Edward Arthur Branch Buried in Good Hope Cemetery, Madison County, Mississippi

Photo by J. Tracy

The Entrance to Good Hope Cemetery, established 1851, near the Good Hope Baptist Church in Madison County, Mississippi.

Good Hope Baptist Church Cemetery is located across a well-built and maintained wooden footbridge from the church. From the footbridge, a visitor can see deep down into a wooded ravine that is part of the heavily timbered countryside that provides a beautiful, serene setting for this old church and deceased members of its community who lived during the 1800's.

To get to the church and cemetery from Highway 51 North, turn right onto Highway 17 East, and travel about 6 miles to Rocky Ridge Road, a paved and scenic county road. Stay on Rocky Ridge Road for about 5.5 miles, passing Schrock Road on the left. Turn left onto Mullinville Road and travel approximately 500 yards to the church and cemetery directly ahead.

The cemetery is fenced, and on each side of the gate are engraved stones dedicating the cemetery to the memory of Barrett family who were instrumental in its establishment in 1851. The actual location of Good Hope Baptist Church and cemetery is in Madison County, Mississippi, but it is very near the line that separates that county from Attala County.

The tombstone you see here is located in the cemetery at Good Hope and was erected for Edward Arthur Branch, my paternal great-grandfather. Ed, as he was known to his family and friends, was born on November 15, 1874 in Madison County, Mississippi, and he died on November 2, 1915, in Jackson, Mississippi. The inscription on the tombstone states simply "Gone Home."

Ed Branch was only 40 years old when he was diagnosed with cancer. Two days before his death, he was admitted to a hospital in Jackson for surgery that doctors believed might save his life. He died of complications from that surgery, barely two weeks away from his 41st birthday. He left a widow and five children under the age of 18, and his only son, my grandfather, had just turned 16 years old.

Before he died, Ed Branch had been a member of an organization known as "Woodmen of the World," founded in Omaha, Nebraska in 1890 by Joseph Cullen Root. According to "Wikipedia," the organization's purpose was to help its members "clear away problems of financial security....," and one of the benefits of membership was the organization's free tombstones for its members.

My great-grandfather's tombstone, one of three present in the Good Hope Cemetery, and one of many in cemeteries across the state of Mississippi and the the country, is a reminder of the other men who worked in one of the earliest occupations in the United States, the wood and timber industry. Use of these tombstones, unique and shaped like stumps of wood that bore the Woodmen of the World logo, was discontinued by the organization sometime around 1920.

Symbols on Gravestones - What Do They Mean?

Gravestones in old and historic cemeteries, especially the very large ones, may be monuments that symbolized the deceased person’s wealth or standing in the community in which they lived and died. Examples of some of these old  markers can be seen in thousands of cemeteries throughout the South and the rest of the world.  Many of these monuments are truly works of art, but the intricate designs and ornamentation that make them both interesting and unique are not just “art for art’s sake,” they were symbolic in nature.  Although literally thousands of tombstone designs and symbols have been used by stone artisans throughout the years, some of them  are more prevalent than others.  

The majority of symbols on old gravestones reflect the spiritual life of the deceased or close family members responsible for a funeral and burial, so it should be no surprise that an open Bible appears on many grave markers of all sizes. The open Bible symbolizes the deceased was a Christian and lived his or her life according to the scriptures contained in the Bible.  In  some instances, a favorite Bible verse or its reference is engraved on the open pages or in close proximity to them.  The presence of an engraved Star of David means the deceased was of Jewish ancestry. Interestingly, Star of David symbols have been found on tombstones of religious Jews in Europe since the 18th century, about the same time the six-pointed star became symbolic of the Jewish community. Another common religious symbol is the angel. Angels can be found on grave markers throughout the world, where they appear on tombstones of both children and adults. But the presence of an angel universally symbolizes  divine love, rebirth, protection, wisdom, and mercy. One of the most photographed of all angels in cemeteries in the United States is a figure known as the “Weeping Angel,” or the “Angel of Grief,” a statue depicting an angel covering her face with her hands.

Emblems that symbolize membership of the deceased in various types of fraternal organizations often were inscribed on tombstones. Some of the more common of these symbols appearing on twentieth century gravestones depict membership in a Masonic Lodge, the Order of the Eastern Star, Woodmen of the World (W.O.W.), and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF.) The organization known as Woodmen of the World  was responsible for one of the most unique grave markers erected in cemeteries during the early part of the last century. These masonry markers, formed in the shape of a felled tree, or a tree trunk, were provided as a death benefit to Woodmen of the World members. Started in Omaha, Nebraska in 1890, the organization offered financial security, for a fee, that included insurance, to “pioneer woodsmen.” The practice of providing tombstones became too costly for the organization, and by most accounts, was discontinued about 1920.  Such a monument marks the gravesite of my own paternal great-grandfather who died in 1915.

Other symbols appearing on old grave monuments include birds, flowers, ivy, and a tree. The bird of choice is often a dove, which means eternal life, representing spirituality and the winged soul.  The presence of ivy engraved on a monument or grave stone denotes fidelity, attachment, and undying affection. Poppies represent eternal sleep, while a rose is a symbol of victory, pride, and undying love.  Frequently,  the rose was the symbol of choice for a child’s grave marker, where it symbolized purity in death. The presence of a single tree on a gravestone represented life and knowledge, but a “leaning tree” meant the life of the deceased was short or interrupted. The leaning tree  became a universal symbol of grief, as well.

Inanimate objects appear on old grave markers, too. One such object or symbol is a chain with three links, which represents faith or one’s belief in the Trinity. In addition, this symbol was used to denote membership in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.  If an anchor is present on a monument or grave stone, it may mean the deceased was a sailor or seaman, but its presence more likely signified “hope.”  A large number of twenty-first century marble or granite gravestones have urns attached to them, simply for the family’s convenience of leaving flowers.  But the presence of an urn atop an old grave monument, sometimes draped in its marble or masonry cloth, is historically symbolic in nature. The urn is the classic symbol of immortality and represents the death of a body and its return to ashes. The presence of a wreath on a skull, although somewhat less common than other symbols mentioned here, simply means “victory over death.”  

Animals or reptiles were less often used as symbols on gravestones. One that does appear fairly frequently, however, is the frog. As most gardeners know, the presence of frogs is a sign of a healthy environment. But the presence of a frog on a gravestone of long ago was not so good - it symbolized worldly pleasure or sin. Although I absolutely love (decorative) frogs and have received many as gifts from family and friends over the years, I do not want one on my headstone...... I would much prefer an angel, some ivy, a dove, or a rose.