Pictures from the Catharine Cemetery- Town of Catharine Schuyler county NY

  There are not very many head stones left standing in this picturesque cemetery, but the area is well cared for , I believe by the people who live next to the cemetery.  Some of the stones, though old, are beautiful to look at.  The etchings are still visible, though the years are taking their toll.  The intricate work, the care taken to etch the designs and the very fact that, though the lines were not etched deeply into the stone, the designs remain today, is impressive and well worth looking at.    As you can see from the above picture, the grass is diligently working to cover and claim the stones unfortunate enough to have fallen to the ground. Still others are being sucked down into the earth a little more each year.  many have sunk deeply enough that the writing is now below the earth.   You will find the names of those buried here in a preceding post, and can see that many of those listed no longer appear in the  cemetery.  I believe this is due to the reclamation of the ground.  There is a large expanse of grass in the ope center of the cemetery area, which,  when walking across you can feel some of the head stones beneath the grass.  It is interesting to note how the different materials used to create head stones over the years weathers time.  It often seems that the older Field stone stones hold up much longer than some of the newer, predominantly granite stones of the  manufactured throughout the 20th century.  Today granite and bronze are the most common materials used .  Marble was a favorite material for many years, especially for the wealthy, but it is a relatively soft stone and easily worn away by the elements.  Many of the older marble stones are difficult or impossible to read due to this erosion.
     Many modern cemeteries, at least in the US. prefer to use flat, markers or inlaid stones, rather than the standing head stones of years passed.  There is a belief that these flat markers are more aesthetically pleasing as they do not disrupt the landscape, and make it easier for the general care of the property, easier to mow, etc.  Unfortunately for the genealogist this means these stones will also be reclaimed by the ground much sooner that the standing stones of the past.