In some cases, the base of the gravestone is almost more interesting than the stone itself. These gravestones are in St. Mary Nativity Cemetery, in Joliet, Will County, Illinois. Look closely at the bases. They are carved with diamonds, hearts, clovers, stars, and crosshatches.
This cemetery is primarily residents from Eastern European countries who emigrated to Joliet in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Why were they carved this way? What is the meaning of the symbols?
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© 2012 Sally Knudsen
