Pet cemeteries: for devout owners

Pets, their cemeteries and their tombstones

Some pet owners choose to have their deceased pets cremated and others choose burial. Just like cemeteries for humans, pet cemeteries offer pre-need options for pet owners. That way, there is no tension when the animal passes away.

For many people, any burial offers closure. It gives them a chance to remember their loved ones, let them “rest in peace,” and to begin the next step of the journey of life.

All pet owners handle the death of their pet differently. They can choose to utilize the services of a pet cemetery and have a burial ceremony or can simply choose to have the pet buried without a ceremony. Each owner has different preferences for their pet. If the animal is buried at a pet cemetery, then pet owners will choose a monument to remember their pet. Often, these monuments are smaller than a person’s headstone or other type of grave maker. That is not always the case, however. The country’s oldest pet cemetery, established in 1896 by a veterinarian, is located in Hartsdale, New York. For reference, this is approximately a forty-five minute drive out of New York City. At that cemetery, there is a large (10’x10’) canine mausoleum that dates back to the early twentieth century.

Just like many human gravestones, many pet monuments can have an interesting design. Decorations may be a ceramic portrait or an etched paw print. Some pet owners at Hartsdale’s pet cemetery choose to include an epitaph on the grave marker. There are a number of standard epitaphs for pets. Some deal with loyalty and others deal with God and heaven.

Marble Tombstones & Their Restoration

Marble is a rather durable material for a cemetery monument, but where does marble come from and how is it formed?

Origins of marble

Marble comes from a Greek word that roughly means, “shining stone,” according to Wikipedia. In most European languages, the word follows the pronunciation of the Greek word. English is an exception. The stone, especially when polished, can be quite shiny. This may also depend on its exact color. In general, the color of marble depends on where it comes from. For example, Swedish marble often has a green hue. However, we usually imagine cemetery gravestones to be made out of white marble. The stone can be found at quarries throughout the planet.

The geology of marble

Marble is a metamorphic rock. That means it used to be another type of rock, but then due to heat or pressure, its structure was altered into that of marble. A marble stone comes from limestone or dolomite. Over time, the grains in the limestone or dolomite, morph into crystals, thus changing the rock. The marble cross headstone shown below is white with very little variations in color. Therefore, the rock that metamorphosed into this gravestone was probably silica-poor. It is possible to create artificial marble, but that type of stone may not be as strong as real marble. For that reason, pure marble makes a better headstone. It can be carved into various shapes, as shown by the cross-shaped headstone below. Throughout time, artists have used this cherished material to create sculptures and engravings.

 

The veins found in other marble stones are the result of mineral impurities that crystallize.

Drawbacks

Due to marble’s composition, over time, rainwater can affect marble grave markers. Over many years, rain can interact with the stone and can make engraved letters hard to read. Luckily, there are restoration processes. It is entirely possible to take an old monument and make it look like new.