by Loren N. Horton and Michael Zahs
A field guide
Old cemeteries are fascinating to survey, and old grave markers — with their wealth of symbols and carvings — can be inspiring or confusing.
If an upward-pointing finger on a grave marker means the deceased is in heaven, does a finger pointing down mean the opposite? Does an anchor mean a connection to the sea? What about crowns, doves, arrows, lambs, roses, and the multitude of other symbols and decorations found in Midwestern cemeteries?
The authors are dedicated cemetery explorers who have devoted years to their studies of Iowa and its people — living and dead.