Gravestone Studies – Mourning & Burial Practices in New England

This section will be heavily focused on New England, but will not be the only fixed time or place.

I have been fascinated with cemeteries and have considered myself a taphophile since I was around nine years of age. It was at that time that we moved to NJ and discovered a burial place and a few small graves on our property.

The older the graveyard, the better, in my opinion. The symbols on the stones, and the lives lived, is what grabs my attention. Symbols are important. They are the shorthand of beliefs and ceremony. Symbols signify the cultural understandings of what death and the process of death is about.

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I spoke recently on the topic of Funeral and Mourning Practices in New England 1650-1900 (Wednesday, April 19th 2023 at the Limerick Public Library 55 Washington Street, Limerick, Maine).

I had given this presentation before and just love the richness of the people, places, and times I discuss. There are so many rabbit holes I could go down….I could speak for days and not be done…

~ Cara ~

Cara Kent is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor with a BA in Criminology and an MA in Counseling Psychology.

She is mother to Ian and Shannon, grandmother to Zach and Kingston.

Her work experiences include: Clinical Director, Clinician, Polygraph Examiner, Program Developer, Author, Consultant, Adjunct Professor and Trainer.

You can reach her at: Curiositiesifvg@gmail.com