Saturday, July 25, 2009

My Favorite Photo: An Excursion to Mattituck Presbyterian Church Cemetery



Although Graveyard Rabbits have the gift of finding excitement in graveyards, one of the principle attractions of the graveyard for them is the peaceful atmosphere. The photo I have chosen as my favorite illustrates this sense of peace.

The photo shows my father-in-law standing in front of Mattituck Presbyterian Church in Mattituck, Long Island, New York. When we visited my husband’s parents last January, on a freezing cold day, with snow on the ground, my father-in-law Howard took me out to this church and cemetery so that I could do some photography and transcribing. The air was so cold that it was difficult to write or even to get my fingers to push the button on the camera, but Howard waited patiently for me. He knows a lot about the local history of this area and has knows a number of people in the families who have lived in this part of Long Island for many years, so he was able to fill me in on some of the history of the church and the people buried here. Despite the cold, we had a good time (or at least I’m hoping that he did, too) and were able to enjoy the stark beauty of the snow-covered graveyard. Some of the best times are to be had in the simplest of activities while quietly appreciating the beauty around us.

Submitted for the August 2009 edition of the Graveyard Rabbit Carnival: Favorite Photo.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Cemetery of Mt. Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, Goodyear, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania is a frequent destination for our family on its travels: Our oldest daughter is in college in Philadelphia, our younger daughter has attended the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth Program at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania for the past four years, and we love to visit Gettysburg, Lancaster, and other parts of Pennsylvania. Even when our destination is beyond Pennsylvania, we enjoy traveling through the state and often stop at the small towns along our route.

Our last trip to Carlisle via Route 34 (the Carlisle Pike) took us through Goodyear and Idaville, close neighbors on Route 34 and home to Mt. Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church and Idaville United Methodist Church. After we dropped our daughter off in Carlisle my husband and I took a leisurely drive back home to Virginia, stopping at several fruit stands, the two cemeteries, and, as always, Gettysburg.

Below are photographs of Mt. Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church and its cemetery; photographs and transcriptions of some of the graves to follow.