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 Question:
I have noticed in some cemeteries that there are large memorials, frequently with steps, that display religious symbols. Can you write about this topic?
Answer:
I call ‘large memorials,’ as you describe them, ‘centerpiece memorials,’ as they serve as a major focal point for sections, and they are used particularly within large cemeteries.
With diversity in mind, centerpiece memorials may have a religious or non-religious subject matter. For example, in a Christian section, a Christian theme would exist, in a Jewish section, a Jewish theme.
The same is true for non-religious sections, including Babyland, Patriotic Memorials with the American Flag, and other sections within large cemeteries. Old cemeteries and small cemeteries tend to not have sections.
Religious Sections
In religious sections, a large script of ‘The Lord’s Prayer’ is displayed in the Oakridge Cemetery in Tifton, Georgia. Similarly large, ‘The Great Commission’ and a smaller ‘The Last Supper’ are displayed in the Forest Lawn Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia.
The Great Commission
 Forest Lawn Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia displays ‘The Great Commission,’ stating,
“Go Ye Therefore, And Teach All Nations, Baptizing Them In The Name Of The Father, And The Son And The Holy Ghost. Teaching Them To Observe All Things Whatsoever I Have Commanded You. And Lo, I Am With You Always Even Unto The End Of The World. Amen.”
Variations of Centerpiece Memorials
There are countless numbers of variations available for centerpiece memorials. Some examples include: Pinecrest Memorial Cemetery near Moultrie, Georgia, which has a Veterans Memorial Garden; Greenlawn Cemetery in Waycross, Georgia has The Garden of Love; Mt. Hope Cemetery in Topeka, Kansas has a Lincoln Section with a large statue of President Abraham Lincoln, and another section with a large Lord’s Prayer memorial; Whigman Cemetery uses the flags for the United States and the State of Georgia.
I have always liked themes and organization in business and for cemeteries too. Themes add to harmony, which help create peaceful environments, and to my mind, that is a good thing.
Mt. Hope Cemetery, Topeka, Kansas
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