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Family History Documents and Artefacts => Graveyards and Gravestones => Topic started by: Yvonne Donnellon on Wednesday 08 July 20 17:29 BST (UK)

Title: Missing dates on Gravestone
Post by: Yvonne Donnellon on Wednesday 08 July 20 17:29 BST (UK)
Hi

As you can see from the photo, the dates appear to have never been engraved. Why would this happen?  Do you think the stone was engraved when the daughter was laid to rest or was her details added later?
Title: Re: Missing dates on Gravestone
Post by: GR2 on Wednesday 08 July 20 18:07 BST (UK)
The whole inscription has been carved at the same time, so presumably after the daughter died and while the parents were still alive. Interestingly, they have not carved "departed" before "this life". It would have had to be abbreviated to fit it in. Maybe it would have been tempting fate to have carved it.
Title: Re: Missing dates on Gravestone
Post by: Yvonne Donnellon on Wednesday 08 July 20 19:06 BST (UK)
Thank you, I hadn't thought of it that way round. Pretty weird seeing your own inscription on your gravestone!
Title: Re: Missing dates on Gravestone
Post by: Chris Doran on Thursday 23 July 20 12:02 BST (UK)
From discussions on Find A Grace forums, I gather that such "pre-need" inscriptions are common in the USA, often leaving a dangling name with no dates when a surviving spouse remarries and is buried with their new family, The most I've come across here is one parent's name at the top and a child's at the bottom, with a gap awaiting the other parent.