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Picking Your Loved Ones Headstone
When a person dies and is buried, some sort of marker is placed on the grave to identify the deceased. This marker is known as a headstone. It often includes personal information about the deceased including their date or birth and the date of their death, their names, an image, an epitaph and even a quote describing their life or legacy.
There are different types of headstones. These include:
Flat Markers
These are headstones that are laid flat on the ground above the great. They are often referred to as grass markers since they lie flat on the ground flush with the surrounding grass.
Slant Headstones
These are similar to flat markers in that they lie flat on the ground. However, they have a raised edge that forms a wedge. They are often referred to as ‘pillow stones’ as they give a similar appearance to pillows on a bed. The wedge can rise up to 18 inches high.
Bevel Markers
These also lie flat on the ground. However, they rise out of the ground to about 8 inches.
Ledgers
These are headstones that lie flat on the ground but cover the whole grave. They are usually engraved. However, another headstone may be added above the ledger with information about the deceased.
Monuments
These are headstones that take the form of tablets. They are installed upright at the head of the grave. Headstones originated from stelae. These were the earliest types of artwork marking grave sites. Before these, tombstones were used as stone lids to stone coffins. Cemetery headstones today are commissioned and erected as a unique way to memorialize the departed.
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Samantha Milano 10/31/18