I know this isn’t news to most of you, but the fact that gravestones can contain errors was brought home to me after my mother passed away last month. As I posted at the time, her obituary contained an error, even though I (a professional writer) had written it myself.
Somehow I felt that more care was given to the accuracy of gravestones, since they are, literally, engraved in stone. But I learned otherwise when my father and I went to the cemetery office to make arrangements. The office worker handed me a printout of what the grave marker would look like (it’s the covering for the niche in which her cremated remains were placed) and my mother’s birth date was wrong. She was born May 2, 1933 and the marker proof said May 5, 1933.
I caught it handily and made the correction. And of course it was simple human error. But what if I hadn’t been there and my grieving father hadn’t caught it? The gravestone would have been wrong. I wonder how many times that has happened in generations gone by. I would imagine our ancestors didn’t have the benefit of seeing proofs.
The experience has led me to take less stock in the “proof” that I had thought a gravemarker provided. It’s simply another secondary source that needs to be verified through other means.
It’s a great reminder of why it’s important to have multiple sources for any facts we track down.
Oh this so reminds me of something that happened just a couple of years ago. My dear, beloved mentor passed away. Her obituary stated that she was born in New York City, I knew from our many years working together, she was very proud of being born in Brooklyn. Okay, same general area, but truly was important to her. Yes, she was a genealogist. Rather ironic. Thinking it’s time to write my own obituary, just to be sure that it is correct.
Maria, Brooklyn is technically New York City, but I can imagine your mentor wouldn’t have been happy with how non-specific her obituary was! I think it’s a great idea to write your own, and to keep it updated. Maybe I’ll do the same. I love the idea of taking stock of how I’d want to be remembered. Thanks for your comment!
This is so true. Two of John Brown’s daughters have the wrong death date on their gravestones. Be sure to check all the facts.
Agreed, Alice. Thanks for commenting!