Doe wrote: > there is a private cemetery in Arkansas with seven graves and they all face West.< Doe: Is the nearby road on the west? If so, they may have them turned so they can be read easily from the road. Our local cemetery has the stones turned west towards the road if the family wishes it that way. So, the burials are in back of the stones. If it is just a small family cemetery - they may not have been aware that tradition has the burials with the head to the west. I was in my forties before I became aware of the tradition. If it was a small private farm cemetery the burials may have been made to face the homestead. Regards, Nan Wolf [email protected]

Growing up in a rural area and with older foster parents I was told many years ago that the graves were to face the east so that upon Christ's return to earth, all the folks who were to "rise from the grave" would be facing Christ. This has always stuck out in my memory. Fran Alverson Warren e-mail: [email protected] 501-369-2703 http://www.crawfordcountyarkansas.net/ ----- Original Message ----- From: "Nan & George Wolf" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, June 15, 2002 12:51 PM Subject: [AGS] Re:Gravestones facing west > Doe wrote: > > there is a private cemetery in Arkansas with seven graves and they all > face West.< > > Doe: > Is the nearby road on the west? If so, they may have them turned so they > can be read easily from the road. Our local cemetery has the stones turned > west towards the road if the family wishes it that way. So, the burials > are in back of the stones. > If it is just a small family cemetery - they may not have been aware that > tradition has the burials with the head to the west. I was in my forties > before I became aware of the tradition. > If it was a small private farm cemetery the burials may have been made to > face the homestead. > > Regards, > Nan Wolf > [email protected] > > > ==== AGS Mailing List ==== > The Arkansas History Commission has updated their website. > www.ark-ives.com > >