Not trying to sound morbid, but I work for the Police Dept. here, and we have dug up a few old graves like those mentioned, and about the only things found are large skeletal remains. All other bones were gone, and what was left of the large bones wasn't in the best shape. Just a point of interest. Danny Freeman -----Original Message----- From: Larry A. Overbay <laoverbay@naxs.com> To: SW_VA-L@rootsweb.com <SW_VA-L@rootsweb.com> Date: Sunday, February 21, 1999 6:35 PM Subject: Burial Practices >I'm not an old man but most of the info shared recently, I have >participated in during my childhood and continue some practices now. > >While talking to my Dad, the other day we talked about how cemeteries seem >to be so much better cared for than they were in the past. With the advent >of vaults, we no longer see the deely sunken graves that were so common in >old cemeteries. I can remember, as a child, playing in cemeteries where >you could lie completely hidden in a sunken grave while playing at soldiers >or kick the can. > >I knew that when the coffins rotted away that naturally the graves would >collapse but did not realize until Dad told me that when graves were dug >that just above the level of the casket a shelf was dug on each side and >boards were laid across the shelf to cover the casket. This further >contributed to the extreme sunken condition of old graves when that shelf >also collased. > >Also, at the close of the funeral ceremony and in the presence of the >family, the grave was closed. Men would step into the grave and straddle >the coffin while shovels of dirt were handed down until the boards were >completely covered as to not create an unpleasant sound, a further sign of >respect for the dead and the family. > > > >==== SW_VA Mailing List ==== >#4 Chain letters, gossip, non-genealogical notes, commercial ads, pleas for help, etc. are >PROHIBITED on this List. Violators will be promptly locked out. -sysop > >