My husband's great grandfather, John Sebastian Schmidt is SAID to have been
born in Germany in 1827. I know that he lived in New Canada West and Turner
Co, SD. I have found no documentation on him at all. The first wife I see
him married to was in 1870. The next he was married to was in 1880 and the
third was in 1887. Seeing his later habits I would bet he was married more
times as he was 43 at the first marriage I know of. Sorry it is not the
Pennsylvania Schmidt family you look for.
Laura
----- Original Message -----
From: Carol Johnson <carolj(a)myhome.net>
To: <WAGEN-CEM-L(a)rootsweb.com>
Sent: Thursday, October 28, 1999 6:05 PM
Subject: Re: [WA-CEM] Fw: Cemeteries
Joe and Laura,
Where please are your Schmidt's from? This is one of the main names
that I am researching. Mine are from PA.
Carol
Joe & Laura Schmidt wrote:
> Got this from
Ancestry.com a long while back
> =======================================================
> Cemeteries have always held a certain fascination for me. They are
> restful,
> reflective places filled with a sense of timelessness. They also are
> the
> site of much genealogical research. Roaming through older cemeteries,
> I am
> often struck by the carvings on gravestones or the statuary there.
> Perhaps
> you, too, have asked yourself the meaning of a particular carving. In
> "Along Those Lines . . ." this week, I want to discuss cemetery
> iconography--the meanings of some of the images found in the
> graveyard.
>
> A VERY BRIEF HISTORY OF DEATH CUSTOMS AND IMAGES
>
> Humans have long marked graves and commemorated their dead. At some
> point,
> prehistoric man began the custom of burying the dead. Stones were used
> to
> prevent wild animals despoiling the gravesite. Later, seashells,
> tools,beads, clothing and other items were piled atop the grave or
> buried
> with the dead and funereal rites began.
>
> The ancient societies of Egypt, China, and others are particularly
> noteworthy for their funeral customs, the building of elaborate tombs,
> and
> the development of unique types of funerary art and sculpture. When
> you
> think of Egypt, the images of mummies, elaborate pyramid tombs,
> hieroglyphic paintings, and other death-related objects immediately
> come to
> mind. The ancient Romans interred their dead in niches beneath the
> city in
> what are known as the Catacombs. In fact, studies of all human
> civilizations reveal that, to some degree or other, they have
> developed
> some ritual customs for dealing with death and with the remains of
> their
> dead. These include mound building, cremation, launching the dead out
> to
> sea in boats, sacrifices (human and otherwise), body painting, hair
> cutting, keening and wailing, erecting huts or tomb buildings, placing
>
> simple or elaborate markers at the death and/or burial site, and a
> wide
> variety of other customs.
>
> European cultures developed in similar fashion. Pictorial images have
> been
> used to commemorate death, with a wide variety of images used.
> Religious
> symbols and icons were used and perpetuated by the various sects.
> Other
> images came into use during less than cheerful circumstances. The
> death's
> head and the dancing skeleton, for instance, became common
> representations
> for life's brevity during the epidemics of the plague in Europe. As
> the
> centuries passed, more and more graphic representations came into use.
>
> During the Victorian era in both Europe and the United States,
> exceedingly
> elaborate tombs, gravestone carvings, statuary, funerary clothing and
> other
> paraphernalia evolved to commemorate the dead. They also allowed the
> living
> to share their sorrow and mourning with one another and for posterity.
> And
> entire cemeteries, planned as rural recreational parks, were
> developed.
>
> GRAVEN IMAGES AND ICONS
>
> Cemeteries and grave markers are big business. The stonemason and the
> sculptor have had plenty of work over the centuries because of the
> dead. In
> some cases, two or more generations of a single family carried on the
> business. They developed their own stone shapes and carving styles,
> but the
> use of graven images became something of a standard.
>
> As you roam through a cemetery, you are likely to see the same image
> again
> and again. The survivors erected markers to commemorate the dead and
> used
> icons to communicate something about the deceased. Do you know what
> some of
> these icons represent? Let's examine some common ones.
>
> A weeping willow tree indicates mourning or natural grief. Clasped
> hands
> signify farewells said at death, while a hand pointing upward
> indicates the
> pathway to heavenly reward. An urn represents immortality, just as the
>
> Egyptians believed that removing and enclosing the viscera in canopic
> jars
> preserved the deceased's vitality for eternity. An angel blowing a
> trumpet
> indicates resurrection, as does a flying dove. Wheat sheaves represent
> the
> divine harvest, and a wreath signifies victory over death.
>
> Statuary in cemetery is common. The Victorians adored their children,
> and
> the death of a child was considered a catastrophic tragedy. While a
> status
> of an urn draped with a drape or shawl indicates deep mourning or
> sadness
> for an adult, there are examples of children's statuary. Some of these
>
> include: the lamb, a figure signifying purity; a small chair or
> cradle,
> representing the emptiness caused by young loss; a doll, a rattle or
> other
> toy, indicating the premature end of childhood; a sleeping baby,
> picturing
> the eternal rest for an infant; praying hands, signifying the hope
> that the
> child is now in God's care.
>
> While some of these images may seem self-explanatory, others may be
> more
> cryptic. Flowers represent the fragility of life and plucked flowers
> indicate the early severance of a life in bloom. A lion is indicative
> of
> courage and an arrow represents mortality. A snake with its tail in
> its
> mouth indicates everlasting life in heaven, while a coiled snake
> indicates
> sin. Roosters are common in some cemeteries, representing
> resurrection. The
> pelican represents redemption through Christ, while ants indicate
> Christian
> industriousness. Scales are indicative of the weighing of justice for
> the
> judgment of the dead.
>
> Sometimes there will be Latin phrases carved on stones. "Memento mori"
>
> means "remember death." "Tempus erat" means "time is
gone." There are
> many
> other such phrases that can be interpreted with a simple Latin
> dictionary.
>
> USING ICONOGRAPHY IN RESEARCH
>
> Remember that the icons were used for a reason. They were sometimes
> selected in advance of death by the person whose grave the stone was
> to
> adorn. Usually, however, they were chosen by the surviving family.
> These
> carved icons or statuary, taken with epitaphs, scripture, and other
> carvings, can often provide another insight into the nature of the
> person
> and/or his family.
>
> There are some excellent Web sites you may use for your reference. The
>
> Olive Tree's "Graven Image" site can be found at:
>
http://www.rootsweb.com/~ote/grave.htm
> There is also a site there called "Grave Symbols" at:
>
http://www.rootsweb.com/~ote/grave_initials.htm
> containing abbreviations found on gravestones indicating membership in
> an
> organization. Another site which contains symbols of various beliefs
> can be
> found at:
>
http://www.cem.va.gov/hmemb.htm
>
> The Association for Gravestone Studies has a Web site at
>
http://apocalypse.berkshire.net/ags/
> The site contains a good collection of links to cemetery-related
> materials,
> but their publications in their online book store and gift shop are
> excellent. These include some kit collections of very informative
> leaflets
> at a good price and the best selection of cemetery reference books in
> one
> place on the Internet.
>
> Think about the graven images on the tombs and gravestones the next
> time
> you visit an old cemetery. Understanding the graphics and icons can
> help
> you read between the lines and perhaps learn more about the natures of
> the
> people interred there. It adds another dimension to your research and
> enjoyment there in the cemetery.