Symbol Hunt at Bethel United Methodist

Monday.. 6:00pm, my class ventured out to another spooky graveyard at Bethel United Methodist Church. Our mission was to collect 10 pictures of grave symbols and find the meaning to them. So that's exactly what I did. 

Bethel Methodist Church

When we first got to the church we met a woman name Camille Wish. We learned a lot about Bethel United Methodist from this amazing women. She also explained the rich history of the church and all the renovating that had to do because of some problems they had in the past. All these problems are now fixed and the church stands tall and beautiful.

Camille Wish and Professor Harwood

Mrs. Wish decided to take us over and show us the old church. It is a very old and beautiful church with a lot of history to it. The Old Bethel Methodist Church was moved in 1852 to where the new Bethel United Methodist Church is located. The Old Bethel Methodist Chruch was then used for Sunday school until African Americans acquired it in 1882. 

Old Bethel Methodist Church

As we were walking back from the Old Bethel Methodist Church, we stopped in the parking lot of the "new" Bethel United Methodist Church and listen to Camille Wish talk again. Mrs. Wish said, "We are standing on top of a graveyard right now.". This frightened me because I knew that moment that I'm probably standing on graveyards all the time, I just don't know it because they are paved or built over top of.

Now let's get into the meanings of symbols on gravestones. This is very important if someone is trying to read a grave. A symbol can tell a lot about the person who was buried there. The first gravestone I came across was a die, base, and cap. Rebecca Jane is buried there and died on November 21st, 1875. The symbol on her grave is a flying angel, which symbolizes rebirth and spirituality.

Angel Symbol

 The second gravestone is a die on socket, where C.D. Bateman resides. He died on September 22nd, 1889. The symbol on his grave is a bouquet of flowers, which symbolizes grief and condolences.

Bouquet of Flowers Symbol

The third gravestone is a die on socket, where Rosa Mary resides. She died on November 2nd, 1881. She has two symbols on her grave, flowers and a drape. The flowers symbolize frailty of life and the drapes symbolize an expression of mourning to linger long after the body has been taken out the front door and the accouterments have been stowed away for the next death.

Drape and Flowers Symbol

The fourth gravestone is a die on base, where Charles H. Muckenfuss resides. He died on June 3rd, 1914. The symbol on his grave is a cross in a crown, which symbolizes Sovereignty of the Lord.

Cross in Crown Symbol

The fifth gravestone is a die on socket, where Olin B. Davis resides. He died in December of 1866. The symbol of his grave is a partially bloomed rose, which usually symbolizes a teenager. I could not read out the date he was born so I could not tell if he was a teenager.

Partially Bloomed Rose Symbol

The sixth gravestone is a headstone, where Charles C. Seyle resides. He died on February 10th, 1880. This gravestone seems to depict a cross that is ascending to heaven with ivy wrapped around it. The cross symbolizes salvation and the ivy symbolizes friendship, affection, faithfulness, strength, and immortality.

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The seventh gravestone is a headstone, where Elizabeth M. resides. She died on October 26th, 1861. The symbol on her gravestone is a flying angel, which symbolizes rebirth and spirituality. There is also an urn in this symbol, which symbolizes immortality.

Flying Angel Symbol with Urn

The eighth gravestone is a footstone, where Francis W Capers resides. He died on January 12th, 1892. The gravestone has a symbol of a circled cross, which symbolizes eternity and neverending existence. 

Circled Cross Symbol

The ninth gravestone is a headstone, where James F.M. Lobe resides. He died on February 16th, 1862. The symbol on his gravestone is a weeping willow, which symbolizes sorrow and mourning.

Weeping Willow Symbol

Finally, the tenth gravestone is a headstone, where Elizabeth M. Ainger resides. She died on October 6th, 1872. The gravestone has a symbol of a dove, which symbolizes the holy spirit. The dove also looks like it is carrying an olive branch, which symbolizes peace.

Dover Symbol

Overall this was a fun and exciting experience. It was interesting to listen to what Camille Wish had to say about Bethel United Methodist Church along with the graveyard. It was also fun to learn more about the meanings of symbols on gravestones. This is an adventure I'll never forget!