This entry is in some ways a continuation of our previous post, in which we visited our dear friend Leonard. On our way into town we noticed a multitude of signs in yards proclaiming “Pray for Holy Guardian Angels Church!” They were literally EVERYWHERE. After exchanging greetings, we inquired as to what this church needed so much prayer for. Apparently, the decision had been made to close the church in late 2013, but as it is the only Catholic church in that town, a great many individuals were quite put out that it was to be no more. I find it fascinating that yard signs are still up over a year later! There’s even an active Facebook page opposing the closing decision. I was able to locate some fascinating information on the history of the church; it appears that the cemetery and building should continue to receive funds for upkeep and maintenance through an endowment established in the late 1800’s. I am grateful that these beautiful monuments and this gorgeous building will continue to be cared for.
An example of one of the yard signs we saw all over town.
The photo above has the church building on the right, a classroom building on the left and the cemetery is visible between them.
An inspirational statue near the entrance to the cemetery.
Above, you can see a very large stone crucifix embedded in pebbled concrete; the installation is quite impressive.
We found one! This is an example of a “white bronze” (zinc) monument. You can find more information on these fascinating non-stone markers in our very first blog post. We look for them in every cemetery, but they are quite scarce so we get excited when we find one or more. This Ostheimer marker is the only one we noticed at the HGA cemetery.
This stone marker for Joseph and Katherine Frey has some incredible details on it. It’s a pity the years have weathered it so, but even after almost 100 years it is still a striking piece of artwork.
A holy guardian angel gazes over the vast field of tombstones.
Make sure to visit us for our next post, as we continue to explore graveyards near the hometown of our dear friend Leonard.
~Jesse and Doug
The full photoset for this visit can be found here.
Blog entry published 2015/04/13.
Tombstone Tourists 