\/a>\u00a0Ibid.<\/p>\n

[11]<\/a>\u00a0Image from The Czech & Slovak American Genealogy Society of Illinois.\u00a0 \u201cTreestones at BNC\u201d\u00a0https:\/\/csagsi.org\/treestones-at-bnc\/<\/a><\/p>\n

[12]<\/a>\u00a0Virginia, U.S., Death Records, 1912-2014.\u00a0 Ancestry.com.<\/p>\n

[13]<\/a>\u00a0https:\/\/www.findagrave.com\/memorial\/89395117\/john-p-beavers<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Lori Hinterleiter Kimball Many cemeteries contain unusually carved or shaped gravestones, but the markers that look like tree trunks are some of the most unusual.\u00a0 Called by various names…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4575,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4610","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.lovettsvillehistoricalsociety.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4610","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.lovettsvillehistoricalsociety.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.lovettsvillehistoricalsociety.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.lovettsvillehistoricalsociety.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.lovettsvillehistoricalsociety.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4610"}],"version-history":[{"count":39,"href":"http:\/\/www.lovettsvillehistoricalsociety.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4610\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4650,"href":"http:\/\/www.lovettsvillehistoricalsociety.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4610\/revisions\/4650"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.lovettsvillehistoricalsociety.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4575"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.lovettsvillehistoricalsociety.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4610"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.lovettsvillehistoricalsociety.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4610"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.lovettsvillehistoricalsociety.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4610"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}