Remarkable Markers 1

My dear friend Eleanor Y. Stewart (with whom I have authored several books) and I drove past the Forest Hill Cemetery in Piqua, Ohio, and noticed an elk statue. We decided to investigate. What a spectacular work of art! The animal stood proudly on a rock. The majestic creature transfixed us.

Elk Monument, Forest Hill Cemetery, Piqua, Ohio

Elk are native to North America and to eastern regions of Asia. The first Europeans to come to America named the animal “elk” (European word for moose) because they thought the elk resembled a moose. The elk is one of the largest mammals in North America. It feeds on plants, leaves, and the bark of trees.

Author Eleanor Y. Stewart Standing Beside Elk

In Piqua, Ohio’s Forest Hill Cemetery

We found that the magnificent statue represented Lodge 523 of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and honored lodge members interred in the cemetery. Members of the organization are pledged to help children lead healthy lives, to underwrite humanitarian projects, and to honor the service of our veterans.

Elk in New Home Dedication Booklet, September 1950

And Golden Anniversary Celebration, 1899–1949, Piqua, Ohio

After Eleanor posed for a photograph beside the elk, we spent an hour examining other markers. We enjoy visiting such memorial gardens to search for exceptional statuary and stone carving. To us, a stroll around a cemetery is an adventure, for we never know what we will find. I suppose that we are taphophiles, or tombstone tourists.

Eleanor suggested that I compose a series of blogs about uncommon markers such as the elk. We agreed to get together for brief trips to seek extraordinary memorials in other cemeteries. As both Eleanor and I appreciate animals, other monuments must be especially remarkable to measure up to the grandeur of the elk in our estimation! Watch to see what we found!

One installment of this blog will feature a marker that Eleanor and I visited a few years ago when we were on a research trip to Marion, Ohio. I look forward to sharing information about it.

Meanwhile, we continue to admire the Piqua elk, which has ornamented Forest Hill Cemetery throughout the seasons and across the years.