EPITAPHS
Life was harsh in days gone by and, often, it was far too short as seen by the numerous gravestones placed in memory of children. Early people found great comfort from life’s cruelties with engraved expressions of their sorrow. The following epitaphs have been gleaned from stones in cemeteries in the Twin Tiers area of New York State.
CHEMUNG COUNTY
Marsh Cemetery:
Solomon
Moore died 1835
“My
glass is cut
My
race is run
My
work in Christ
Completely
done.”
Lucy
Parke died 1838
“Death
is a debt to nature due
Which
I have paid
And
so must you.”
SCHUYLER COUNTY
County Line Cemetery:
Elizabeth
Bills died 1815, aged 1 yr. 11 mos. 11 dys
“O,
what a happy throng
Of
babes to Heaven ascend
Betsy
is there and joins the song
Which
nevermore shall end.”
Hall Cemetery:
Robert
Hall died 1836, aged 52 yrs. 2 mos. 20 dys
“My
children dear, assemble here
A
father’s grave to see
Not
long ago I dwelt with you
But
soon you’ll dwell with me.”
Phebe
Hall died 1869, aged 83 years
“She
is gone to the land where the heart
Enjoys
the sweet rapture of sacred repose
She
has quitted forever this wilderness drear
And
bids farewell to time and its woes.”
Almira
A. Hall died 1839 aged 13 years
“Why
do we mourn for dying friends
Or
shake at death’s alarms
is
but the voice that Jesus sends
To
call you to His arms.”
These epitaphs reflect a melancholy expression typical of the 1800s. Due to time, many epitaphs are now illegible and lost forever. It would be nice to copy down any inscriptions that one finds to prevent loss of this gravestone history.
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