DiCasagrande
"Larger than Life"
This is another eye-catching stone from Darlington Cemetery in Maryland. They are not my family members.
Nicolo A.
Born
Genova, Italy
April 24, 1912
Oct. 8, 2008
Emanuele
(Capt. "Lorenzo")
Born
Genova, Italy
Nov. 16, 1940
May 21, 2010
Mirella L.
(Nee Pasini)
Born
Cartosio, Italy
July 4, 1942
Appropriately oversized, to go with the name, this stone marks the final resting place for several members of the DiCasagrande family: Nicolo, Emanuele and Mirella. On the stone there even seems to be space for another member, if need be.
Under Emanuele's name is (Capt. "Lorenzo"). Whether he was a sea captain by profession or "Captain" was a nickname, I do not know. But with a lighthouse and an anchor etched into the marble, it seems clear that the sea played an important part in his and indeed all their lives.
This stone kind of took my breath away, for a number of reasons. First, it's just so big. It also has the little photos of the two men; these always catch my eye. There are beautiful shapely urns on each side. When I was there, they were filled with bright, fresh silk flowers. It's interesting the way the stone is elevated on a pedestal, you don't always see that.
What really attracted me to this stone, besides its size, is the highly polished surface. It's almost like a mirror. In the first photo above, you can see the cemetery grounds and several other stones reflected in it. It was not until I got home and double-checked my photos that I noticed the my own reflection in the three individual shots of each name.
Darlington Cemetery is old; it was founded in the late 1800s. Like any cemetery from this era, there is a very old section. There is also a new section. This stone is in the new section. But Darlington itself is a small town, much of it a farming community. So I found it interesting to find such a modern, beautiful headstone here, where I would usually expect a much more traditional stone. But I'm so glad that I did. As Ivy of Tracing the Ivy said in her genea-fun creation, "You can't judge a cemetery until you walk it."
I love that her maiden name is included on the stone. I must make sure that my family knows I want that, too!
ReplyDeleteThat is indeed spectacular! The reflective surface, for one, really caught my eye.
ReplyDeleteI love how the place of birth is included in this record. I once found a distant relative's monument that included that information and it was so helpful, as I previously hadn't a clue as to where, exactly, the family originated. All these details show that someone was thinking forward!
Yes, it's wonderful that both the place of birth and the maiden name were included. Many of the stones in this cemetery seemed to include details like that, that the family historian of the future will be thrilled to find. Must be lots of genealogists in Darlington!
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